In the first two decades of television, many a star from Hollywood’s Golden Age found both a warm reception and a welcome paycheck on the small screen as their movie careers were waning.
This happens almost as frequently today with paid cable series enjoying immense popularity. However, it’s been even more common for actors who’ve initially broken through on television to go on to movie fame.
Here are some examples of players who’ve made the leap in at least one direction, and the film we consider their signature achievement.
From Movies to TV
Barbara Stanwyck
Signature Movie: The Lady Eve
TV Show: The Big Valley
Robert Young
Signature Movie: Crossfire
TV Show: Father Knows Best
Loretta Young
Signature Movie: The Stranger
TV Show: The Loretta Young Show
Dick Powell
Signature Movie: Murder, My Sweet
TV Show: Four Star Playhouse
Donna Reed
Signature Movie: From Here to Eternity
TV Show: The Donna Reed Show
Fred MacMurray
Signature Movie: Double Indemnity
TV Show: My Three Sons
Doris Day
Signature Movie: Pillow Talk
TV Show: The Doris Day Show
Martin Sheen
Signature Movie: Apocalypse Now
TV Show: The West Wing
Kevin Spacey
Signature Movie: American Beauty
TV Show: House of Cards
Steve Buscemi
Signature Movie: Fargo
TV Show: Boardwalk Empire
From TV to Movies
James Garner
TV Show: Maverick
Signature Movie: The Great Escape
Sally Field
TV Show: Gidget
Signature Movie: Norma Rae
Clint Eastwood
TV Show: Rawhide
Signature Movie: Unforgiven
Steve McQueen
TV Show: Wanted: Dead or Alive
Signature Movie: Bullitt
Michael Douglas
TV Show: The Streets of San Francisco
Signature Movie: Fatal Attraction
John Travolta
TV Show: Welcome Back Kotter
Signature Movie: Pulp Fiction
Bruce Willis
TV Show: Moonlighting
Signature Movie: Die Hard
Meg Ryan
TV Show: As the World Turns
Signature Movie: When Harry Met Sally
Tom Hanks
TV Show: Bosom Buddies
Signature Movie: Saving Private Ryan
Robin Williams
TV Show: Mork and Mindy
Signature Movie: Dead Poets Society
Johnny Depp
TV Show: 21 Jump Street
Signature Movie: What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?
Helen Hunt
TV Show: Mad About You
Signature Movie: As Good as It Gets
George Clooney
TV Show: ER
Signature Movie: The Descendants
Denzel Washington
TV Show: St. Elsewhere
Signature Movie: American Gangster
Michelle Williams
TV Show: Dawson’s Creek
Signature Movie: My Week with Marilyn
More: Ultimate Role Models — 7 Successful Transitions from Model to Actor
