Some of my favorite TV show stars have not appeared in as many movies as I would like,largely due to the stratified filming schedules of the roles they are best known for. SomeHollywood movie actors have successfully switched to TV, and vice versa. However, the two modes of storytelling are drastically different and require different things from the actors, who need to be adept at conveying the character in limited screen time or drawing out an arc over possibly many years of TV.
Somegreat movie actors have never done TVwhen movies allow them to more easily sample a variety of genres and generally result in bigger cultural events. However, with epic fantasy and othergenres blowing up in movies and TVin the past decade,there is more acknowledgment than ever of how the incredible talents of TV actors could transform movies.Based on their few movie roles or solely their TV work, there are many brilliant TV actors who I need to see at the Oscars one day.
10Matt Smith
Known For Doctor Who (2005-2022) & House Of The Dragon (2022-Present)
Quite frankly, I want to see more of the entire cast ofHouse of the Dragonwhen the show wraps up a few years down the line. Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke are, of course, at the forefront of this, dazzling everyone with their impossible performances and interactions. D’Arcy saw their breakout withHouse of the Dragon, while Cooke starred in a variety of underrated movies before landing the role of the Green Queen. On the other hand,their co-star Matt Smith was already a massive TV from his tenures as the Doctor and Prince Philip.
Movie/TV show
House of the Dragon
2022
2021
2016-2017
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
2016
2015
2010-2014
The Doctor
Ranking Every Main House Of The Dragon Character From Worst To Best
House of the Dragon has a compelling cast of characters. By performance, entertainment value, and character development, here’s how they rank.
Smith has gone from one acclaimed show to the next, filming some high-profile movies in between. Unfortunately,MorbiusandTerminator Genisysaren’t the movies Smith deserved to be in,but he is a strong villain inLast Night in Soho, showcasing his potential for horror.House of the DragonSeasons 3and 4 is going to take up the next couple of years, but I am eager to see him land another movie that is actually good after. He would also be an amazing Shakespearean movie actor if another adaptation of one of the Bard’s plays came around.
9Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Known For Seinfeld (1989-1998) & Veep (2012-2019)
The bulk of her career is her major sitcoms and TV guest star roles, with her movie roles mostly flying under the radar.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus is one of the great comedy icons of our time,primarily known for the milestone sitcomSeinfeldand her Emmy-winning streak forVeep. The bulk of her career is her major sitcoms and TV guest star roles, with her movie roles mostly flying under the radar. She has shown some interest in voice acting, as Pixar was bizarrely able to recruit forA Bug’s Lifewhen the studio was riding on the success ofToy Story. Decades later, Louis-Dreyfus made her Pixar return inOnward, while she also voiced a character in Disney’sPlanes.
2025
2020
2012-2019
2013
2006-2010
1998
1989-1998
Elaine Benes
Overall, Louis-Dreyfus' movie career has been pretty unremarkable. However, as of late, she has gradually been making herself known in the MCU. The character of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine shows howLouis-Dreyfus' characteristic sharpness on screen perfectly transfers over to a different genre,opening up a world of possibilities for her in movies.Thunderboltsis coming soon, the first MCU movie where Valentina will be playing a major role, which could lead to more movies for this legendary actress.
8Pedro Pascal
Known For Game Of Thrones (2011-2019), The Mandalorian (2019-Present), & The Last Of Us (2023-Present)
Pedro Pascal is one of the biggest rising stars of the past 10 years, suddenyl dominating the TV industry after making a lasting impression with his short arc inGame of Thrones. This took him to his next big TV show —Star Wars' The Mandalorian— which took him to the biggest one yet.The Last of Usis one of the highlights of the rise in video game TV show adaptations,winning eight Emmys and earning nominations for three Golden Globes. However, Pascal now has a lot of movies on the horizon, possibly heralding a new era of his career.
2024
2017
2014
Oberyn Martell
While he has been in many movies, Pascal’s fame is still primarily ensconced in his TV work. What has the potential to change that isGladiator II. Director Ridley Scott has been paying attention to the changes in the TV industry and brought multiple TV actors on board for his highly anticipated sequel.Pascal’s career has been a trajectory of one great TV show to the next,but it looks like this could become a series of amazing movies afterGladiator IIandFantastic Four— and everyone wants to see Pascal play more amazing characters.
7Kelly McCreary
Known For Grey’s Anatomy (2005-Present)
A lot of the actors fromGrey’s Anatomyseem like they haven’t done much else when their long tenure with the medical drama is the dominating image of them in the cultural zeitgeist.BesidesGrey’s Anatomy, Kelly McCreary’s career is mostly brief TV appearancesof a few episodes at the most. However, much like her character Dr. Maggie Pierce going for a once-in-a-lifetime new career opportunity, McCreary is venturing into new acting opportunities as she has officially departedGrey’s Anatomyas a regular.
2014-2024
2018-2023
2009-2011
Yvonne
McCreary currently does not have any planned upcoming projects. AfterGrey’s Anatomy, starring in some rom-coms would be an easy transition for her. Maggie is both an ambitious surgeon and a friendly person in the show, demonstrating McCreary’s ability to portray the meet-cute and the dramatic parts of a rom-com. On the other hand,it might be amazing to see McCreary launched into a new genre,such as action or historical fiction. Another famous TV show actress recently proved how satisfying it can be to see such a stark contrast between a celebrity’s major roles.
6Sofía Vergara
Known For Modern Family (2009-2020) & Griselda (2024)
Sofía Vergara is primarily known for her role in the (mostly) light-hearted family sitcomModern Family, a show she was with for 10 years. Vergara’s performance as Gloria is hilarious, contributing to the unconventional family dynamic of the three core, related families raising kids and overcoming life obstacles.Vergara’s career outside ofModern Familyincludes movies and TV showssuch asThe Simpsons, The Emoji Movie, Family Guy, Strays, Despicable Me 4, andThis Is Me…Now.
