Once seen as the final nail in an actor's coffin, the move to TV has now been transformed into a mightily smart career decision. With Hollywood's increased leaning towards big-budget action movies and television's never better quality of writing, there are more chances for an actor to utilise their craft on the small screen.
With news today that John Cusack is making the move to TV in an untitled Wall Street drama, here are seven other stars moving to the small screen this year.
Clive Owen - The Knick
Last seen in:Shadow Dancer and Blood Ties
While Clive Owen found success in slightly more offbeat or darker fare (Closer, Children of Men, Sin City), his attempts to become a more traditional leading man fell flat (King Arthur, Derailed, The International) so at this stage in his career, a move to the small screen seems like a sound plan. It makes even more sense when you learn that his new show, The Knick, comes from Steven Soderbergh, on a roll after Side Effects and Behind the Candelabra. It's a period drama set at the Knickbocker hospital in New York and you can see a brief teaser here.
Coming: It'll be the biggest show ever to hit US cable channel Cinemax later this year
____________________________________________________________
Halle Berry - Extant
Last seen in:Cloud Atlas and The Call
Ever since her Oscar win for Monster's Ball, the talented actress yet terrible script reader Halle Berry has had her fair share of turkeys. Aside from her Razzie-winning turn in Catwoman, she also suffered in Die Another Day, Perfect Stranger and Movie 43. Wisely choosing to make the move to TV, Berry is heading up an ambitious new show called Extant, produced by Steven Spielberg. She'll play an astronaut struggling to return to earth after a year-long mission. There's a mysterious teaser here. Good luck getting much out of it though...
Coming: The 13-episode season will hit CBS on July 2nd
____________________________________________________________
Bill Murray - Olive Kitteridge
Last seen in:The Monuments Men and The Grand Budapest Hotel
Although Bill Murray is still managing to find himself parts in interesting fare, they're usually small, so like many actors of his age, he's looking to TV for more screen time. He's chosen an adaptation of Olive Kitteridge, a Pulitzer Prize winning novel, directed by Lisa Cholodenko, best known for The Kids Are All Right. He's also starring alongside Frances McDormand and Richard Jenkins, which makes it all sound a little bit great. The story itself concerns the lives of a teacher and the people around her in a small Maine town.
Coming: It hits HBO later this year
____________________________________________________________
Robert De Niro - Criminal Justice
Last seen in:Last Vegas and Grudge Match
While he briefly touched upon some of his former glory, thanks to David O'Russell, with an Oscar-nominated turn in Silver Linings Playbook and a cameo role in American Hustle, it's been mainly a tough slog for anyone watching a film starring De Niro in the past few years. Alternating between forgettable DTV fodder (has anyone seen The Bag Man, Freelancers or Killing Season?) and "aren't old people funny" theatrical fare (Last Vegas and Grudge Match), he's in need of a change. After the passing of James Gandolfini, De Niro has taken over the lead of Criminal Justice, a legal show based on a BBC series from 2008. It will also star the rather great Riz Ahmed.
Coming: It's another HBO show which will hit later this year
____________________________________________________________
Greta Gerwig - How I Met Your Dad
Last seen in:Frances Ha and To Rome With Love
A recently announced, rather controversial one here. Having made the move from smallscale mumblecore in Hannah Takes The Stairs through to bigger indies like Greenberg, Gerwig went full-mainstream, and faltered, in Arthur and brought it back with her Golden Globe-nominated performance in Frances Ha. And while the 30-year-old actress has some intriguing projects coming up, she's decided to take the lead in the How I Met Your Mother spin-off, surprising just about everyone. Her character Sally will apparently be "a female Peter Pan". Which sounds odd.
Coming: A pilot is being filmed for CBS and the series might air later this year
____________________________________________________________
Paul Giamatti - Hoke
Last seen in:Saving Mr Banks and The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Although he's managed to find consistent success in Hollywood, it's mainly with smaller roles, leading Giamatti to make the obvious choice to move to the small screen. After a guest-starring turn in Downton Abbey, he's now taking the lead in Hoke, as, well, Hoke. It's a dark comedy drama about a homicide detective in the 80s, based on a series of cult novels from Charles Willeford. The show will also star Game of Thrones alumni Oona Chaplin and the first episode is written and produced by Scott Frank, best known for scripting Minority Report and, ermmm, Marley & Me.
Coming: This one will go into production this Spring for FX so should crop up next year
____________________________________________________________
Maggie Gyllenhaal - The Honourable Woman
Last seen in:White House Down and Frank
Alternating between blockbusters (The Dark Knight, White House Down), indie hits (Secretary, Donnie Darko) and, ermmm, bad choices (Hysteria, Won't Back Down), Gyllenhaal has never really found herself a suitable niche in Hollywood. A talented actress, it'll be good to see her flex those muscles on TV for the first time. She's taking on the lead role in The Honourable Woman, a thriller where she'll play a woman who inherits her father's arms business, which is one hell of an intriguing synopsis, f you ask us.
Coming: It'll hit BBC Two later this year
____________________________________________________________
(Images: All Star)
Latest
Related Reviews and Shortlists
