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 the movie stars making a transition to TV
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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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)
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Chris Pine
> Notable movies: Star Trek franchise, Wonder Woman franchise
> Notable TV series or miniseries: I Am the Night (2019), SuperMansion (2015-2018)
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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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)
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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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)
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)
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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John Travolta
> Notable movies: Pulp Fiction (1994), Saturday Night Fever (1977)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: American Crime Story (2016), Die Hart (2020)
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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Jude Law
> Notable movies: Sherlock Holmes franchise, Closer (2004)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: The New Pope (2019-2020), Neo Yokio (2017-2018)
Julia Roberts
> Notable movies: Pretty Woman (1990), Erin Brockovich (2000)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: Homecoming (2018), Gaslit (2021)
Kate Beckinsale
> Notable movies: Underworld franchise, The Aviator (2004)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: The Widow (2019), Guilty Party (2021)
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Kevin Bacon
> Notable movies: Footloose (1984), Mystic River (2003)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: City on a Hill (2019-2021), The Following (2013-2015)
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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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)
Meryl Streep
> Notable movies: The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Sophie’s Choice (1982)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: Big Little Lies (2019), Extrapolations (2022)
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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Nicole Kidman
> Notable movies: Rabbit Hole (2010), The Hours (2002)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: The Undoing (2020), Big Little Lies (2017-2019)
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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Paul Giamatti
> Notable movies: Cindarella Man (2005), Sideways (2004)
> Notable TV series or miniseries: Billions (2016-2022), John Adams (2008)
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)
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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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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