2023
2009-2020
2011
Odile Anjelou
These roles are a lot of voice-acting, in the form of cameos in TV shows or animated movies that weren’t all that good; Vergara could do much better in her movie career. A huge career milestone came for her withGriselda, a crime biopic miniseries showcasing the actress as an intelligent and ruthless queenpin. After this,I would love to see Vergara in a crime drama movie,or in another new genre to truly prove her versatility.
5Ella Purnell
Known For Arcane (2021-2024), Yellowjackets (2021-Present), & Fallout (2024-Present)
Ella Purnell is arguably the up-and-coming TV star of the past few years,filming multiple hit series within an impressive short time. As a younger actress, Purnell snagged some movie roles that people would easily forget about; she is still somewhat known forMiss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, but her resume including playing the teen version of the title character inMaleficentis a surprising one. As of late, Purnell’s career has been a series of astounding successes.
2021-2024
2021-2023
Dolce
Ella Purnell’s 10 Best Movies & TV Shows
Ella Purnell is one of the most promising young talents currently in Hollywood with major hits like Yellowjackets and Fallout under her belt.
WhileYellowjacketsandFalloutare popular series that showcase Purnell’s talent,Arcaneis the true wild card, illustrating that a change in medium is not a problem for her. Purnell’s voice performance as the chaotic Jinx supports the story when Jinx’s actions will be the crux of the conflict inArcaneseason 2.Purnell is too talented for people to not want to see her in high-profile movies,giving her the chance to show even more of what she can do.
4Steven Yeun
He could easily be among the biggest stars at the Oscars, and all of his longtime fans would love to see him win.
Steven Yeun is a widely beloved actor who rose to fame playing the most lovable character inThe Walking Dead. In recent years, he has achieved more major accomplishments in TV with the acclaimed showsBeefandInvincible. As the latter is one of the points of pride of Prime Video’s adult animation department, Yeun also has the ability to switch between mediums. Overall,Yeun’s TV career has overshadowed his movie career— making it easy to forget that he was actually nominated for an Oscar a few years back forMinari.
2010-2016
Glenn Rhee
Now, he is set to appear in the highly anticipatedMickey 17. Yeun’s movie repertoire also includes Jordan Peele’sNopeand Bong Joon-ho’sOkja.Yeun might be busy finishing up his most acclaimed shows for the next couple of years,but he should star in some more movies somewhere down the line. He could easily be among the biggest stars at the Oscars, and all of his longtime fans would love to see him win.
3Anna Sawai
Known For Pachinko (2022-Present) & Shogun (2024-Present)
Anna Sawai also wowed everyone recently with her breathtaking performance inShōgunas the reserved and clever Lady Mariko. While it took her career to the next level, this wasn’t Sawai’s first hit series. She is also known for the touching intergenerational dramaPachinko, which recently made a strong return with its second season.Sawai always gives understated and impactful performancesand definitely deserves to be scouted by more TV producers for new series.
2023-2024
2009
Teenager Kiriko
Her movie career doesn’t live up to her talents as much, including one forgettable outing with theFast & Furiousfranchise and the poorly-reviewedNinja Assassin.Shōgun’s more recent release means that it will be considered at the next Golden Globes ceremony, upon which occasion Sawai certainly should be nominated,winning her more attention. I hope to see her in more well-written dramatic roles in the next few years, and winning all the awards for it.
2Nazanin Boniadi
Known For How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014) & The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power (2022-Present)
Nazanin Boniadi is an underrated actress, whose career includes recurring roles inCounterpart,Homeland, andHow I Met Your Mother. Her biggest movie to date isHotel Mumbai, in which she stars alongside Dev Patel, Armie Hammer, and Jason Isaacs; the movie was well-received if overshadowed by coming out within a few weeks ofCaptain Marvel. Notably,Boniadi starred inThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Poweras the thoughtful and brave single mother Bronwynbefore her decision to not return for season 2.
2022-2024
2019
2018-2019
2018
2013-2014
2011-2014
2008
Amira Ahmed
Boniadi clarified her reasons for exitingRings of Poweras being"unrelated"to her focusing more on her activism work. Talking about her next movieA Mosquito in the Ear, Boniadi said (viaDeadline):“I knew it would take a very special project to convince me to once again split my time between my day job and my calling as an activist.“Based on this, Boniadi probably isn’t going to be in a lot of new movies. However, I would still like to see more appreciation for the movies she does make when she is a great actress who chooses to tell stories that will make a difference in the world.
1Kirby Howell-Baptiste
Known For The Good Place (2016-2020), Killing Eve (2018-2022), & The Sandman (2022-Present)
Kirby Howell-Baptiste is larger than life as the personification of Death inThe Sandman,one of thebest Neil Gaiman adaptations. It is not her first time playing a character caught up in the complications of the afterlife, as she was first seen as Simone, Chidi’s chipper temporary girlfriend inThe Good Place. She has shown some great genre variety in her TV career withKilling EveandBarryand even got the fun supporting role of Lucas' agent, fed up with her client, inScott Pilgrim Takes Off.
2018-2022
2018-2020
2016-2018
Beth
The Sandman: The 10 Most Likable Characters, Ranked
Netflix’s The Sandman brought some likable characters from the iconic comics to life, including fan favorites like Lucienne and Fiddler’s Green.
However,Howell-Baptiste’s performance as Death is something else,which is what really makes me want to see more of her. Dream’s sister carries the saddening weight of her role with her, yet she is gentle and loves each person she meets at the end of their life in her own way. Again, her career is mostly TV; but like many of her contemporaries, I would love to see her take on another ethereal role in a spectacular drama movie at least once.
