Television Stars We Want to Have A Decent Film Career: Part 1

It's become a well-known fact that movie stars seem to no longer have any hang-ups about appearing on, or even starring in, television shows. Since William Petersen and Kiefer Sutherland gave their flagging careers the kiss of life with CSI and 24 respectively, veteran actors like Gary Sinise, Anthony LaPaglia, Laurence Fishburne, Bill Paxton, James Woods, and Timothy Hutton have been drawn to the steady work and fan adoration that come from TV.
But this article is about the actors that we're primarily familiar with for their work on the telly. Specifically, the ones we want to have a good career in film. We would also like to add that there's nothing wrong with TV. I'm leaning towards agreeing with the critics who feel that the noughties were a much better decade for television shows than cinema. Anyway, enough explanation. Let's get on with it.


1. Jon Hamm
Seen as: Don Draper on Mad Men.
The star of AMC's flagship show Mad Men didn't exactly have a glittering CV before his role as Don Draper, with bit-parts in films such as Space Cowboys and We Were Soldiers. On Mad Men, Hamm gets to exhibit the kind of smooth charisma that is rarely seen on the big screen, let alone the small one. Morally ambiguous, slyly witty, and ultimately sympathetic despite all his many faults, advertising genius Don Draper is the kind of character leading men kill for. Hamm also proved that he could do funny in a great arc on 30 Rock as Liz Lemon's "Bubble"-bound boyfriend Dr. Drew Baird, so handsome that no one's ever told him that he's stupid. He's also been excellent on his guest hosting spots on Saturday Night Live.
Upcoming roles: Evil villain duties in Zack Synder's sure-to-be-crazy Sucker Punch, playing Jake Erlich in Ginsberg biopic Howl, and Ben Affleck's sophomore directorial effort The Town. Also, Mad Men series 4


2. Tina Fey
Seen as: Liz Lemon on 30 Rock
Before she created her own sitcom, Tina Fey was the head writer on Saturday Night Live, as well as writing and co-starring in the hilarious Mean Girls. With 30 Rock, UK audiences were made aware of her talents. The writing has been consistently excellent, and the ensemble cast is fantastic, but Fey's Liz Lemon is the heart of the show. Hilariously neurotic and prone to disaster, Lemon is the head-writer of an SNL-esque sketch comedy show. She has to manage a bunch of moronic narcissitic actors and her lazy writing staff while trying to have some kind of decent life for herself. She's hilarious, and often at her best when Liz decides to ignore her moral compass. Witness her attempts to fire the girlfriend of a man she likes, or her decision to frame naive page Kenneth. Tina Fey's also won pretty much every award going for her writing and her acting on the show. Likeable and funny, Fey will inevitably have a great big-screen career. We'd just like it to be sooner rather than later.
Upcoming roles: Starring alongside Steve Carell in the star-studded comedy Date Night, and more 30 Rock.


3. Nathan Fillion
Seen as: Captain Malcolm Reynolds on Firefly, Richard Castle on Castle
Fillion first endeared himself to couch potatoes everywhere with his turn as Malcolm Reynolds on the short-lived, much-mourned Firefly. Of the cast, he seemed the most poised for big-screen success, with the possible exception of Summer Glau. Funny and very capable of handling the tougher emotional scenes, Fillion was the standout of a very talented group. After Serenity got good reviews but low box-office, he landed the lead role in James Gunn's fun but poorly received creature feature Slither, then the less impressive White Noise 2, but gained some indie kudos with his performance in Adrienne Shelley's Waitress. None of these parts particularly propelled Fillion to stardom, and he soon ended up back on TV. Fox cancelled Drive after only a few episodes, but he's currently getting good viewing figures as roguish crime author Richard Castle, who trails police around to get ideas for a new book. The show's better than it sounds, but it would be nice if Fillion could get a part in a film that people actually go and see.
Upcoming roles: More Castle and Dr. Horrible, and a supporting part in James Gunn's superhero comedy Super


4-5. Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader
Seen on: Saturday Night Live
SNL has just as often been the last good thing on a comedian's resume as it has been the springboard for success in movies. For every Will Ferrell there are about five castmembers who have essentially vanished into obscurity. While the current line-up on the show is certainly strong, the writing has been getting weaker. Pretty much the only two cast members guaranteed to make you laugh are Bill Hader and Kristin Wiig. The former made a name for himself with impressions of actors like Vincent Price and Al Pacino, but has also proved just as comfortable in more straight-ish skits. Wiig seems to be the show's go-to for almost every female character, after the departure of Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph, and Amy Poehler left her the only regular who wasn't a guy. Some of the pressure has been taken off her this series, but her versatility continues to shine through. Both Hader and Wiig have yet to headline their own films (although production is about to start on "Untitled Kristin Wiig Comedy), but have been making impressions in minor roles for a few years now, and both pop up regularly in Judd Apatow movies. High points on their CVs include Hot Rod, Superbad, and Pineapple Express for Hader, and Knocked Up, Walk Hard, and Extract for Wiig.
Upcoming roles: Wiig has SNL spin-off film MacGruber, Date Night, and a dramatic role in All Good Things. Hader is rumoured to be writing a horror film, and both are appearing in Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's new comedy Paul.



Be back soon with part 2!