Having a starring role on a successful TV show can be a double-edged sword. While it’s great to be popular (and the steady work can’t hurt), many actors find it hard to escape the long shadow cast by their most famous role. Once the series ends, it can be a slippery slope towards type-casting, and then finally a permanent stay in a town called “Has-Been”.
-
alison_brie
-
alyssa_milano_1
-
andy_griffith_1
-
courteney_cox_1
-
bryan_cranston_1
-
david_duchovny_1
-
david_hasselhoff_1
-
ed_o’neill_1
-
hannigan_1
-
henry_winkler_1
-
iain_glen_1
-
johnny_galecki_1
-
julia_louis_1
-
larry_hagman_1
-
mary_tyler_moore_1
-
melissa_joan_hart_1
-
michael_j_fox_1
-
mila_kunis_1
-
ron_howard_1
-
tony_danza_1
That’s a huge risk, but some lucky (and talented) thespians can strike gold twice, scoring equally notable roles in two separate series! It’s tough trick to pull off, but their versatility and range makes us totally forget about their alternate TV-universe past. When we look at Breaking Bad’s ruthless Walter White, we don’t see a trace of Bryan Cranston’s former personality, mild-mannered Malcolm In The Middle dad, Hal. And Alison Brie is able to succeed in playing two roles at once: playing ’60s housewife Trudy Campbell on Mad Men as well as Community’s Annie Edison. Impressive!
Head up to the gallery above to see more actors and actresses who’ve made lightening strike twice and scored big with two iconic TV roles. Enjoy!
[Photo: NBC/Fox/Nickelodeon/AMC/HBO]