Robin Williams’s new show has prompted me to start this thread. Williams has won an Academy award, for Best Supporting Actor in “Good Will Hunting.” (1997)
Have there been any other series which have featured an Oscar winner (not just a nominee) as a regular cast member? I’m not counting one-time guest appearances. I want to limit this to cast members starring or featured on a regular basis on a television series of at least one season in duration.
Timothy Hutton. Oscar for Ordinary People, on TNT in Leverage.
Missed the edit window: I’m asking about actors who have won their award before returning to TV. So, I know Clint Eastwood starred in “Rawhide” and won a Best Director Oscar later in his career, but for the purposes of my question, examples like Eastwood don’t count.
Geena Davis won in 1988 for The Accidental Tourist, then starred in *The Geena Davis Show *and Commander in Chief, both of which were canceled after one season, I believe.
Also Holly Hunter, who won for *The Piano *in 1993, then starred in Amazing Grace.
Sally Field starred in Brothers and Sisters, which ran for 5 seasons, after winning 2 Oscars.
Dianne Wiest earned both of her Oscars before landing the role of the DA on LAW & ORDER.
Kevin Spacey’s role in HOUSE OF CARDS arguably counts.
Does Netflix count? If yes, then Kevin Spacey in House of Cards.
There’s also Jane Fonda in The Newsroom.
Marlee Matlin won an Oscar in 1986, and has appeared in numerous television roles since. She starred in Reasonable Doubts, which ran for 2 seasons, and had longterm recurring roles on Picket Fences, The West Wing and many other shows.
Maggie Smith won 2 Oscars before Downton Abbey made her even more of a household name.
Jane Wyman won her Oscar over 30 years before she starred in Falcon Crest.
Peter Capaldi has an Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film, and he’s been in several TV series, and is going to be the new Doctor Who.
Anna Paquin also won for The Piano and worked steadily in film, on stage, and has a lead role on True Blood.
Jimmy Stewart starred in The Jimmy Stewart Show and Hawkins long after his Oscar.
Loretta Young starred in The Loretta Young Show, usually as host, but also as an actress, after her Oscar.
Ernest Borgnine in McHale’s Navy.
Walter Brennan was a 3-time Oscar winner when he starred in The Real McCoys. He also did The Tycoon and The Guns of Will Sonnett.
Ernest Borgnine won best actor for Marty in 1955, and then went on a long run in television beginning with McHale’s Navy 1n 1962.
ETA: Ninjad by RealityChuck.
I was going to say Glenn Close, but upon review, she has never won an Oscar?? :eek:
And My Name Is Earl, Joy’s deaf lawyer. I had forgotten about her.
No, she has tied the record for most nominations without a win (6). She does have 3 Tonys and 3 Emmys, and has been my favorite actress since her screen debut.
Rounding out the list of Oscar winners who have returned to series television:
Helen Hayes (The Snoop Sisters)
Karl Malden (The Streets of San Francisco)
Martin Balsam (Archie Bunker’s Place)
Jack Albertson (Chico and the Man)
Donna Reed (The Donna Reed Show; Dallas)
Cloris Leachman (The Mary Tyler Moore Show; Phyllis; too many sitcoms to name)
Anjelica Huston (Smash)
Linda Hunt (NCIS: Los Angeles)
Miyoshi Umeki (The Courtship of Eddie’s Father)
Shirley Jones (The Partridge Family)
Rita Moreno (Happily Divorced; apparently she was on Oz?)
Patty Duke (The Patty Duke Show – she was only 16 when she won the Oscar, before her T.V. career)
This is really common… is what I came to say, but it looks like you folks beat me to it.
Missed the edit window, but had to include one of my favorite Oscar-winning performances:
Celeste Holm (Promised Land)
Yes, she played a nun who worked as a counselor at the prison.