Just because an actor makes it big on television doesn’t mean they’ll see the same success in movies.
While some TV stars have successfully transitioned to the big screen, some prominent names in television have failed to do so. It’s not for a lack of effort, though!
Luke Perry
Best known for playing Dylan McKay on Beverly Hills, 90210, Luke Perry had an illustrious television career for over two decades.
That success never really transitioned to movies, though. While his filmography is impressive, appearing in movies such as The Fifth Element and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, he was never able to succeed in a leading role.
David Caruso
Before starring in CSI: Miami, David Caruso was known for being Detective John Kelly in NYPD Blue.
Caruso also starred in nearly twenty films throughout his career, but hasn’t appeared in a movie since 2001’s Black Point. Despite his success in CSI: Miami, he never found mainstream success in the movies.
Tom Selleck
The only thing more iconic than Thomas Magnum is Tom Selleck’s mustache. For eight years, Selleck starred in Magnum, P.I. More recently, he appeared as Frank Reagan in the series Blue Bloods.
You would assume that success would be a natural transition to movies. However, despite many, many attempts, Selleck failed to establish himself as a movie star.
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Don Johnson
From one iconic 1980s TV star to another, Don Johnson played James “Sonny” Crockett on Miami Vice for five seasons.
Shockingly, most of Johnson’s film credits come well after Miami Vice wrapped up, with 25 acting credits taking place after 2007. He excels in the supporting cast but fails to work as a lead actor.
Jerry Seinfeld
The biggest criticism of Jerry Seinfeld’s performance in Seinfeld is that he’s literally playing himself, while the rest of the cast gives iconic acting performances.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, that Seinfeld was unable to parlay his sitcom success to the big screen. Granted, he’s making enough money not to bother following through, but every now and then, he tries to make it work in the movies.
Matthew Fox
Between Party of Five and Lost, Matthew Fox has enjoyed a very successful television career.
Yet despite that success, he’s only appeared in a total of eleven movies. It proves that no matter how accomplished you are as a lead on television, success in the movies is not guaranteed.
Taylor Kitsch
This one isn’t for a lack of trying.
Taylor Kitsch originally found success in NBC’s Friday Night Lights series. He was tapped to be the next big thing in the film adaptation of John Carter, but that was, sadly, a box office bomb.
Don’t worry, though, because that wasn’t the only 2012 blockbuster he starred in. He also appeared in…oh, it was Battleship. Yeah, that’d do it to ruin a career.
Rainn Wilson
Sometimes you’re a victim of playing a character too well. That’s easily the case with Rainn Wilson, who owned the role of Dwight Schrute on The Office.
There’s no denying Wilson’s talent as an actor, but it’s hard not to see Dwight when he’s on screen, especially when he plays similar characters.
Topher Grace
Speaking of playing a character too well, it’s incredibly difficult not to see Topher Grace as Eric Foreman.
My biggest issue with Grace was that he was beyond miscast as Eddie Brock/Venom in Spider-Man 3. It was all downhill from there in my eyes.
Aaron Paul
There’s no denying Aaron Paul’s talent. The character of Jesse Pinkman was originally planned to be killed off in season one, but Paul’s performance changed creator Vince Gilligan’s mind.
Yet despite Paul’s success in Breaking Bad, he was never able to deliver as a movie star. Don’t worry, though; I’m sure he’s doing just fine.
Keri Russell
Despite appearing in a leading role in several television series (The Americans, Felicity), Keri Russell was unable to translate that success to the big screen.
It’s not due to a lack of trying, though. She’s appeared in several films throughout the years, such as Mission: Impossible III, but for some reason, it never worked out.
Zach Braff
Braff is best known for playing John Michael “J.D.” Dorian in Scrubs. When it comes to the movies, he’s best known for the 2004 hit indie film Garden State, where he served as a writer and director.
There was an attempt to translate that success when he got the lead role in the Disney animated movie Chicken Little, but it never worked out in the long run.
Alan Alda
You’d figure that Hawkeye Pierce of all people would be able to become a movie star, but sadly for Alan Alda, that never panned out.
Whether it’s film or television, Alda never saw the same amount of success as he did on MASH. To be fair, that’s a pretty impossible standard, but you can argue that he never came close.
David Duchovny
DreamWorks Pictures.
Duchovny’s television career is incredible, spanning decades. He first appeared in Twin Peaks before his breakout role as Agent Mulder on The X-Files. He’d get a new leading role on Showtime’s Californication.
One thing that he didn’t see, however, was real success in the movies. That’s not due to a lack of effort in the early 2000s, but it never panned out.
Jon Hamm
Hamm has an incredible talent to nail just about anything he can do, whether it’s Don Draper in Mad Men or his comedic appearances as Dr. Drew Baird in 30 Rock.
Inexpecibaly, he never got a real chance to land a leading role in the movie industry. He has plenty of acting credits to his name, but his biggest credit is the lead in 2022’s Confess, Fletch.
Emilia Clarke
After breaking out as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones, Emilia Clarke seemed like Hollywood’s next big thing.
Hollywood tried, with Clarke starring as the lead in several films, such as Me Before You and Terminator: Genisys. However, her movies never came close to the same success as Game of Thrones.
Pedro Pascal
Speaking of Game of Thrones, the show’s fourth season was the world’s introduction to Pedro Pascal.
There’s a chance that he can make a case to be removed from this list if things work out for him as Reed Richards in the upcoming Fantastic Four: First Steps. For now, though, Pascal’s success has been mainly limited to television.
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