Top 10 TV Shows with Movie Star Casts
In this list, we’ll dive into the world of TV through the lens of film. My rules I gave myself for this list is that I wanted the shows included to have future movie stars, not shows made up of already established stars. I also wanted shows that had several actors I would call ‘movie stars’ not just one, with shows like ‘Mork & Mindy’ (Robin Williams) and ‘Growing Pains’ (Leonardo DiCaprio).
Freaks and Geeks- The first show on our list is a cult classic that was canceled before its 18 episodes were all able to air. The show is beloved now and features many future stars both behind and in front of the camera. From executive producer Judd Apatow & creator Paul Feig, the shows stars the likes of Linda Cardellini, James Franco, Jason Segel, Seth Rogen, & Busy Phillips as the titular freaks and John Francis Daley, Samm Levine, & Martin Starr as the geeks. Other actors that appeared in recurring or guest roles in the 18 episode run include Ben Foster, Lizzy Caplan, Rashida Jones, David Krumholtz, David Koechner, Shia LaBeouf, Leslie Mann, Ben Stiller, & Jason Schwartzman.
The Office- One of the most popular shows of the 21st century many of the stars of the office became megastars just from the show itself, but many of the stars also excelled in the world of film. You of course have Steve Carell who starred in several successful comedies, voice acted in the ‘Despicable Me’ franchise, & became an Oscar nominee as well. John Krasinski has become a successful actor & filmmaker as well for his films ‘A Quiet Place’ & ‘IF.’ Ed Helms has starred in several comedy films, most notably ‘The Hangover’ trilogy. Other members of the ensemble that have major film credits include Phyllis Smith (Sadness in ‘Inside Out’), Mindy Kaling (‘Inside Out’ & ‘Ocean’s 8’), & Craig Robinson (‘This is the End’ & ‘Hot Tub Time Machine’). It has also said some notable guest appearances like Amy Adams, David Koechner, Idris Elba, Kathy Bates, & Will Ferrell, though the final two were already major stars.
Parks and Recreation- The counterpart of ‘The Office,’ Parks and Rec also featured some already established stars like Rob Lowe & Lucy Lawless. But it also skyrocketed the careers of many stars like Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Adam Scott, Ben Schwartz, & Jenny Slate. Most notably, the show brought attention to Chris Pratt, who would become one of the highest grossing film stars of the 2010s.
Stranger Things- The final season of ‘Stranger Things’ comes out this year (finally) but the show has already shot many of it’s young actors to stardom. The show of course features the already established Wynona Ryder, with the other main adult actor, David Harbour since starring in films like ‘Hellboy,’ ‘Violent Night,’ & ‘Black Widow.’ The most notable of the young stars is Millie Bobby Brown, who has starred in several films that have performed well on Netflix. Her costar Sadie Sink has also done well starring in ‘The Whale,’ ‘O’Dessa,’ & the Taylor Swift short film, ‘All Too Well.’ Some of the other young actors have a major appearance or two, Joe Keery (‘Free Guy’), Maya Hawke (‘Inside Out 2’), and Dacre Montgomery (‘Power Rangers’ & ‘Elvis’). However, the star with the best career in film is Joseph Quinn, who has starred in ‘A Quiet Place: Day One,’ ‘Gladiator II,’ & the upcoming, ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ as the Human Torch.
Saturday Night Live- This one feels like cheating. But think about some of the names that have starred on SNL. Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell, Robert Downey Jr., Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Chris Rock, Chevy Chase, Mike Meyers, Billy Crystal, Martin Short, David Spade, & Ben Stiller. And that is barely scratching the surface.
The Mickey Mouse Club- Though most renditions of the show have had a couple of names you may recognize the 1989-1994 revival is the definition of star studded. Though not necessarily all movie stars the cast member of this show include Ryan Gosling, Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, & Keri Russell.
Band of Brothers- Though the main cast does feature some stars that have dabbled in film such as David Schwimmer, Donnie Wahlberg, & Neal McDonough, looking at the recurring & guest cast you will find some major future stars. The likes of Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Tom Hardy, Andrew Scott, Simon Pegg, Colin Hanks, Dominic Cooper, Stephen Graham, & heck, even Jimmy Fallon.
Skins- I’ll admit my familiarity with this British show is low. Some of the future film stars from the series of Nicholas Hoult, Dev Patel, Kaya Scodelario, & Jack O’Connell. Hoult is known for playing Beast in the ‘X-Men’ series with other credits including ‘Max Mad: Fury Road,’ ‘The Favourite,’ ‘The Menu,’ ‘Juror #2,’ & ‘Nosferatu.’ Dev Patel is an Oscar & Golden Globe nominee known for ‘Slumdog Millionaire,’ ‘Lion,’ ‘The Green Knight,’ & ‘Monkey Man.’ Scodelario is mostly known for her role in ‘The Maze Runner’ series, but has also appeared in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean,’ ‘Wuthering Heights,’ & ‘Resident Evil.’ O’Connell won the BAFTA Rising Star Award and is mostly known for his role in ‘Unbroken.’
The Wire- This 2000s crime show was one of the most popular when it was on and featured many future stars. Some of notable names include Dominic West, Idris Elba, Wood Harris, Wendell Pierce, Lance Reddick, Michael K. Williams, Reg E. Cathey, & Michael B. Jordan.
Friday Night Lights- Though the two leads of this show, Kyle Chandler & Connie Britton have appeared in some films, the young stars of this show have had a lot of success. Taylor Kitsch appeared in ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine,’ ‘John Carter,’ & ‘Lone Survivor.’ Minka Kelly had roles in ‘500 Days of Summer’ & ‘The Butler.’ Adrian Palicki had roles in ‘Red Dawn,’ ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation,’ & ‘John Wick.’ However, the two most successful stars have achieved high levels of commercial & critical success. Commercially, the standout star is Michael B. Jordan who has had starring roles in ‘Fruitvale Station,’ ‘Black Panther,’ & the ‘Creed’ franchise. Critically, Jesse Plemons has earned an Oscar nomination for his role in ‘The Power of the Dog’ and has also appeared in ‘The Master,’ ‘Bridge of Spies,’ ‘Game Night,’ ‘The Irishman,’ ‘Judas and the Black Messiah,’ & ‘Killers of the Flower Moon.’
