The title is self-explanatory, I think. Discussion on what the big stars were doing before they were big stars (especially on TV).

Michael Douglas starting out on Streets of San Francisco than he later went on to be a big time movie star.

George Clooney started on Facts of life, Roseanne and a bigger TV role on ER before becoming a blockbuster movie star

Michael J Fox Family Ties. Went on to do Teen wolf then Back to the Future and sealed his future as a star.

Jessica Beal started out 7th Heaven. Went on to become a star.

Mila Kunis. That 70s show. Is fastly becoming a big star.

Sarah Jessica Parker. Square Pegs went on to become a movie star.

Jason Bateman. Little House on the Prairie is a movie star today.

Shailene Woodley started out as a kid on The OC then went on to star in Secret life of an american teenager. Is now becoming an actress to recon with.

Then there are the TV stars that became big movie stars that are not anymore. e.g. Molly Ringwald. Facts of Life.

Michael Douglas Streets of San Francisco was one of the very few to come out of 70s TV and be a huge star. Oh one more star that was on an episode of the Streets of San Francisco who played a bodybuilder that was a murderer was Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Of course there was John Travolta. Starting off as Vinnie Barbarino on Welcome back Kotter. I'm thinking his first movie role was as Billy Nolan on the movie Carrie. After that he was still more popular playing Vinnie Barbarino. Than Saturday night Fever sky rocketed him to stardom!

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How about Courteney Cox on Family Ties before hitting it big with Friends and the Scream movies?

Jennifer Garner starred on Alias, and guest-starred on shows like Felicity before becoming a major film star and marrying Ben Affleck.

Jennifer Lopez was a Fly Girl on "In Living Color" and appeared in TV shows like Hotel Malibu before becoming one of the most successful film stars and musicians of all-time.

James Franco and Seth Rogen on "Freaks and Geeks" before becoming hugely successful movie stars.

Ryan O'Neal guest starred on Leave it to Beaver in 1961, Wally goes steady was the episode name. He later went on to do Love Story and became a fairly famous actor.

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Geena Davis did a guest spot on Family Ties and starred in the forgotten sitcom Sara before making it big in movies.

Michael Keaton had a short lived sitcom before doing movies.

Leonardo DiCaprio did a stint on Growing Pains before doing movies.

Another note about Arnold Schwarzenegger. He was also in a TV movie (It was on in the early 80s if I remember this was even before he'd made Terminator) about the life of actress Jayne Mansfield. Loni Anderson played Mansfield, having gotten quite popular as Jennifer on WKRP In Cincinnati. Schwarzenegger played her husband Mickey Hargitay. And Hargitay and Mansfield were of course the parents of actress Mariska Hargitay who has played Olivia Benson on Law And Order: SVU for several years.

Ed.

John Ritter before he became really well known and popular as Jack Tripper on Three's Company. He appeared in one episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and in some episodes of The Waltons as the pastor of their church, I'm sorry but I can't remember that character's name right now! :P

Ed.

Actress Meg Ryan before she became a big movie star was on the soap opera As The World Turns.

Ed.

Clint Eastwood began his career as Rowdy Yates on Rawhide before beginning his movie and directing career, Steve Mcqueen was Josh Randall on Wanted Dead or Alive before he made it big in the movies.

John Ritter before he became really well known and popular as Jack Tripper on Three's Company. He appeared in one episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and in some episodes of The Waltons as the pastor of their church, I'm sorry but I can't remember that character's name right now! :P

Ed.


Reverend Matthew Fordwick

Also Sissy Spacek guest starred on the Waltons a couple of times before she went on to do Carrie and I guess Coal Minors daughter was the film that really made her a famous star!

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Emma Roberts starred in her own show on Nickelodeon called Unfabulous. Then she when on to do Valentine's Day, The Art of Getting By, Empire State, Scream 4, We're the Millers, and currently American Horror Story and the upcoming FOX show Scream Queens.

Probably Dobie Gillis was one of Warren Beatty's first acting gigs before getting into the movies.

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Sandra Bullock starred on the short lived sitcom "Working Girl" before becoming a huge film star.

Tom Hanks - Bosom Buddies

In this discussion are we limited to just sitcom actors or can we talk about dramatic actors as well? And does it have to be only people who went from TV to movies or can we also mention people that had a movie role before becoming well known on a TV show?

For example. Jennifer Aniston was in a movie (about a year I think) before she got famous on Friends. It was the horror movie Leprechaun, which inexpicably to me has 3 or 4 sequels. The evil leprechaun was played by Warwick Davis who famously played one of the Ewoks in Star Wars when he was younger. Anyways the "Leprechaun" movies are full of gory violence and bad language. From everything I've ever heard Aniston is quite embarrassed about this role and it's not even included on her resume and she refuses to discuss it ever. I've even heard that entertainment reporters are forbidden to ask her about it. I don't really know if that's true but if it is I don't blame her one bit.

Before he got well known on Roseanne and then got into movies actor John Goodman had done several TV commercials and a guest appearance on an episode of Moonlighting. I think being friends with Bruce Willis helped get him that role.

Ed.

Jennifer Garner starred on Alias, and guest-starred on shows like Felicity before becoming a major film star and marrying Ben Affleck.

There's also Bradley Cooper who was also from "Alias" and the ill-fated "Jack & Bobby" and "Kitchen Confidential" before becoming the movie mega-star of recent years.

There's also Bradley Cooper who was also from "Alias" and the ill-fated "Jack & Bobby" and "Kitchen Confidential" before becoming the movie mega-star of recent years.

Bradley Cooper I totally forgot about those shows he was in. Now he is an actor I really like.

Mark Hamill played a rich teenage thug on The Streets of San Francisco and was in the TV movie Linda T. Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic before he hit it big in Star Wars.

Orlando Bloom and Colin Farrell both guest-starred on the British drama Midsomer Murders before they became big movie stars.

Jim Carrey rocketed to fame after starring on the comedy show In Living Color.


And stars who did soaps:

Julianne Moore and Bryan Cranston - As the World Turns
Kevin Bacon - Guiding Light
Nathan Fillion - One Life to Live
Jensen Ackles - Days of Our Lives
Demi Moore - General Hospital
David Hasselhoff - The Young and the Restless

Before he got well known on Roseanne and then got into movies actor John Goodman had done several TV commercials and a guest appearance on an episode of Moonlighting. I think being friends with Bruce Willis helped get him that role.
He was also the football coach on Revenge Of The Nerds which was before Moonlighting.

In this discussion are we limited to just sitcom actors or can we talk about dramatic actors as well? And does it have to be only people who went from TV to movies or can we also mention people that had a movie role before becoming well known on a TV show?

No, you're not limited. This discussion can be related to anything you mentioned above.

I've never seen Revenge Of The Nerds so I didn't know that, thanks.

Also related to actors who appeared on soaps. Tom Selleck was briefly on The Young And The Restless in the late 70s before he was on Magnum P.I. The late Paul Walker was also on The Young And The Restless for a short time back in the 90s. He's best known for The Fast And The Furious franchise.

Ed.

Prior to her star-making role on Desperate Housewives, Eva Longoria was on The Young & The Restless and General Hospital. On, GH she literally only was seen from the back as a Brenda Look-Alike.

Actress Shelly Long did several commercials and appeared in an episode of The Love Boat and an episode of M.A.S.H. before becoming well known on Cheers as Diane.

Ed.