# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/21 "2012-03-02T21:33:19Z")
> [@PacifistPorcupine](#): > > Craig T Nelson starred in Coach (sitcom) and The District (Drama). He’s in Parenthood now. I dunno how consistently “dramatic” _The District_ was - it seemed to me that Nelson’s character was always going off on some goofy tangent before things got all serious and dark and preachy and it’s about the _kids_, dammit! I nominate Maura Tierney, who got her big break on _NewsRadio_ (admittedly as one of the more straitlaced characters) before moving on to _ER_. ---
**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:** [March 2, 2012, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/22 "2012-03-02T21:36:09Z")
> [@RadioWave](#): > > 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. Also, Katey Sagal, his co-star from Married With Children, who is in the drama Sons of Anarchy. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/23 "2012-03-02T21:37:09Z")
Judd Hirsch (Taxi/Numb3rs) Rick Schroeder (Silver Spoons/NYPD Blue) Josh Charles (Sports Night/The Good Wife) Chris Noth (Law & Order/Sex & the City/The Good Wife) Bill Bixby (The Courtship of Eddie’s Father/The Incredible Hulk) Brian Keith (Family Affair/Hardcastle & McCormick) Gerald McRaney (Simon & Simon/Major Dad/Promised Land) Jim Sikking (Hill Street Blues/Doogie Howser, M.D.) Susan St. James (McMillan & Wife/Kate & Allie) ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/24 "2012-03-02T21:51:42Z")
David Duchovny - the X-Files and Californication. (He was in other stuff too, of course). Garret Dillahunt played evil men in three separate crime procedural dramas that I’ve seen - White Collar, Burn Notice and Life, the latter two roles being only for a few episodes, but the characters were significant - and was a one-off guest actor in lots of others too (I don’t know if he was always a bad guy, but I suspect he was). He was also the main terminator in both seasons of The Sarah Connor Chronicles. He was excellent at being a sociopath. And then he became the loveable Dad (and Grandad) on Raising Hope. ---
**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:** [March 2, 2012, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/25 "2012-03-02T22:43:11Z")
Alyson Hannigan - _Buffy, the Vampire Slayer_ and _How I Met Your Mother_ (it occurs to me that if you just knew the titles and not the shows, you’d assume _Buffy, the Vampire Slayer_ was a sitcom and _How I Met Your Mother_ was a drama). ---
**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:** [March 2, 2012, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/26 "2012-03-02T22:47:15Z")
Enrico Colantoni - _Just Shoot Me_ and _Veronica Mars_ ---
**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:** [March 2, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/27 "2012-03-02T22:51:19Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > [@RadioWave](#): > > > > 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. > > Also, Katey Sagal, his co-star from Married With Children, who is in the drama Sons of Anarchy. Also, Charlie Hunnam, _her_ co-star from Sons of Anarchy, who was in the short-lived sitcom Undeclared (and also in the drama Queer as Folk). We could do this all day. ---
**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:** [March 2, 2012, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/28 "2012-03-02T22:54:24Z")
Tom Selleck eventually followed up his Emmy win for MAGNUM PI with an Emmy nomination for FRIENDS. ---
**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:** [March 2, 2012, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/29 "2012-03-02T23:04:39Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > > > [@RadioWave](#): > > > > > > 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. > > > > Also, Katey Sagal, his co-star from Married With Children, who is in the drama Sons of Anarchy. > > Also, Charlie Hunnam, _her_ co-star from Sons of Anarchy, who was in the short-lived sitcom Undeclared (and also in the drama Queer as Folk). Also, Jay Baruchel, _his_ co-star from Undeclared, who was in the short-lived drama Just Legal. ---
**Author:** ![MentalGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@MentalGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MentalGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/30 "2012-03-02T23:15:09Z")
I am surprised no one has yet mentioned Larry Hagman (_I Dream of Jeannie/Dallas_). ---
**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:** [March 2, 2012, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/31 "2012-03-02T23:31:04Z")
How soon the pioneers are forgotten. **Jack Klugman** : 114 episodes of _The Odd Couple_ and 148 of _Quincy M.E._ ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/32 "2012-03-02T23:44:40Z")
> [@RadioWave](#): > > 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. Kind of a stretch to call being in one drama that was cancelled after one season and not getting a role in another drama being “successful in dramas” ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/33 "2012-03-02T23:46:53Z")
Does Susan Dey qualify? _The Partridge Family_ and _L.A. Law_ ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/34 "2012-03-02T23:52:30Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Kind of a stretch to call being in one drama that was cancelled after one season and not getting a role in another drama being “successful in dramas” Actually, looking at wikipedia, poor O’Neil has been in like five failed TV dramas that either went one season or never got passed the pilot. I doubt they failed because of him, but he seems to be something of a kiss-of-death for dramatic TV. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/35 "2012-03-02T23:53:20Z")
Ron Howard had two hit shows. Happy Days and Andy Griffith. Don Knotts also. Three’s company and Andy Griffith. John Ritter is another with more than one show. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/36 "2012-03-03T00:19:16Z")
Jason Lee in **My Name Is Earl,** and now with **Memphis Beat.** ---
**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:** [March 3, 2012, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/37 "2012-03-03T00:50:56Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > Ron Howard had two hit shows. Happy Days and Andy Griffith. > > Don Knotts also. Three’s company and Andy Griffith. > > John Ritter is another with more than one show. But these are all comedies. ---
**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:** [March 3, 2012, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/38 "2012-03-03T01:03:55Z")
Alan Alda - _MASH_ and _The West Wing_ Candice Bergen - _Murphy Brown_ and _Boston Legal_ Janeane Garofalo - _The Larry Sanders Show_ and _Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior_ Thomas Gibson - _Criminal Minds_ and _Dharma and Greg_ John Larroquette - _Black Sheep Squadron_ and _Night Court_ Matthew Perry - _Friends_ and _Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip_ ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/39 "2012-03-03T02:30:22Z")
Robert Lyndsay, started his career in sitcom Citizen Smith, drama performances include roles in Hornblower, Oliver and much Shakespeare, has played the role of dentist Ben Harper in sitcom My family for the past 12 years. His screen wife in My Family, Zoe Wanamaker, is mailnly known for her dramatic roles, appearing in Dicken’s adaptations, Dr Who and many, many others. Stephen Fry, of course, has done everything. ---
**Author:** ![oliversarmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/eb8c5e/32.png) [@oliversarmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oliversarmy)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575/40 "2012-03-03T02:43:25Z")
James “Frickin’ Chuck Norris Calls Me Sir” Garner. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-successful-in-sitcoms-and-dramas/614575.md?page=3)