Many Hollywood stars stick mostly to either making movies or to starring in TV or, as of recently, in streaming services shows. Some actors, however, have chosen to expand their portfolio and have made the transition from the big to the small screen.
To assemble a list of movie stars who made the jump to TV, 24/7 Tempo reviewed credits for scores of prominent actors on Internet Movie Database, an online movie database owned by Amazon. Only performers who are mostly known for their work in motion pictures and have starred in at least two TV shows or miniseries in recent years were considered.
Given the quality of so many shows these days, it’s hardly surprising that A-list movie stars have gravitated to the small screen in recent years. Traditionally, however, it worked the other way — these are the TV stars who made a successful jump to movies.
Television networks and streaming giants such as Netflix have been praised lately for producing shows with strong and original story lines as well as big budgets. Some of the names on the list have revamped their careers in shows that range from crime dramas to horror, sci-fi, and comedies.
Click here to see which movie stars are making a transition to TV
Source: Courtesy of HBO Max
Amy Adams
> Notable movies: Arrival (2016), American Hustle (2013)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: Sharp Objects (2018), Kings of America (2022)
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Source: Courtesy of Fox Network
Angela Bassett
> Notable movies: Black Panther (2018), What’s Love Got to Do with It (1993)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: 9-1-1 (2018-2022), American Horror Story (2018)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Chris Pine
> Notable movies: Star Trek franchise, Wonder Woman franchise
> Notable TV series or miniseries: I Am the Night (2019), SuperMansion (2015-2018)
Source: Courtesy of Showtime Networks
Christina Ricci
> Notable movies: Buffalo ’66 (1998), Monster (2003)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: Yellowjackets (2021-2022), The Lizzie Borden Chronicles (2015)
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Source: Courtesy of TNT
Dakota Fanning
> Notable movies: War of the Worlds (2005), Man on Fire (2004)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: The Alienist (2018-2020), The First Lady (2022)
Source: Courtesy of Showtime Networks
Don Cheadle
> Notable movies: Hotel Rwanda (2004), Avengers franchise
> Notable TV series or miniseries: House of Lies (2012-2016), Black Monday (2019-2021)
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Source: Courtesy of Netflix
Drew Barrymore
> Notable movies: Never Been Kissed (1999), 50 First Dates (2004)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: Santa Clarita Diet (2017-2019), The Drew Barrymore Show (2020-2021)
Source: Courtesy of American Broadcasting Company
Geena Davis
> Notable movies: Thelma & Louise (1991), A League of Their Own (1992)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: Grey’s Anatomy (2014-2018), Commander in Chief (2005-2006)
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
Jane Fonda
> Notable movies: Klute (1971), Coming Home (1978)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: Grace and Frankie (2015-2022), The Newsroom (2012-2014)
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Source: Christopher Polk / Getty Images
John Travolta
> Notable movies: Pulp Fiction (1994), Saturday Night Fever (1977)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: American Crime Story (2016), Die Hart (2020)
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
Jonah Hill
> Notable movies: Moneyball (2011), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: Maniac (2018), Allen Gregory (2011)
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Source: Courtesy of Fremantle Group
Jude Law
> Notable movies: Sherlock Holmes franchise, Closer (2004)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: The New Pope (2019-2020, Neo Yokio (2017-2018)
Source: Courtesy of Amazon Studios
Julia Roberts
> Notable movies: Pretty Woman (1990), Erin Brockovich (2000)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: Homecoming (2018), Gaslit (2021)
Source: Courtesy of Amazon Studios
Kate Beckinsale
> Notable movies: Underworld franchise, The Aviator (2004)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: The Widow (2019), Guilty Party (2021)
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Source: Courtesy of Showtime Networks
Kevin Bacon
> Notable movies: Footloose (1984), Mystic River (2003)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: City on a Hill (2019-2021), The Following (2013-2015)
Source: Stuart C. Wilson / Getty Images
Laura Dern
> Notable movies: Jurassic Park (1993), Marriage Story (2019)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: Big Little Lies (2017-2019), Twin Peaks (2017)
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Source: Gabriel Olsen / Getty Images
Laurence Fishburne
> Notable movies: The Matrix franchise, What’s Love Got to Do with It (1993)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: Black-ish (2014-2021), Madiba (2017)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
Meryl Streep
> Notable movies: The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Sophie’s Choice (1982)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: Big Little Lies (2019), Extrapolations (2022)
Source: Courtesy of CBS Media Ventures
Naomi Watts
> Notable movies: Mulholland Drive (2001), The Impossible (2012)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: The Loudest Voice (2019), Twin Peaks (2017)
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Source: Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images
Nicole Kidman
> Notable movies: Rabbit Hole (2010), The Hours (2002)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: The Undoing (2020), Big Little Lies (2017-2019)
Source: Courtesy of Siesta Productions
Orlando Bloom
> Notable movies: The Lord of the Rings franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean franchise
> Notable TV series or miniseries: The Prince (2021), Carnival Row (2019)
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Source: Courtesy of Showtime Networks
Paul Giamatti
> Notable movies: Cindarella Man (2005), Sideways (2004)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: Billions (2016-2022), John Adams (2008)
Source: Courtesy of Apple TV+
Reese Witherspoon
> Notable movies: Legally Blonde franchise, Walk the Line (2005)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: Big Little Lies (2017-2019), The Morning Show (2019-2021)
Source: Courtesy of Disney-ABC Domestic Television
Viola Davis
> Notable movies: The Help (2011), Fences (2016)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: The First Lady (2022), How to Get Away with Murder (2014-2020)
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Source: Courtesy of Warner Home Video
Winona Ryder
> Notable movies: Little Women (1994), Girls, Interrupted (1999)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: Stranger Things (2016-2022), The Plot Against America (2020)
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