From Big Screen to Small Screen

[Madame X]

It is often implied that TV actors are inferior to movie actors. I found it interesting when making a list that there are dozens of notable movie actors who "crossed-over" to TV. I'll just name some. See who else you can come up with!

Lucille Ball
Walter Brennan
Carolyn Jones
Donna Reed
Shelley Winters
Eddie Albert
Fred MacMurray
Buddy Ebsen
Jim Backus

[AB]

Jeff Goldblum, from movies to the new tv show Raines.

[phoebe7165]

I remember when "Coach" started on TV and Craig T.Nelson was cast as the lead. I was thinking this was a comedy and I only remember Craig from the Poltergeist movies. He wasn't a comedic actor!! Of course, he pulled it off.

And how about Geena Davis?

[waichingliu81]

lea thompson- back to the future to caroline in the city

[Dusty's Fan]

Robert Young (Father Knows Best)
Groucho Marx (You Bet Your Life)

And a few who were perhaps not-so-notable:

Yvonne De Carlo (The Munsters)
Forrest Tucker (F-Troop and Dusty's Trail)
William Frawley (I Love Lucy and My Three Sons)
William Demarest (My Three Sons; he had appeared with Al Jolson in "The Jazz Singer")

[TJL]

Over the years "Law And Order" featured a lot of actors who were mostly known for thier movie work: Jerry Orbach, Sam Watterson, Michael Moriority, Dennis Farina, Paul Sorvino

James Woods is in "Shark" on CBS.

[comedyfreak]

Andy Griffith did No Time For Sargent's then (The Andy Griffith Show).
Agnes Moorhead (Bewitched)
Jim Belushi (According To Jim)
Stephen Collins (7th Heaven)
Barbara Stanwych (The Big Valley)

[TJL]

It is often implied that TV actors are inferior to movie actors.

That is true. For many years so called "movie stars" always thought TV was beneath them, but in reality, quite a few movie actors and actresses tried thier hand on the small screen, but couldn't take the long hours of work.

On a typical TV drama lots of times you're working 12 hours or more a day for a good portion of a year; that's a much bigger commitment than working on a movie for a few weeks then taking a good long rest between projects.

[waichingliu81]

another thing to consider also is that with tv, particuarly with a sitcom it lasts for more than 1 season and it takes numerous episodes for situations to be resolved. film for example can last for 2 or 3 hours and that's it. but tv is a much more ongoing process, particuarly with series that has been on tv for 4, 6 or even with frasier, 11 seasons

[Madame X]

Ernest Borgnine
Richard Crenna
Shirley Jones
Shirley Booth
Natalie Schafer
Angela Landsbury

[catlover79]

Richard Dreyfuss and Marcia Gay Harden (both Oscar winners) appeared in a drama from a few years back called The Education of Max Bickford. It only lasted one season, however.

Someone also mentioned Agnes Moorehead. Other Bewitched actors who were mainly stage/film actors before the series began are Dick York (My Sister Eileen, Inherit the Wind), David White (The Apartment), Maurice Evans (Macbeth, Taming of the Shrew), Alice Pearce (My Six Loves), George Tobias (Sergeant York) to name but a few.

[TJL]

James Caan moved from movies to the small screen for the NBC series "Las Vegas," but has apparently quit the show to go back to movies.

Translation: so he can do a movie then take a year off.

;)

[dawsongirl]

Gary Sinise from CSI:NY. He'll forever be Lt. Dan no matter what he does, but he's awesome on CSI:NY.

Kyra Sedgwick- The Closer

Doesn't Holly Hunter have a new show coming on? TNT maybe?

[freshprinceofLA]

Mr.T was in a couple of movies before the A-team

[BrianB]

Kiefer Sutherland, probably the most successful of any of them right now.

[waichingliu81]

what about vanessa williams?