16 Movie Actors That Successfully Transitioned To TV
![16 Movie Actors That Successfully Transitioned To TV](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/2/4/0/795240_320x180.jpg)
When you think about famous movie actors that successfully transitioned to TV, who comes to mind? Probably someone like Clint Eastwood or Meryl Streep – both of whom starred in hit Westerns on television in the 1960s. But what about more recent examples? In this blog post, we'll take a look at some modern-day movie stars who made the jump to TV and succeeded. So without further ado, let's get started!
We all know that some movie actors make the jump to TV and totally kill it. But then there are those who try and fail miserably. Let's take a look at some of the biggest success stories, as well as a few of the biggest flops. Spoiler alert: there will be some definite eye-rolls here. But first, a word from our sponsors...okay, maybe we don’t have sponsors, but who needs em anyway! (Ed note: please sponsor us). Anyway, moving on!
The real end objective of stardom-hungry actors used to be movies, and TV used to be the launching pad for them. Actors who previously built a name for themselves in theaters are returning to the small screen in the golden age of television, with prestige shows dominating the cultural zeitgeist in a way that only huge films could do in the past. Not every star can pull it off, but here are our top 16:
![WINONA RYDER STRANGER THINGS CRACKED.com After being America's Goth Pixie Dreamgirl on the big screen for decades, she came back to TV as an homage to every great scary-movie mom in the 80's horror movie pastiche, Stranger Things.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/2/5/6/795256.jpg)
Source: Rolling Stone
![ALEC BALDWIN 30 ROCK CRACKED .COM, As the largest and strongest Baldwin, Alec has had a long career in film, with hits like The Departed and The Hunt For Red October. His sudden turn to comedy was a surprise to everyone but his 30 Rock costar Tina Fey, who says he's a comedic actor at heart with a leading man's face.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/7/2/795472.jpg)
Source: Cheat Sheet
![DREW BARRYMORE SANTA CLARITA DIET CRACKED.com Starting in Hollywood at only 5 years old, Barrymore was movie royalty for three decades. After not making much of a splash in film in the early 2000s, Barrymore joined a little Netflix show playing an undead real estate agent that craves human flesh. It's the highest rated production she's been in for 20 years.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/2/5/5/795255.jpg)
Source: Hollywood Reporter
![HENRY CAVILL THE WITCHER CRACKED.co COM With credits only going back 20 years, Cavill has made huge gains in starpower. After some small film roles, he had moderate success on the show The Tudors before becoming Superman in 2013. Cavill returned to the small screen in The Witcher, another career defining move.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/2/5/3/795253.jpg)
Source: Vanity Fair
![ANTHONY HOPKINS WESTWORLD CRACKED.COM As a multi-Academy Award winner, Anthony Hopkins brought gravitas to the first two seasons of Westworld, playing the park's enigmatic architect, Robert Ford. He bounces between frightening and fatherly, like only Hopkins can.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/2/5/4/795254.jpg)
Source: Hollywood Reporter
![MARTIN SHEEN THE WEST WING CRACKED.COM Sheen is no stranger to TV, going back to 1956, but with films like Wall Street and Apocalypse Now on his resume, he was a bonafide movie star when he took on the role of President Josiah Bartlet in 1999.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/2/5/1/795251.jpg)
Source: NY News Daily
![JANE FONDA GRACE AND FRANKIE CRACKED.COM Barbarella herself, Jane Fonda, was a powerhouse in the 70's and 80's with movies like Fun with Dick and Jane and 9 to 5. She was out of the limelight for the 90's and then made a triumphant return in the early 2000's most notably in the highly rated Grace and Frankie.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/2/4/6/795246.jpg)
Source: EW
![CILLIAN MURPHY PEAKY BLINDERS CRACKED.COM After his breakout role in 28 Days Later, Murphy was attached to nearly every project Christopher Nolan made for the big screen. Since 2013, he's starred in the gangster period-piece, Peaky Blinders, that is probably responsible for all newsboy cap sales in the past 10 years.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/2/4/8/795248.jpg)
Source: The Guardian
![DANNY DEVITO IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA CRACKED.com Brought on to give the second season of It's Always Sunny some star power, DeVito reinvented himself from a movie star that worked alongside the likes of Tim Burton and Arnold Schwarzenegger to a disgusting trash person.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/2/5/2/795252.jpg)
Source: Business Insider
![GEENA DAVIS GLOW CRACKED Best known for her roles in movies like A League of Their Own and The Fly, Davis had a hard time breaking into the small screen in the early 2000s when her appearances were either panned or short lived, or in the case of The Geena Davis Show, both. Finally in 2019's GLOW she was able to showcase her talents, and brought pathos to her small role.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/2/5/0/795250.jpg)
Source: EW
![JAMES SPADER BOSTON LEGAL CRACKED.COM A younger, more trim Spader brought his magnetic energy to roles in Stargate and Secretary, before joining the frenetic, courtroom drama Boston Legal. Spader's unique and commanding voice has been a mainstay in TV for years, with roles in The Office and The Blacklist.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/2/4/7/795247.jpg)
Source: The Week
![ANDREW LINCOLN THE WALKING DEAD To ME, You ARE PERFECT CRACKEDO The glossy lipped, turtleneck wearing English chap from Love Actually, tormented by his inappropriate love for his best mate's wife, probably wasn't on most fan's radar for playing the apocalyptic zombie sheriff in The Walking Dead, but Lincoln held the show together for 9 seasons.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/2/4/2/795242.jpg)
Source: Looper
![PAUL GIAMATTI BILLIONS CRACKED.COM One of the greatest actors of our generation, Big Fat Liar's own Paul Giamatti, stepped into the silver screen with his series Billions, opposite Damian Lewis and a domination fetish. With powerful performances from Giamatti and his co-stars, this Showtime series is elevated to the level of a really good movie from 2003.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/9/6/6/797966.jpg)
Source: GQ
![JUDE LAW THE YOUNG POPE CRACKED.COM The British heartthrob has made a career out of being pinned after in romantic comedies, so in 2016 there was only one more mountain to climb: a hot Pope. Law plays Pius XIII, the first American to sit on the golden throne, in a show critics hail as not as dumb as it sounds, actually.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/2/4/4/795244.jpg)
Source: Vulture
![WILLIAM H. MACY SHAMELESS CRACKED.COM The brilliant, 71 year old character actor plays average and meek regular-guys SO well that it was a shock to see him as the grimey addict Frank Gallagher on Shameless. That shock didn't last long as Macy does what he does best, and disappears into the role on this acclaimed series.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/2/4/5/795245.jpg)
Source: EW
![CHRISTIAN SLATER MR. ROBOT CRACKED.c .COM Slater had a run in the 80s and 90s with movies like Heathers, True Romance and Very Bad Things, that firmly cemented his movie star status. With nothing left to prove, Slater returned to TV to grace the reality bending Mr. Robot as (spoiler) Rami Malek's Ghost Dad hallucination.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/2/4/3/795243.jpg)
Source: Hollywood Reporter