Top 10 Actors Who Have Never Done Television

Known for his versatility and sometimes controversial roles, Willem Dafoe has become one of the most widely respected actors of his generation. Dafoe cut his teeth with experimental theater groups after leaving high school, before making an uncredited debut in Michael Cimino (Suh-MEE-no)’s infamous 1980 epic “Heaven’s Gate.” Since then, Dafoe has earned multiple Oscar nominations for films such as “Platoon” and “The Florida Project.” But while he has been a staple on the big screen for decades, Dafoe’s acting prowess has largely been absent from television. According to the “Spider-Man” actor, his preference for cinema comes from the endless possibilities associated with the medium and his desire to work closely with just one director.

If there’s any prominent actor in modern Hollywood whose career progression most resembles the image of a wave pattern, it’d be Robert Pattinson. The English actor rose from relative obscurity to international recognition after starring as Edward Cullen in “The Twilight Saga” film series. Although the role catapulted Pattinson to heartthrob status, he mostly disappeared from the spotlight afterwards, only performing in smaller, independent movies. Prior to getting his big break in “Twilight,” Pattinson appeared in three British TV films, but has never returned to the small screen since. He made a comeback to blockbuster flicks with Christopher Nolan’s time-bending thriller “Tenet” and donned the crime-fighting cape as Bruce Wayne in 2022’s “The Batman.”

Ever since she made an outstanding debut in 1994’s “Léon: The Professional,” Natalie Portman has largely erred on the cinematic side of the industry. Her breakthrough performance came as Queen Padmé Amidala in “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace,” a role she reprised in the rest of the prequel trilogy. During that time, she rendered her first ever performance on television, appearing as herself on the children’s show “Sesame Street.” The Oscar-winning actress also hosted “Saturday Night Live” twice and has lent her voice to animated characters on TV programs. Other than these few instances, Portman’s signature poise and layered performances have been reserved for the big screen.

Although Javier Bardem was born into a family of actors and filmmakers, he initially nursed an interest in painting. When that line of work didn’t pan out exactly how he pictured, he abandoned it and went into the family business. Bardem made his acting debut on Spanish TV, and later took on a recurring role in the series “Segunda enseñanza.” However, since he made the transition to Hollywood in the early 2000s, he has stuck strictly to movies. The Canary Islands actor has garnered significant acclaim for his challenging roles, becoming the first male Spanish performer to win an Oscar, with “No Country for Old Men.”

Christian Bale is one of a few actors who were shot to fame with their first major Hollywood performance. At the age of 13, Bale won the lead in Steven Spielberg’s 1987 epic “Empire of the Sun.” The film brought him immense attention and opened the doors to more starring roles throughout the ‘90s. Bale has since gained notoriety for playing psychologically complex characters, often taking long periods to fully immerse himself in them. This may explain why the English actor has refrained from the small screen, only making a handful of television appearances very early in his career. All that could’ve changed with the second season of HBO’s “True Detective,” but Bale turned down the lead role, which eventually went to Colin Farrell.

Arguably one of the most revered actors of all time, Robert De Niro first made a name for himself in the ‘70s, with films like “The Godfather Part II” and “Taxi Driver.” After first collaborating with Martin Scorsese on 1973’s “Mean Streets,” De Niro established a decades-long relationship with the director, creating some of their most celebrated work together. On the television side of things, however, De Niro’s presence has been severely limited. His only significant appearance on a TV show, so far, has been as special counsel Robert Mueller (muller) on “Saturday Night Live,” which earned him an Emmy nomination. In 2017, he received another Emmy nod for portraying Wall Street fraudster Bernie Madoff (MAY-doff) in the HBO film “The Wizard of Lies.”

When it comes to the realm of film, no one does it quite like Angelina Jolie. Born to Hollywood actors, Jolie has been in the spotlight since her childhood. After nabbing an Oscar for 1999’s “Girl, Interrupted,” she attained A-list status with the titular role in “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.” Throughout her career, Jolie has done it all. She’s starred in several successful live-action and animated films, written, directed and produced her own movies, as well as championed important humanitarian causes. But that wide reach of hers seems to have stopped right at the doorsteps of television. Following appearances in a few TV films in the late ‘90s, Jolie made a hard turn to the big screen and has never looked back since.

Before his rise to stardom, Robert Redford was just like any other Hollywood hopeful, picking up work wherever he could find it. As such, throughout the 1960s, he made guest appearances on multiple television shows, including “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” and “The Twilight Zone.” Toward the end of that decade, Redford landed his breakthrough role in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” and never returned to the small screen. After years of being in front of the camera, Redford stepped behind the scenes and took a foray into directing. His debut “Ordinary People” won him the Directing Oscar and also took home the prize for Best Picture. He co-founded the Sundance Film Festival in 1978, which is now the largest independent American film festival.

It’s perhaps pretty ironic that after making his acting debut in a TV pilot that was never picked up, Nicholas Cage has simply refused to return to the medium. The highly eccentric actor landed his first movie role in 1982’s “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” and his star power has only grown since then. After suffering a slight career slump in the early ‘90s, Cage made a comeback in 1995 with an Oscar-winning turn as a depressed, alcoholic screenwriter in “Leaving Las Vegas.” Cage has remained a prolific actor throughout his career, often appearing in multiple films every year. For that reason, we probably won’t be holding our breath for his return to television.

There aren’t that many actors who are naturally associated with the movies the way Tom Cruise is. Cruise emerged in the 1980s, and before the end of that decade, he was already one of Hollywood’s most bankable leading men. While he initially took on roles in award-worthy films, even picking up a few Oscar nominations himself, Cruise soon began to establish himself as an action star. He has since led blockbuster flicks like the “Mission: Impossible” films, “Minority Report” and “Top Gun: Maverick.” Despite such a remarkable career, the actor has never crossed over into the television world. With a propensity for high-energy, action-packed, and stunt-driven projects, we doubt Tom Cruise will be gracing the small screen anytime soon.