20 TV Shows That Became Too Small for Their Actors

As an actor, it’s easy to get stuck in a TV gig. It’s a cushy job that can last as long as the numbers go up, but when they start going down, a rude awakening waits at the bottom. Some people don’t respect TV actors as “real” actors, so breaking into the movies is hard, which makes it tempting to just ride that gravy train to the end. After all, when a TV star gets it into their head that they’re destined for bigger things and leaves, it doesn’t often end well.

As a result, “I can think of many examples of actors and actresses leaving their shows and never having a career after that,” user Mapuches_on_Fire told r/AskReddit, “but I can’t think of any examples of where it worked out for them, but I’m sure there are many.” 

They then asked, “What actors left their TV show to pursue bigger projects … and it actually worked?”