I was watching Horizon: An American Saga - Part One, and noticed that Kevin Costner, who is not only the top-billed actor but also the director, producer, and screenwriter, doesn’t appear until an hour into the film. This got me wondering if there are any other notable examples of this in movies, perhaps with an even longer delay, or if this might be a record for the longest time before a top-billed actor appears on screen.
I think Apocalyse is another example
Michael Keaton’s appearance in Beetlejuice comes quite a while before he plays a substantial role.
Perhaps Gene Wilder in Willy Wonka?
He makes his appearance around the 44-minute mark of a 1-hour 40-minute movie.
Steve McQueen was technically top-billed in The Towering Inferno, but he takes quite a while to appear on screen. Paul Newman, on the other hand, is the star of the film’s first half.