God I love this new forum.
OK, who is the biggest movie star that began their career in a hit sitcom? I’m talking about a virtual unknown that had a hit TV show, as the star, and then went on to huge success in movies. So, Tom Hanks as the karate guy in that Happy Days episode wouldn’t count, but Tom Hanks from Bosom Buddies would count. Another example would be Robin Williams, not as Mork the alien that visited Happy Days, but certainly Mork from Mork and Mindy.
Does Warren Beatty from The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis count? I’m guessing not, since he wasn’t the star.
How about Woody Harrelson from Cheers? Woody’s not a huge star, and that was an ensemble show so he wasn’t really the star…
I’m also guessing Rawhide’s Clint Eastwood wouldn’t count since that wasn’t a sitcom. Same for Denzel Washington from St. Elsewhere.
Any chance of expanding the question? I’m running short of sitcom stars.
Tom Hanks of “Bosom Buddies”.
I saw this type of story on the wire, I think by a Boston Globe writer. He had his top 20 list and said something about there not being many females on the list, but that if Helen Hunt keeps it up, she may make it in a few years.
[sarcastic voice]Well you known, winning four Emmys, five Golden Globes, a Blockbuster Award, two Screen Actors Guild awards, four American Comedy Awards, three Viewers for Quality Television Awards, AND an Oscar’s simply not enough.
[/sarcastic voice]
To start with… Bosom Buddies a “hit sitcom”? In what world is that??
And here’s my additions:
[li]Not quite a sitcom, but Bruce Willis started on the very popular Moonlighting.[/li][li]Also not a sitcom, Eddie Murphy started on Saturday Night Live.[/li]And one more non-sitcom, Jim Carrey was big in In Living Color.
I just thought of another one - Sally Field - didn’t she start her career in The Flying Nun?
No before that she was in Gidget.
Michael J Fox from Family Ties.
Johnny Travolta from Welcome Back Kotter
Leonardo DiCaprio in Growing Pains.
OK so he wasn’t the star but it’s the best I can do right now.
How about Lisa Kudrow, Phoebe from Friends? She now appears in several good films, although she is not a breakout yet, she is definitely up and coming.
Rick Moranis, from SCTV (it could be an extended sit-com because it is set in a ficional TV studio), must be the luckiest man in Hollywood. Almost all the blockbuster comedy movies in the has him in it.
George Clooney Facts of Life
Well, there’s Will Smith from The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
Ron Howard, from the Andy Griffith Show.
Jan Michael Vincent, from the Cannibal Island segment of the Banana Splits?
And then there’s Taxi. Let’s see… Andy Kauffmann, Danny DeVito, Judd Hirsch, Tony Danza, Christopher Lloyd… oh my god, did I just say Tony Danza? I did! Dammit!
I gotta go wash out my mouth…
How soon they forget.
Years before In Living Color, Carrey [starred in the sitcom (written by ex-Rocky and Bullwinkle people) The Duck Factory.
I finally got to see some episodes of this, and I was hoping that a lot of the Jay Ward zaniness would have rubbed off, but I was disappointed.
Tim Allen in “Home Improvement.” Not a movie superstar, but certainly a star.
Umm… in what way is Ron Howard a movie star? Sure, great director, but movie star? Name five not-for-TV movies he’s made.
Mary Tyler Moore, from the Dick van Dyke show. Dick van Dyke, for that matter.
Dick van Dyke was a movie star (“Bye Bye Birdie,” which he also starred in on Broadway) before TV.
Billy Crystal in Soap is pretty big now
can anyone say Jennifer Aniston? Everytime I look she has a new sappy, romantic comedy coming out.
Well he isn’t the calibre thespian that his brother Clint has become, but he made quite a few big films in the 70’s. He was also a voice recently in Osmosis Jones.
American Graffiti, More American Graffiti and the Shootist come to mind.
Ok, does anyone think Haley Joel Osmont counts? Sure he played Gump Jr. first, but he also did a turn as Jeff Foxworthy’s kid on his self titled show. Molly Ringwald started on Facts of Life. Gary Coleman made SEVERAL hit films in the early 80’s. Ben Stiller had his sketch show on Fox (which also showed the talents of J Garafolo). John Goodman fits in the loosest since of the word. What about Janet Jackson? Billy Crystal from Soap? Courtney Cox got her start on Family Ties (Bruce Springsteen videos not withstanding).
IF SNL counts:
Mike Myers
Adam Sandler
HALL OF FAME:
Hanks
Hunt
Will Smith
Travolta
Fields
Carrey
Robin Williams
Kevin Spacey in Wiseguy (okay, so he was only a guest star for half a season but it was quite a role).
P.S. Kevin Spacey only fits if we’re counting all shows, not just actual sitcoms.