Top 10 TV Actresses Turned Movie Stars

Top 10 TV Actresses Turned Movie Stars

You oughta be in pictures. Well, these television actresses took that advice to heart. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 TV Actresses Turned Movie Stars.

For this list, we’ll be looking at women who had prominent roles in television or were most well known for their TV roles – even if they had prior small or forgettable parts in movies - before they moved into the spotlight of the big screen. We won’t be counting soap opera appearances or TV roles where they only appeared in a handful of episodes. We will also be excluding actresses who are actually more well known for their TV presence, so as fun and witty as Tina Fey is, she’s been dominating television, not movies... so far.

#10: Olivia Wilde

Whether you remember her as the resident bad girl Alex Kelly, or medical internist, Dr. Remy “Thirteen” Hadley, you’ve most likely seen this actress on your television set before she lit up the big screen in films like “Tron: Legacy,” “Cowboys & Aliens,” and the critically acclaimed “Her.” But it all began in the seaside community of Newport Beach as Alex Kelly added to the drama of the O.C. by dating two of the main characters of the show: Seth Cohen and Marissa Cooper.

#9: Goldie Hawn

There’s a bit of a stereotype with blondes being ditzy, but this blonde took that bubbly personality and parlayed it into a career. While her first television role, “Good Morning, World,” was short-lived, it was enough to get her career going as she moved on to the sketch comedy series, “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In,” delighting audiences with her high-pitched giggle. No one could predict what she would do next though: Hawn won an Academy Award in her first major movie, “Cactus Flower,” and continued acting for decades.

#8: Shailene Woodley

This one time, at band camp, a girl got pregnant, at least according to “The Secret Life of the American Teenager.” The show follows said girl’s life as she deals with being a teen mom – sometime before “16 and Pregnant,” but after Maury’s paternity results. While the actress did appear in a number of television shows, it’s this series that got her career going. She went on to star in movies like “The Descendants,” “The Fault in Our Stars,” and the “Divergent” series, and the transition was definitely smooth.

#7: Catherine Zeta-Jones

This stunning actress is someone who can set the screen on fire with just a look or a line of dialogue spoken in that gorgeous accent. While we know her best for being on the big screen, her first major acting gig to really gain her attention in the media was back in 1991 on the British television show, “The Darling Buds of May.” In this adaptation of the novel by H.E. Bates, she played the part of the Larkins’ eldest daughter, Marriette, and the part marked her first major acting gig.

#6: Jessica Alba

While the actress had a number of television and movie roles scattered throughout the nineties, it was James Cameron and “Dark Angel” that put her in the spotlight. The writer and director handpicked her for the part of lead character, Max Guevara, but despite critical acclaim the show couldn’t survive the Friday night death slot... thanks a lot, Fox. Since then, the actress has appeared in a number of movies though, including “Sin City” and “Fantastic Four.”

#5: Jennifer Garner

Talk about a character change. We first saw this actress in small big screen roles like the Disney flop, “Mr. Magoo,” and the stoner comedy that created an unfortunate catchphrase, “Dude, Where’s My Car.” Imagine our surprise when we turned on our televisions in 2001 to see her as Sydney Bristow of “Alias,” a kickass double agent for the CIA. Even if she started out in movies, this series was a much better example of what the actress was capable of and boosted her acting career, allowing her to take on bigger and better big screen roles.

#4: Sally Field

Most people know this actress for her dynamic performances in “Sybil,” “Norma Rae,” “Forrest Gump,” and “Lincoln.” If none of these rings a bell, you probably know her as Aunt May, especially when Peter Parker finally brought home those eggs. But before web-slinging and groundbreaking performances, this actress’s first big role was as a surfer girl named “Gidget” whose primary focus was the beach and cute guys – all while learning those all important teenage lessons of the day from her father. To keep her on TV, execs dressed her in a habit and dubbed her “The Flying Nun.”

#3: Mila Kunis

There are two different ways this actress probably entered into your life -- “hangin’ out, down the street, the same ol’ thing we did last week,” or on the receiving end of this phrase: “Shut up, Meg.” However, it was the ‘70s that came first, so flower power and hippies win the day. In 1998, she was cast in the hit Fox sitcom, “That ‘70s Show,” as the self-centered Jackie Burkhart. This show would ultimately be what boosted her career as a big screen actress... and the Griffin family punching bag.

#2: Michelle Williams

As we sat and watched this actress light up the big screen in movies like “Brokeback Mountain” and “Blue Valentine,” we asked ourselves one question... was this really the same girl from “Dawson’s Creek”? In 1998, we were introduced to the hit teen drama where she was part of the main cast. From not wanting to wait for their lives to be over to being nominated for Golden Globes and Oscars, this is definitely how you successfully go from television to movies.f

Don’t touch that dial and stay tuned for our number one pick after some honorable mentions.
- Ellen Page
- Katie Holmes
- Blake Lively
- Melissa McCarthy

#1: Jennifer Aniston

When making this list, our number one pick seemed like the perfect, primetime choice right off the bat. Is there anyone who doesn’t clap along to the “Friends” opening? More importantly, is there anyone who wasn’t cheering loudly when Rachel got off the plane? Is that considered a spoiler after over ten years? While Rachel Green isn’t the only “Friends” character that has been in movies, she has arguably been the most successful at the transition from television to the big screen.

Do you agree with our list? Which leading TV lady did you cheer for as she moved to the big screen? For more entertaining top 10 lists published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.