Though many are able to carry their success from the small screen over to the big one, some TV actors just barely skated by in big movie roles. In essence, the differences between film and TV are minor. One is typically more short-form storytelling and the other feature-length. However, the serialized nature of modern TV shows means that their actors sometimes appear in the same roles over many years.
Many actors make the switch from TV to film, and vice versa. However, some seem mostly to stick with just one milieu, no matter how similar they may be. The reasons why are mostly down to tedious industry matters, but the fact remains: some TV actors just don’t get many movie roles.
The actors on this list have all found enough success on the small screen to be considered “TV actors”. In fact, we consider them such even in spite of them having starred in major movies in their careers. Successful and talented though they may be, these TV actors were apparently super forgettable in their big movie roles.
10. Dylan Minnette – Scream (2022)
After the fourth film divided critics somewhat, the Scream franchise took an 11-year hiatus. In 2022, it returned with the simply-titled Scream, a reboot/requel that returned the series to its roots. Like its predecessors, Scream featured a large ensemble cast, and among them was Dylan Minnette.
Known predominantly for his role as Clay Jensen in the Netflix drama 13 Reasons Why, Minnette has enjoyed a huge amount of TV success. He has also been featured on shows like Supernatural, Prison Break, Grey’s Anatomy, and Lost. Though Minnette has featured in a handful of movies, including Prisoners, Goosebumps, and Don’t Breathe, he’s still broadly considered a TV actor.
Admittedly, it might be because he’s brutally murdered halfway through Scream that he was entirely forgettable. Even so, he certainly ranks among the film’s most recognizable stars, so it’s a little odd that his role wasn’t that memorable. To be fair, at this point, Scream characters are basically just walking cadavers, aren’t they? Still, Dylan deserved better.