“It’s been 39 years since Lily Tomlin’s first Oscar nomination and 44 years since her first Emmy nod. But if headlining a film is what makes someone a movie star, then Tomlin is only now earning her due.” As HuffPo just stated Tomlin has now had her first ever starring role in a film at the age of 75, a very rare thing especially for an actress who traditionally plays supporting characters. Age has been and still is one of the biggest prejudices in Hollywood since the industry’s inception. Even the seemingly eternal Meryl Streep said in an interview earlier this year that when she turned 40 “I got offered three witches in one year.”

Only a select few actors have been able to maintain their “starring” status in films as they’ve gotten older. Both Dame Judi Dench (81) and Dame Helen Mirren (70) continue to star in films which impressively aren’t just about being old such as Philomena (2013) and The Debt (2010). Although they have both fallen sway to the trend of movies about old age like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011) and RED (2010), which, as fun as they may be, seem like nostalgia fests where studios buy talented, but old, actors packaged together at a wholesale price.

A few actors have become even more relevant today than they were in their “prime.” Both Morgan Freeman (78) and Samuel L. Jackson (67) have been immortalized by the roles they’ve played in their “golden years.” Samuel may have already been ingrained into movie history by playing Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction (1994), but he has doubly assured that he’ll be remembered by generations to come by portraying Nick Fury in the Marvel films. Another late bloomer is June Squib (86) who only really started acting in the early 90’s with small parts in Scent of a Woman (1992) and The Age of Innocence (1993) but has finally been recognized for her part in Nebraska (2014). But Squib, Jackson, and Freeman have all continued to play roles similar to the ones they’ve always played even into the their later years, the majority of which, it should be mentioned, are supporting roles.

Some actors have unfortunately moved the opposite direction in their later years, going from starring in films to being a supporting cast member. Both Sir Michael Caine (82) and Gene Hackman (85) were leading men in their day, but in his last 10 movies Hackman has played a supporting role in 8 of them. Even though Caine was nominated for an Oscar as a lead in The Quiet American (2002) he is probably best known for being Batman’s butler.

There is of course the cream of the crop, your Streep’s (66), Pacino’s (75), De Niro’s (72), Bridges’ (66), and Murray’s (65) who, even in their advanced age, are rarely supporting characters becasue not only can their name gather audiences but they bring something to the table that no one else, no matter how old, can bring. Lily Tomlin may not necessarily fit within this cadre of actors, but what is so exceptional about her career at the moment is that, at such a late stage, it seems to be going through a critical period. Tomlin has been nominated once for an Academy Award in the supporting role category, five times she’s been nominated for a Golden Globe one of which she won for being part of an ensemble, and she’s been nominated for 16 Emmy’s five of which she’s won, but never for a leading role. Tomlin’s role in Grandma (2015) has already gotten Oscar buzz and she’s been nominated for her first Emmy as a lead in the Amazon Original show Grace and Frankie (2015).

Lily Tomlin is clearly a talented and accomplished actor, but only now is she getting recognized as someone who can carry a film or TV show. Tomlin has stated that her character in Grandma is the closest she’s come to playing herself on screen” and her character in Grace and Frankie is a funnier more free spirited version but not that far off. Tomlin’s current career boost as well as her ability to find new facets in her acting is an inspiration to actors who are ascending in age.