# Which actor has had the best success after his or her breakout series? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 3, 2013, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-had-the-best-success-after-his-or-her-breakout-series/654745 "2013-04-03T17:41:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [April 3, 2013, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-had-the-best-success-after-his-or-her-breakout-series/654745/21 "2013-04-03T20:36:18Z")
Bob Newhart. Everything you know him for came after **The Entertainers** , which won an Emmy and put him on the map. ---
**Author:** ![GovernmentMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9c0ed/32.png) [@GovernmentMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GovernmentMan)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-had-the-best-success-after-his-or-her-breakout-series/654745/22 "2013-04-03T20:40:21Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > I’m thinking of people like Michael C. Hall, Michael Chiklis, Timothy Olyphant, and others in their category where the series they were key members of have passed away. > > The one who comes immediately to my mind is Olyphant and _Justified_ after his stint in _Deadwood_. Who’s had better follow-up work than Tim? Really? This is the first guy you think of? Not George Clooney, Will Smith, etc? Guys who are now mega A listers after having successful tv shows? ---
**Author:** ![edwards\_beard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-had-the-best-success-after-his-or-her-breakout-series/654745/23 "2013-04-03T20:41:51Z")
Ron Howard - The Andy Griffith Show ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-had-the-best-success-after-his-or-her-breakout-series/654745/24 "2013-04-03T20:42:02Z")
James Garner - Maverick Several hit tv shows and a bunch of movies ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-had-the-best-success-after-his-or-her-breakout-series/654745/25 "2013-04-03T20:45:38Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > George Clooney - ER This is what I came by to say. Clooney was the clear breakout actor of a series that has since passed away (he was almost unknown before), and he has one of the most estimable careers going of any performer today. ---
**Author:** ![edwards\_beard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-had-the-best-success-after-his-or-her-breakout-series/654745/26 "2013-04-03T20:49:16Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > This is what I came by to say. Clooney was the clear breakout actor of a series that has since passed away (he was almost unknown before), and he has one of the most estimable careers going of any performer today. I always felt his career has been on a downward spiral since The Facts Of Life went off the air. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-had-the-best-success-after-his-or-her-breakout-series/654745/27 "2013-04-03T20:50:36Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Danny Devito has a record most would envy. In spite of many obstacles (physical appearance and age being the biggies) he’s had roles in several BIG movies and been behind the scenes in many others and is currently starring on a major cult hit. Yeah, the guy’s had a heckuva career on both sides of the camera. Iconic roles on iconic TV series, and film roles in cult classics, actual classics, and some great popcorn movies. Not to mention a long, actual Hollywood marriage, recent seperation aside. And all the more impressive when you remember that he, well, looks like Danny Devito. ---
**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:** [April 3, 2013, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-had-the-best-success-after-his-or-her-breakout-series/654745/28 "2013-04-03T21:22:54Z")
Billy Crystal. He played one of TV’s first openly gay characters, Jody Dallas, on Soap. He’s gone onto a hugely successful movie career on both sides of the camera. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-had-the-best-success-after-his-or-her-breakout-series/654745/29 "2013-04-03T21:51:25Z")
> [@GovernmentMan](#): > > Really? This is the first guy you think of? Not George Clooney, Will Smith, etc? Guys who are now mega A listers after having successful tv shows? You caught me. I didn’t think about the wording long enough when writing the OP. Or else I didn’t consider all the others who would have outranked my guys in that list. But the ones you folks have provided will help me realize my short-sightedness. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-had-the-best-success-after-his-or-her-breakout-series/654745/30 "2013-04-03T22:17:24Z")
Another way to phrase the question would be to ask who is the most successful actor in the world who got his start on a T.V. show? By box office numbers, that’s Tom Hanks, who is #2 after Samuel L. Jackson (who was never a series regular). If you don’t count Eddie Murphy of SNL, he’s followed by Robin Williams, Johnny Depp and Bruce Willis. A few more: Pierce Brosnan of _Remington Steele_ Michael Douglas of _The Streets of San Francisco_ ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-had-the-best-success-after-his-or-her-breakout-series/654745/31 "2013-04-03T22:26:20Z")
Who can forget Ben Affleck’s star-making turn on [Voyage of the Mimi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Voyage_of_the_Mimi) ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-had-the-best-success-after-his-or-her-breakout-series/654745/32 "2013-04-03T22:26:35Z")
Morgan Freeman seems to have had some sort of career after his breakthrough role on The Electric Company ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-had-the-best-success-after-his-or-her-breakout-series/654745/33 "2013-04-04T04:22:04Z")
Denzel Washington in St. Elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-had-the-best-success-after-his-or-her-breakout-series/654745/34 "2013-04-04T04:59:17Z")
I think a breakthrough role is one in which the actor becomes really famous. George Clooney in ER counts but George Clooney in The Facts of Life does not. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-had-the-best-success-after-his-or-her-breakout-series/654745/35 "2013-04-04T13:55:32Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > This is what I came by to say. Clooney was the clear breakout actor of a series that has since passed away (he was almost unknown before), and he has one of the most estimable careers going of any performer today. Well, Julianna Margulies hasn’t done so poorly as The Good Wife. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-had-the-best-success-after-his-or-her-breakout-series/654745/36 "2013-04-04T14:14:31Z")
Steve McQueen — _Wanted Dead or Alive_ Mega star with movies like, Magnificent 7, Thomas Crown Affair, Le Mans, Getaway, Tom Horn. Sounder. Lee Marvin — _M Squad_ Academy Award winning actor with movies like, Cat Balou, Ship of Fools, Hell in the Pacific. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-had-the-best-success-after-his-or-her-breakout-series/654745/37 "2013-04-04T14:24:33Z")
I might add Bert Reynolds — _Riverboat_ big star with movies like, Deliverance, Smokey and the Bandit, Boogie Nights and two or three other television series. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-had-the-best-success-after-his-or-her-breakout-series/654745/38 "2013-04-04T14:32:58Z")
Sorry, but another came to mind. Goldie Hawn — _Laugh In_ A list star with films like, Cactus Flower, Butter Flies Are Free, Overboard, First Wives Club. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-had-the-best-success-after-his-or-her-breakout-series/654745/39 "2013-04-04T14:38:20Z")
> [@edwards\_beard](#): > > I always felt his career has been on a downward spiral since The Facts Of Life went off the air. 🙂 Beat me to it. ---
**Author:** ![WreckingCrew](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wreckingcrew/32/4080_2.png) [@WreckingCrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WreckingCrew)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-had-the-best-success-after-his-or-her-breakout-series/654745/40 "2013-04-04T14:44:16Z")
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