# TV Actors successful in sitcoms and dramas **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 2, 2012, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575 "2012-03-02T20:10:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![boozilu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@boozilu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boozilu)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/1 "2012-03-02T20:10:24Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/2 "2012-03-02T20:13:50Z")
Carroll O’Connor did pretty well on _All in the Family_, and then _In the Heat of the Night_. ---
**Author:** ![PacifistPorcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PacifistPorcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PacifistPorcupine)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/3 "2012-03-02T20:14:51Z")
Craig T Nelson starred in Coach (sitcom) and The District (Drama). He’s in Parenthood now. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/4 "2012-03-02T20:15:01Z")
Kelsey Grammar going from “Cheers” and “Frasier” to the Starz political-drama “Boss”. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/5 "2012-03-02T20:19:16Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![RadioWave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/91b2a8/32.png) [@RadioWave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadioWave)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/6 "2012-03-02T20:20:11Z")
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. ---
**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 2, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/7 "2012-03-02T20:20:17Z")
**CSI** also has Wallace Langham, who was in\*\* Victoria’s Closet\*\*. Harry Morgan was in a bunch of sitcoms ( **December Bride, Pete and Gladys, M_A_S\*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**. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/8 "2012-03-02T20:26:04Z")
Tony Shalhoub - Wings/Monk ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/9 "2012-03-02T20:30:33Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![boozilu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@boozilu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boozilu)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/10 "2012-03-02T20:31:27Z")
You guys rock. I used to think I was a TV goddess but I guess I suck! ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/11 "2012-03-02T20:35:18Z")
Ed Asner played the same character, Lou Grant, in both a comedy (_The Mary Tyler Moore Show_), and a drama (_Lou Grant_). ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/12 "2012-03-02T20:37:32Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Ed Asner played the same character, Lou Grant, in both a comedy (_The Mary Tyler Moore Show_), and a drama (_Lou Grant_). _Exactly_ who I was going to mention. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/13 "2012-03-02T20:37:41Z")
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.) ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/14 "2012-03-02T20:38:29Z")
Dick Van Dyke was successful with his eponymous comedy and also _Diagnosis: Murder_. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/15 "2012-03-02T20:53:13Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > 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.) _Blackadder_ wasn’t a sitcom? ---
**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:** [March 2, 2012, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/16 "2012-03-02T21:05:52Z")
British actor [Sir David Jason](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Jason) who has had a long and successful career in sitcoms ([Only Fools & Horses](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Only_Fools_and_Horses), [Open All Hours](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_All_Hours)) and drama ([Frost](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Touch_of_Frost_%28TV_series%29)) among others. And also presenter in several documentaries. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/17 "2012-03-02T21:08:25Z")
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). ---
**Author:** ![Kasper1014](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c89c15/32.png) [@Kasper1014](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kasper1014)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/18 "2012-03-02T21:15:32Z")
Andy Griffith. Andy Griffith show and Matlock. ---
**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:** [March 2, 2012, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/19 "2012-03-02T21:16:39Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > _Exactly_ who I was going to mention. 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? ---
**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:** [March 2, 2012, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/20 "2012-03-02T21:24:10Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > _Exactly_ who I was going to mention. Damn, me too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575.md?page=2)