Have Supp. actors from a hit sitcom ever had their own hit?

Cafe Society
1

We’ve seen much of the Seinfeld or Friends “curse”. The stars of those shows who have gone onto other projects that have had mild to no success.

I think it is less a curse than the fact that people get accepted as supporting characters and then, because of the fame of the show they were on, think they should take on leading roles in their next show.

(Of course typecasting also plays a role, but that has been talked to death).

What I am wondering is whether any supporting character from a very successful sitcom has ever used that fame to springboard to success as the lead in a new TV series?

Let’s exclude spinoffs (aka the Frasier rule). Are there any? Or do supporting/ensemble actors only work in ensemble roles?

You can throw in dramas if you want, but I would argue it would be easier to make a transition from supporting actor to lead actor in a drama than with a comedy.

The only person I can think of that comes close is Ted Knight. He went from a member of one of the most acclaimed sitcom ensembles (Mary Tyler Moore Show) to the lead of Too Close For Comfort. Now of course TCFC was a bit of an ensemble, but he was certainly the lead.

Anyone else?

2

It’s amazing that you thought of Ted Knight, but didn’t think of Mary Tyler Moore, going from the Dick van Dyke Show to the Mary Tyler Moore Show.

Valerie Harper was successful on her own show (not Rhoda, the one after that), before she left it and was written out.

3

How about Tony Shalhoub? Went from the cab driver on Wings to Monk. I guess neither show are the same caliber as Seinfeld or Cheers, but successful none the less.

4

Indeed. I always forget she was the wife on that show! I have not seen a single episode of it, but I should have known that! I even thought to myself “Why was Mary Tyler Moore so famous that they named the show after her?” A little slow today.

That was an incredible cast, wasn’t it?

I also meant to add in the OP that Julia Louis-Dreyfuss’s new show is off to a great start in the ratings. It is too soon, but she may be on this list some day if the ratings hold.

5

I despise both shows, but didn’t Kevin James start out as a supporting character on Everybody (Except Lou) Loves Raymond, before headlining The King of Queens?

6

Tony Danza–from “Taxi” to “Who’s The Boss?”

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I think the most obvious answer here is Frasier, in which a supporting character from Cheers spun off into a wildly successful sitcom.

Another example–The Jeffersons were supporting characters sometimes seen on All in the Family. They had a nice long run of their own, obviously.

8

Betty White went from playing Sue Ann Niven on “Mary Tyler Moore” to starring in “Golden Girls”

9

The most current and most suprising example is Neil Patrick Harris going from “Doogie Howser MD” to the current hit “How I Met Your Mother.”

10

Ron Howard went from ‘Andy Griffith’ to ‘Happy Days’

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Tony Danza went from one of the ensemble in Taxi to starring in several shows, most notably Who’s the Boss. His talk show seems to be doing OK now.

Bea Benederet was a supporting character on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show and eventually became the lead in Petticoat Junction (I won’t even count her success on The Flintstones).

Fred Gwynne has a supporting role in The Phil Silvers Show (Sgt. Bilko) before his success on The Munsters.

Harry Morgan had several successful TV shows (Dragnet, MAS*H) after gaining fame as a character actor in December Bride.

Robert Urich was part of the ensemble of the original year of Soap (and was killed off in the first season). He then starred in several successful series (Spenser: For Hire was probably his biggest).

12

Except that Friends was essentially a spinoff of Mad About You–in which Friends star Lisa Kudrow was a supporting actor.

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Who can forget MAS*H’s MacLean Stevenson’s smash hit, Hello Larry?

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Kirstie Alley: Cheers to Veronica’s Closet
Tony Danza: Taxi to Who’s the Boss to [t]The Tony Danza Show*

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Those posts weren’t there when I started…that’s what I get for posting while working

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No. Lisa played Ursula the waitress, a very minor character, on “Mad About You.”
She originally played Phoebe, a completely different character, on “Friends.” It was only later that the two were interwoven as “identical twins.”

17

you’ve got it backwards. It’s going from a supporting role to a lead. Neil Patrick Harris was the lead in Doogie Howser.

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The answer is so obvious that it’s specifically excluded by the OP:

And her “Golden Girls” co-star, Rue McLanahan, was a supporting actress on “Maude.”

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I’m not asking people who were in more than one hit sitcom. There are quite a few of those.

But most of the people listed were supporting or ensemble players in the second hit show.

You wouldn’t say Bettie White was the star of the Golden Girls. She was a member of a STRONG ensemble cast.

The same with Neil Patrick Harris in HIMYM.

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What are D_Odds of that?!? :smiley: