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.
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:
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.
My emphasis
How about Mary Tyler Moore in Ordinary People?
Didn’t Emma Thompson herself start out with Alfresco, a sketch comedy show?
And the completely forgettable series ‘Thompson’ which was billed as a comedy, but anyone who actually saw it would disagree.
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.
Does it have to be movies?
David Jason started out as a comedian in a sketch show 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 and Only Fools And Horses.
Later he took on more dramatic roles starring in long running police drama A Touch of Frost.
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.
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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.
Most famously (among my small group of friends) she had a small part in The Young Ones alongside her fellow Footlights Fry and Laurie.
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.
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.
Chris Pratt. He became famous for his role in Parks and Recreation. But then he went into movies and became a legit action star.
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.
So a cryptic answer that was wrong.
He was famous not for a sitcom role, but as a bratpacker.
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.
I said he won a Golden Globe for his supporting role in a TV sitcom, which is something Woody Harrelson never actually managed.