TV Actors successful in sitcoms and dramas

Cafe Society
1

Recently thinking about Ted Dansen (big success on Cheers and now Damages & CSI), I was wondering how many actors have done well on TV in both sitcoms (NOT dramadies a la Desperate Housewives) and dramas. Doesn’t seem like there are that many in TV series.

Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle & Breaking Bad) is the only other one I can think of. I know you Dopers can do better!

PS – I know there are a lot of actors who do both comedy & drama in movies – I’m looking for TV series casts only here

2

Carroll O’Connor did pretty well on All in the Family, and then In the Heat of the Night.

3

Craig T Nelson starred in Coach (sitcom) and The District (Drama). He’s in Parenthood now.

4

Kelsey Grammar going from “Cheers” and “Frasier” to the Starz political-drama “Boss”.

5

Both my examples mix TV and film roles, so they don’t quite work, but:

Alec Baldwin was successful in dramatic roles in movies then went on to 30 Rock (he’s a better comedian than dramatic actor IMHO).

Leslie Neilson was a dramatic TV actor before he struck comedy gold by parodying the types of characters he played straight for years.

6

Ed O’Neill was in Married with Children and Modern Family. He was also in HBO’s John From Cincinnati and was the original choice to be Al Swearingen in Deadwood.

7

CSI also has Wallace Langham, who was in** Victoria’s Closet**.

Harry Morgan was in a bunch of sitcoms (December Bride, Pete and Gladys, MAS*H, etc.) and also a bunch of dramas (**Hec Ramsay, Dragnet, The D.A., ** etc.)

Robert Urich starred in both dramas (e.g. Spenser: For Hire) and comedies (e.g., Soap, Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice).

Bill Cosby did a dramatic role in I Spy.

8

Tony Shalhoub - Wings/Monk

9

Patrick Mckenna won a Gemini (the Canadian version of an Emmy) for comedic work on The Red Green Show and dramatic work on Traders in the same year.

10

You guys rock. I used to think I was a TV goddess but I guess I suck!

11

Ed Asner played the same character, Lou Grant, in both a comedy (The Mary Tyler Moore Show), and a drama (Lou Grant).

12

Exactly who I was going to mention.

13

Hugh Laurie started out in comedy, though not sitcoms per se, before starring in House. (Love love love Jeeves and Wooster with Stephen Fry as the former and Laurie as the latter.)

14

Dick Van Dyke was successful with his eponymous comedy and also Diagnosis: Murder.

15

Blackadder wasn’t a sitcom?

16

British actor Sir David Jason who has had a long and successful career in sitcoms (Only Fools & Horses, Open All Hours) and drama (Frost) among others.

And also presenter in several documentaries.

17

Bryan Cranston, Leslie Neilson, Harry Morgan all for sure.

William Shatner was in Star Trek, T. J. Hooker and Boston Legal and #*! My Dad Says. Though i don't think this counts because he was only successful in Boston Legal (maybe #*! My Dad Says, he is a good comedic actor).

18

Andy Griffith. Andy Griffith show and Matlock.

19

especially since he won an Emmy for each role.

Another vote for Leslie Nielsen. Has anyone else seen the Bonanza episode where he played a sheriff that went crazy?

20

Damn, me too.