# Biggest movie star to come from a sitcom? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 21, 2001, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-movie-star-to-come-from-a-sitcom/82911 "2001-09-21T00:19:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-movie-star-to-come-from-a-sitcom/82911/1 "2001-09-21T00:19:29Z")
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_. ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-movie-star-to-come-from-a-sitcom/82911/2 "2001-09-21T00:29:36Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-movie-star-to-come-from-a-sitcom/82911/3 "2001-09-21T00:34:17Z")
Tom Hanks of “Bosom Buddies”. ---
**Author:** ![pesch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pesch/32/4925_2.png) [@pesch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pesch)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-movie-star-to-come-from-a-sitcom/82911/4 "2001-09-21T00:42:48Z")
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] ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-movie-star-to-come-from-a-sitcom/82911/5 "2001-09-21T00:43:16Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-movie-star-to-come-from-a-sitcom/82911/6 "2001-09-21T00:45:27Z")
I just thought of another one - **Sally Field** - didn’t she start her career in _The Flying Nun_? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-movie-star-to-come-from-a-sitcom/82911/7 "2001-09-21T00:49:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dooku \* > \*\*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_. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-movie-star-to-come-from-a-sitcom/82911/8 "2001-09-21T01:25:08Z")
**Johnny Travolta** from _Welcome Back Kotter_ ---
**Author:** ![bafaa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@bafaa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bafaa)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-movie-star-to-come-from-a-sitcom/82911/9 "2001-09-21T01:42:21Z")
Leonardo DiCaprio in _Growing Pains_. OK so he wasn’t the star but it’s the best I can do right now. ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-movie-star-to-come-from-a-sitcom/82911/10 "2001-09-21T05:32:06Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Phlip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Phlip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlip)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-movie-star-to-come-from-a-sitcom/82911/11 "2001-09-21T05:37:06Z")
George Clooney Facts of Life ---
**Author:** ![MrVisible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@MrVisible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrVisible)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-movie-star-to-come-from-a-sitcom/82911/12 "2001-09-21T06:57:45Z")
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… ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-movie-star-to-come-from-a-sitcom/82911/13 "2001-09-21T12:05:12Z")
> [@](#): > > And one more non-sitcom, Jim Carrey was big in In Living Color. 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. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-movie-star-to-come-from-a-sitcom/82911/14 "2001-09-21T12:09:49Z")
Tim Allen in “Home Improvement.” Not a movie superstar, but certainly a star. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-movie-star-to-come-from-a-sitcom/82911/15 "2001-09-21T12:42:26Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-movie-star-to-come-from-a-sitcom/82911/16 "2001-09-21T12:55:38Z")
Dick van Dyke was a movie star (“Bye Bye Birdie,” which he also starred in on Broadway) before TV. ---
**Author:** ![Evnglion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f04885/32.png) [@Evnglion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evnglion)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-movie-star-to-come-from-a-sitcom/82911/17 "2001-09-21T13:50:02Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-movie-star-to-come-from-a-sitcom/82911/18 "2001-09-21T13:57:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ethilrist \* > \*\*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. \*\* 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 ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-movie-star-to-come-from-a-sitcom/82911/19 "2001-09-21T13:57:31Z")
Kevin Spacey in Wiseguy (okay, so he was only a guest star for half a season but it was quite a role). ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-movie-star-to-come-from-a-sitcom/82911/20 "2001-09-21T14:00:11Z")
P.S. Kevin Spacey only fits if we’re counting all shows, not just actual sitcoms. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-movie-star-to-come-from-a-sitcom/82911.md?page=2)