# Sitcom actors who became famous for dramatic movie roles **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted, movies\ **Created:** [December 12, 2024, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533 "2024-12-12T04:45:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/21 "2024-12-12T14:33:23Z")
That’s what popped up in my mind. Moonlighting was an hour long show, normally classified as a drama, but definitely had the comedy element. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/22 "2024-12-12T14:37:47Z")
Bruce Willis at the time was considered a comedic TV actor, so at least close to what the OP asked about. But no actual sitcom. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/23 "2024-12-12T14:59:32Z")
If fame as a sitcom actor followed by even more fame as a dramatic actor is the goal, I think Tom Hanks wins. If the criterion is just as an actor in a sitcom followed by fame as a dramatic actor, then two who haven’t been mentioned are: **Michael Keaton** - started in TV (_Working Stiffs_ was the sitcom) and has since attained fame in dramatic roles, first in _Batman_, but also his Oscar nominated turn in _Birdman_. **Jennifer Lawrence** played the snarky teenage daughter in _The Bill Engvall Show_, but became famous as a dramatic actress, with 4 Oscar nominations (one win) for movies like _Winters Bone_ and _American Hustle_, as well as starring action roles in _X-Men_ and _Hunger Games_ movies. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/24 "2024-12-12T15:05:42Z")
> [@peccavi](#): > > **Michael Keaton** - started in TV (_Working Stiffs_ was the sitcom) and has since attained fame in dramatic roles, first in _Batman_, but also his Oscar nominated turn in _Birdman_. I’ll push back on this, 9 episodes of a forgotten sitcom is not even remotely what he was known for. He was a very successful Comedy Movie actor before becoming Batman. Not really a known sitcom actor at all. Bosom Buddies was at least a brief hit and many careers launched out of that silly sitcom. None close to Tom Hanks, but still. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/25 "2024-12-12T15:18:58Z")
**Sally Field** is probably one of the earliest examples. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/26 "2024-12-12T15:28:52Z")
Very good one. That has to rival Tom Hanks who in different movies played both her son (Gump) and love interest. (Punchline). ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/27 "2024-12-12T16:25:43Z")
I agree but I don’t think it’s clear cut. Here’s a cite from [Brittanica](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Moonlighting) calling Moonlighting a sitcom: > [@](#): > > …Shepherd in the television sitcom _Moonlighting_ (1985–89). The show made Willis a household name and helped to launch his film career. I don’t know a definitive definition of ‘sitcom’ however I don’t think there’s much agreement that Moonlighting was a sitcom. Maybe something about Willis’s career lent itself to ambiguous classifications. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/28 "2024-12-12T16:32:49Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Robin Williams for sure. _Mork&Mindy_ to _Dead Poets Society_, _Good Will Hunting_, _What Dreams May Come_, _1 Hour Photo_ etc Yeah, Robin Williams is the most obvious uber-example of the OP in my mind, and the one that I immediately thought of. I think he was ultimately a better dramatic actor than he was a comedian. I came to find his comedy, which I thought was genius as a kid, a bit hacky as I got older. But I always thought he brought a genuine sensitivity and humanity to his dramatic roles. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/29 "2024-12-12T16:39:56Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Bruce Willis at the time was considered a comedic TV actor, so at least close to what the OP asked about. But no actual sitcom Famously, the producers of Die Hard originally left him off the movie poster, because they didn’t think people would buy the goofball from _Moonlighting_ as a bad-ass action hero. > ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/30 "2024-12-12T16:42:57Z")
Ryan Reynolds had several dramatic roles early on, but his first real break came in the sitcom _Two Guys and a Girl_. He got a lot of recognition for the movie **Van Wilder** at the end of the sitcom run and became much more of a movie actor after that. ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/31 "2024-12-12T16:57:19Z")
One comic actor (from Second City TV) who did nicely in a couple of dramatic roles was the late **John Candy**. Had his life not been tragically cut short, I’ve always thought he could have had a successful career as an actor beyond his comic abilities. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/32 "2024-12-12T17:16:36Z")
> [@XOldiesJock](#): > > Had his life not been tragically cut short, I’ve always thought he could have had a successful career as an actor beyond his comic abilities. Similar to this is John Goodman. Became famous as Dan Conner in _Roseanne_, and has gone on to a major career, both in comedy, and dramatic roles. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/33 "2024-12-12T17:20:58Z")
Well, except that Goodman isn’t dead, and does indeed seem to fit the criteria I posed in my OP. Despite his occasional dramatic roles, Candy is still remembered as a comic actor; Goodman has probably reached the point where people just think of him as an “actor” rather than a comic actor in particular. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/34 "2024-12-12T17:28:08Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > Similar to this is John Goodman. Became famous as Dan Conner in _Roseanne_, and has gone on to a major career, both in comedy, and dramatic roles. Goodman was a relatively well known dramatic actor prior to Roseanne. However, his eventual level of fame resulted from the success of Roseanne. I don’t know if he would have been an A-list actor without that. ---
**Author:** ![Zoobi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/13edae/32.png) [@Zoobi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoobi)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/35 "2024-12-12T17:59:21Z")
John Krasinski ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/36 "2024-12-12T19:49:06Z")
Olivia Colman had a small part in _The Office_ and then a much bigger recurring part in _Peep Show_. She’s gone on to win an actual Oscar. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/37 "2024-12-12T19:52:59Z")
Question for the OP. Are you asking for famous sitcom actors that also became famous for drama? Or relatively unknown sitcom actors that did not become famous until they did drama? ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/38 "2024-12-12T19:57:52Z")
Here’s a very British answer for you: [Mark Gatiss](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Gatiss#). OK, I don’t know how much of this will be known in the US and elsewhere. He started out in The League Of Gentlemen, a “Horror sitcom”, and has subsequently taken on properly serious roles (Stephen Gardiner in Wolf Hall - doesn’t get more serious than that). Admittedly “famous for dramatic movie roles” may be stretching it a tad, but certainly well enough known in the UK (at least), and a veteran of 20-odd movies. (Plus, quite the writer - I suspect his Dr Who connections are fairly widely known on this board.) j ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/39 "2024-12-12T20:00:06Z")
> [@iamatractorboy](#): > > Olivia Colman had a small part in _The Office_ and then a much bigger recurring part in _Peep Show_. She’s gone on to win an actual Oscar. Good one - she was in Green Wing as well. j ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/40 "2024-12-12T20:01:40Z")
She was also Boomer’s girlfriend on _ **St Elsewhere** _. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533.md?page=3)