We’ve all seen it happen. Some Hollywood TV star hits pay dirt with a super popular TV show. Their ego grows as fat as their wallet and they think they deserve to jump onto the “big screen.” Some make the leap graciously and successfully; a few names that come to mind include Tom Hanks, George Clooney, and Ron Howard.
It seems, however, that for every successful jump there’s at least one… less successful jump. Now, you may say it’s mean spirited to kick these actors while they’re down. To that I say: “Hi, I’m Bob. Clearly we haven’t met before.”
Besides, I think these actors deserve it for turning their backs on the superior medium that is television. Where else can you tell huge sweeping stories 50-100 hours long? Not in the movies, that’s for damn sure. So who cares if the budgets are smaller, the work more demanding, and the paychecks not as impressive? Lots of successful actors, I guess, but that’s beside the point. Onto the list!
- David Caruso: Let’s face it, the list pretty much starts and ends with this guy. He took a lot of flack after leaving NYPD Blue to make movies. He took even more flack when the only real movie he ended up making was Jade. Yeah… I don’t remember it either. Long story short, the good Mr. Caruso finds himself back on the small screen these days in CSI: Miami.
- Ashton Kutcher and Topher Grace: Granted, That ’70s Show was on its last legs when these two actors left to make movies. To be perfectly fair, they’re both still young and have a chance to take off. As of now, however, their career tracks don’t exactly seem to be skyrocketing. Grace had a supporting role in Spider-Man 3 and Kutcher’s made some really bad comedies, like What Happens in Vegas.
- Lucy Liu: She burst onto the scene in Ally McBeal and has had a mildly successful movie career. She was in Kill Bill and Charlie’s Angels, but she really belongs on TV. Recently she’s returned to the boob tube in Cashmere Mafia and the (soon) dearly departed Dirty Sexy Money.
- Shelley Long: She left one of the greatest sitcoms in the history of television to make The Money Pit and Troop Beverly Hills. Oh the sting of hubris is cruel, isn’t it, Shelley?
- Eriq La Salle: Honestly, I can’t really blame him for leaving ER after 170 episodes. That’s a hell of a long time, but it was a steady paycheck. We haven’t seen much of Mr. La Salle lately. I’ll always remember him fondly as the face of Soul Glow in Coming to America. Just let your souuuuuuul glow!
- Jennifer Aniston: Really, you could pick just about any cast member from Friends, but I think the expectations were highest for Aniston. Frankly, I think she still has the most career potential, but she’s been in more tabloids than she has movies lately.
- David Duchovny: What can I say? He left the X-Files to go make movies and the highest profile flick he’s made has been X-Files: I Want to Believe. Duchovny’s fallen back to the television, starring in Showtime’s Californication.
I have to also give a special shout out to Katherine Heigl; it seems like she is angling to get herself written off Grey’s Anatomy so that she can go make movies. I have a feeling that she has a spot on this list waiting for her. On a positive note, because I am feeling a little guilty, it seems like a ton of movie stars are making their way to TV of their on free will, and doing it well. The actors on this list should take notes from Holly Hunter, Alec Baldwin, Glenn Close, et al. There is nothing wrong with being a TV actor!
Did I leave anyone off the list?
Photo Credit: CBS
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Clacked by Bob Degon
on Nov 25, 2008 @ 09:56 EST5EDT
We’ve all seen it happen. Some Hollywood TV star hits pay dirt with a super popular TV show. Their ego grows as fat as their wallet and they think they deserve to jump onto the “big screen.” Some make the leap graciously and successfully; a few names that come to mind include Tom Hanks, George Clooney, and Ron Howard.
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I actually have to defend Ashton Kutcher and, possibly, Lucy Liu. Kutcher’s movie career had actually taken off during the height of that 70s show, but he refused to pull a David Caruso, according to interviews. But I don’t know if he’s making bad movies now b/c he wants more time w/ the Moores or the projects like Butterfly Effect have dried up. Regarding Liu, she never really left TV, she always had ‘guest spots’ i.e. Ally McBeal, so it isn’t as if she had a show to leave.
Jennifer Aniston didn’t leave “Friends” – or turn her back on TV – to make movies. The show ended, and it seemed natural with her being Mrs. Brad Pitt and all….that didn’t work out so well either, but she hasn’t really crashed and burned in movies like Caruso. She’s done some respectable work thus far, and probably has a career in film ahead of her, but her guest turn on “30 Rock” shows she can come back to TV any time she wants!
There is nothing wrong with being a TV actor!
It seems like TV (in general) is doing more interesting and challenging stuff than film (in general) at the moment. I’d bet that this is what draws in the “movie stars,” since it’s a chance to do interesting work and make more money than indies seem to offer, both at the same time.
How about every actor that left the cast of M*A*S*H?
You forgot Harry Hamlin, leaving LA Law to resume his movie career….
*POST AUTHOR*
Harry Hamlin was on the short list, but didn’t make the post. He probably should have. I’ll always remember him from Clash of the Titans. We need more claymation!
CLAYMATION?!!?
Bob, the term you are looking for is Stop Motion Animation.
Claymation is doing stop motion with clay (think Gumby) I dont think there was any clay used in any of the models used in Clash of the Titans.
Keifer Sutherland had a pretty decent movie career before he came to TV. His dad as well! I’m gonna miss Donald Sutherland and his pink ties on DSM.
You nailed it with David Caruso and Shelly Long. It wasn’t just their decision to exit from successful series, but their egos, their conceit and the manner in which they did it.
Everyone else on the list may have been less successful in movies than on tv, but none of them have crashed and burned like Caruso and Long. Also, none of them left their series like prima donnas so I don’t think they deserve to be on the same list.
Hum.
I think “Win a date with Ted Hamilton” was a great movie. And “And theeeeeeeeen?” is one of the best movie lines to date – just heard it yesterday on the bus to be honest.
Also, Kutcher is now producing AND you totally forgot “Punk’d”, which started his producing career. Also, all of his so called “bad comedies” made their money back and then some. And you forgot “The Butterfly Effect”. Topher was also in two of the “Ocean’s” movies, even though those were just cameos.
Maybe it’s just me but what exactly did you expect those two to become? The next Harrison Ford? The next George Clooney or Brad Pitt?
We both know that they don’t have the acting potential to even think about doing those roles and they both picked what they were good at. “Win a date” shows exactly what Topher is good at.
Sorry, but I have to strongly disagree here. Also, I don’t really get the idea behind the “steady paycheck”. These guys made millions. All they have to do is stick to a living standard that is about four to five times as high as mine and they could simply live off the interest their money makes (at about 3% a year). They literally won the lottery already, they don’t have to work anymore, if they don’t live like Ed McMahon.
Elisha Cuthbert, a.k.a. Kim “The Cougar Incident” Bauer, anyone?