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

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-supp-actors-from-a-hit-sitcom-ever-had-their-own-hit/349313>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [March 21, 2006, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-supp-actors-from-a-hit-sitcom-ever-had-their-own-hit/349313 "2006-03-21T18:08:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 4

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**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:** [March 23, 2006, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-supp-actors-from-a-hit-sitcom-ever-had-their-own-hit/349313/61 "2006-03-23T16:09:20Z")

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> [@RickJay](#):
>
> It might actually be a more interesting exercise to list people who were the stars of popular TV shows without being:
> 
> - A supporting actor on any previous show, or
> - A successful standup comedian (which eliminates Jerry Seinfeld, Drew Carey, Ray Romano, Brett Butler, Roseanne Barr…)

Assuming one-shot guest appearances as other characters don’t count: Dick Van Dyke, Lucille Ball, Hal Linden, Judd Hirsch (Taxi), Walter Brennan (The Real McCoys), Jason Lee (“My Name is Earl”), David Schwimmer (Friends), Danny Thomas, Ernest Borgning (“McHale’s Navy”), Fred McMurray (“My Three Sons”), Elizabeth Montgomery, to name a few.

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**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-supp-actors-from-a-hit-sitcom-ever-had-their-own-hit/349313/62 "2006-03-23T17:24:10Z")

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> [@Annie-Xmas](#):
>
> John Ritter–From Rev. Matthew Fordwick on [The Waltons](http://www.john.ritter.talktalk.net/series.htm) to Jack Tripper on “Three’s Company.”

Wow. The big city sure changed him.

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**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-supp-actors-from-a-hit-sitcom-ever-had-their-own-hit/349313/63 "2006-03-23T18:13:51Z")

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> [@scotandrsn](#):
>
> Think harder. How about Gavin McLeod from the same show, who went on to star in The Love Boat?

I’ll take you back one step further–Gavin MacLeod had a supporting role on **McHale’s Navy** _years_ before MTM and Love Boat.

Not a sitcom, but **David Letterman** was a supporting player on the _Starland Vocal Band_ show.

And, IIRC, **Robin Williams** was on the attempted _Laugh-In_ revival a couple of years before _Mork and Mindy_ .

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