Is it the economy? Is it the fact that TV has stuck around long enough to be considered an art? Maybe it’s the shiny new period shows and dramas that lure them in, or maybe they just need a career save. Whatever the case, movie stars are making their way to the small screen. What’s going on? Shouldn’t they be creating their own fashion line or helping the planet (or both)? Instead, they’re invading our living rooms show after show. It’s an unspoken fact. Well, now spoken. Here are just a few at the forefront:
Anjelica Huston
Image source: hollywoodreporter.com
Anjelica Huston has been a movie star to me ever since The Witches. This very specialized actress is perhaps best known for her roles in The Addams Family and The Royal Tenenbaums, but has over 70 credits to her name. Just check out her IMDB page. Now, she’s a core cast member on NBC’s new baby, Smash. Smash officially premieres on Monday, February 6, so it’s hard to say what the future of this show will be, but the first episode has been released on NBC’s web site.
Ashton Kutcher
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Ashton is no stranger to TV; he is arguably most well known for his role as Kelso on That 70’s Show. Even so, nobody could argue that Ashton has lived anything short of the movie star lifestyle. From Dude, Where’s My Car to The Butterfly Effect, we’re used to seeing his face blown up on large billboards (most recently for No Strings Attached and New Year’s Eve). But after the Charlie Sheen Fiasco, Ashton’s back in the sitcom world with 2 and a Half Men. Of course, they still pay him a celebrity’s wage.
Zooey Deschanel
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Oh, adorkable Zooey. In 500 Days of Summer, she was heartbreaking. In Elf, she was charmingly cynical. In The Happening, she was… there. Zooey started dabbling in TV during her time on Weeds and the SyFy mini-series Tin Man, but now she’s really in the game with New Girl. She’s the face of this show and it looks like it’s sticking around.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Other big names in the movement include Dustin Hoffman of Rain Man fame (and another hefty IMDB page with over 70 acting credits) who stars in the HBO series Luck, the young Kat Dennings of Nick and Norah and Thor as the co-lead on 2 Broke Girls, and Christina Ricci who gave it a shot on the now cancelled Pan Am.
Image source: denverpost.com
According to Deadline Hollywood, even more big names will join the list. Hybrid theatre-film-TV actor John Lequizamo has signed a pact with ABC to star in his own single-camera comedy. The actor we’re six degrees away from might be playing a serial killer. And looks like we’ll be seeing Anne Heche again. Who knows who might swing over next?
