# 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:** 3
**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, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/41 "2024-12-12T20:01:42Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Are you asking for famous sitcom actors that also became famous for drama? Yes—actors who first achieved fame in TV sitcoms, and then later became just as famous (or even more famous) for dramatic roles in movies. So TV actors who were never famous to begin with for their sitcom work are out. ---
**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, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/42 "2024-12-12T20:02:28Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > Here’s a very British answer for you I feel like there’s a lot more examples of this in the UK. Lots of actors seem to move seamlessly between comedy and drama. Like Ben Miller: > **[Ben Miller](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Miller)** > > Bennet Evan Miller (born 24 February 1966) is an English comedian, actor and author. He rose to fame as one half of the comedy duo Armstrong and Miller. He is also known for his roles as Bough in the Johnny English film series, DI Richard Poole in the BBC crime drama series Death in Paradise and James Lester in the ITV sci-fi series Primeval. > Bennet Evan Miller was born in London on 24 February 1966, the son of Welsh mother Marion and English father Michael Miller. He grew up in Nantwich, Che... ---
**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, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/43 "2024-12-12T20:25:19Z")
Yes I was thinking about British actors too (being British myself). I thought of Judi Dench although I’m not sure she really counts. She was in _As Time Goes By_, a sitcom, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but she did have film roles prior to that (and a stage career). But her film career really only properly took off in her 60s, after _ATGB_, when she was cast as M in _Goldeneye_. Since then she’s been in LOADS of films and is way more famous. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/44 "2024-12-12T22:50:46Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > She was also Boomer’s girlfriend on _ **St Elsewhere** _. My emphasis > [@MrDibble](#): > > She had daughter or friend or **girlfriend** and ensemble roles ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/45 "2024-12-12T23:09:34Z")
How about Mary Tyler Moore in Ordinary People? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/46 "2024-12-12T23:37:24Z")
> [@iamatractorboy](#): > > Yes I was thinking about British actors too (being British myself). Didn’t Emma Thompson herself start out with _Alfresco_, a sketch comedy show? ---
**Author:** ![JacobSwan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@JacobSwan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacobSwan)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2024, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/47 "2024-12-13T01:12:24Z")
And the completely forgettable series ‘Thompson’ which was billed as a comedy, but anyone who actually saw it would disagree. ---
**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:** [December 13, 2024, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/48 "2024-12-13T01:36:01Z")
> [@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. Olivia Colman had an extensive career in British comedies, She first appeared in 2000 in _Bruiser_ with Mitchell and Webb, and Martin Freeman. She was a regular in at least 3 of the Mitchell and Webb shows over the years. She was in _Look Around You_ with Peter Serafinowicz and Edgar Wright. As well a starring in the sitcom _Rev._ with Tom Hollander. More recently she starred in the decidedly odd _Flowers_. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2024, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/49 "2024-12-13T03:01:46Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > Yes—actors who first achieved fame in TV sitcoms, and then later became just as famous (or even more famous) for dramatic roles in movies. So TV actors who were never famous to begin with for their sitcom work are out. Does it have to be _movies_? [David Jason](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Jason) started out as a comedian in a sketch show [Do Not Adjust Your Set](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_Not_Adjust_Your_Set), (a prototype for Monty Python). He moved on to become an actor in sitcom, becoming famous for [Open All Hours](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_All_Hours) and [Only Fools And Horses](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Only_Fools_and_Horses). Later he took on more dramatic roles starring in long running police drama [A Touch of Frost.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Touch_of_Frost) ---
**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 13, 2024, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/50 "2024-12-13T10:04:57Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Does it have to be _movies_? Yes, because it’s not particularly uncommon for actors in TV comedy to transition into TV drama. (Consider Bryan Cranston from my OP.) I’m curious about the unusual _combination_ of comedy→drama + TV→movies. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2024, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/51 "2024-12-13T10:57:41Z")
[deleted] ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2024, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/52 "2024-12-13T14:58:26Z")
> [@Zoobi](#): > > John Krasinski That’s a good one. He only had minor roles and was close to quitting acting when he got _The Office._ Since then he’s been very successful with _A Quiet Place_ and Prime’s Jack Ryan series. > [@Alessan](#): > > > [@iamatractorboy](#): > > > > Yes I was thinking about British actors too (being British myself). > > Didn’t Emma Thompson herself start out with _Alfresco_, a sketch comedy show? Most famously (among my small group of friends) she had a small part in _The Young Ones_ alongside her fellow Footlights Fry and Laurie. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2024, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/53 "2024-12-13T15:15:09Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > The only obvious case that springs to my mind is Woody Harrelson, whose breakout role was the naïve bartender Woody Boyd on _Cheers_; since the 1990s he’s been an acclaimed movie star, taking mostly non-comedic roles. > > I also thought about Bryan Cranston, though I think his case is less clear-cut. His career breakthrough was playing Hal on _Malcolm in the Middle_, but his most famous dramatic role, as _Breaking Bad_’s Walter White, is still a television one. Although he later won awards for dramatic roles on film (_Trumbo_, _Argo_), I don’t think this work has come close to eclipsing his television roles in the popular consciousness. > > Are there any further Woody Harrelsons out there? Once upon a time, a quippy SNL alum who’d earned an Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe win for his TV sitcom work won yet another Golden Globe for his Oscar-winning dramatic work after he’d become the biggest action-movie star in the world; you may also know him as the dude _playin’_ the dude disguised as _anutha_ dude. ---
**Author:** ![Fortyfold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7c8e57/32.png) [@Fortyfold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fortyfold)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2024, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/54 "2024-12-13T15:55:33Z")
Hugh Laurie started in comedy in the 80s, but in the last 20 years or so he’s done mostly dramatic works I think. In the US I suppose he’s most famous as Dr House. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2024, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/55 "2024-12-13T16:40:19Z")
Chris Pratt. He became famous for his role in _Parks and Recreation_. But then he went into movies and became a legit action star. ---
**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 13, 2024, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/56 "2024-12-13T16:53:16Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Once upon a time, a quippy SNL alum who’d earned an Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe win for his TV sitcom work won yet another Golden Globe for his Oscar-winning dramatic work after he’d become the biggest action-movie star in the world; you may also know him as the dude _playin’_ the dude disguised as _anutha_ dude. I have no idea who you’re talking about. I never watched SNL, and whatever reference you made to “anutha dude” is lost on me. ---
**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 13, 2024, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/57 "2024-12-13T16:57:16Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > I have no idea who you’re talking about. I never watched SNL, and whatever reference you made to “anutha dude” is lost on me. Alex, who is Robert Downey Jr. and what is _Tropic Thunder_? I’ll take Stars Who managed to avoid dying due to drugs for $300 next. ---
**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 13, 2024, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/58 "2024-12-13T17:00:24Z")
So a cryptic answer that was wrong. He was famous not for a sitcom role, but as a bratpacker. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2024, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/59 "2024-12-13T17:06:59Z")
Surely @The_Other_Waldo_Pepper’s cryptic answer couldn’t possibly be referring to Robert Downey Jr, as he was never really a sitcom actor? He must mean someone else. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2024, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533/60 "2024-12-13T17:28:30Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Surely @The_Other_Waldo_Pepper’s cryptic answer couldn’t possibly be referring to Robert Downey Jr, as he was never really a sitcom actor? I said he won a Golden Globe for his supporting role in a TV sitcom, which is something Woody Harrelson never actually managed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcom-actors-who-became-famous-for-dramatic-movie-roles/1011533.md?page=4)