6 movie stars who have made the leap to the small screen

There’s never been so much to watch and so little time to watch it. What’s also changed is the quality of television, moving into a new golden age from the turn of the millennium. The tawdry stigma of being a “TV actor” as opposed to a “film actor” is no more and it’s become so much easier for prestige actors to do television work without dropping their standards.

High profile directors have become just as amenable as the bar and budgets have continued to be raised. It’s no secret folks, TV and film have collided and it’s now anyone’s game. Here are six film actors who have made the leap and crossed over to the world of series.

Amy Adams: Sharp Objects

While Amy Adams had a smattering of appearances in various TV shows from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to The Office, her big break finally arrived after she landed an Oscar nomination for her revelatory role in the indie drama Junebug. Sweetness personified, it seemed only natural for her to become a real-life Disney princess in Enchanted. Sparking a dreamy film career, Adams quickly racked up an impressive filmography, now with six Oscar nominations in tow.

Exploring the darker side of humanity, Amy Adams went from films like Big Eyes and Nocturnal Animals to plunge headlong into Sharper Objects. A small-town mystery crime drama involving a reporter tracing a developing serial killer story, this dark, surreal and vivid series has a cinematic edge, directed by the late Jean-Marc Vallée. A beautifully nuanced turn from Adams as an alcoholic reporter coming home earned her one of the brilliant series’ eight Emmy nominations.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson: Ballers

Wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is a Hollywood superstar who needs no introduction. While the charming muscleman has hitched his mainstream appeal to a shooting star, his biography is equally larger-than-life. Never afraid to poke fun at himself (or his real-life bud Kevin Hart), he’s gone from the realm of action comedy in Central Intelligence and Jumanji to comedy drama TV shows such as Ballers.

An actor whose mission is to show people a good time and get families to share movie night together, The Rock’s run in 2032 is no surprise. Or at least, this is the punchline concept for his biographical comedy drama, Young Rock, which sees Johnson recount stories from across his youth to Randall Park as himself and a few lucky others. From witnessing his dad’s wrestling career to trying to crack the NFL, this colourful snapshot retrospective of the big guy’s incredible family and true story is sheer fun.

Steve Buscemi: The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire

It’s difficult to forget Steve Buscemi’s short-lived yet pitch perfect cameo as a drunk guest in The Wedding Singer. His breakthrough role was playing a criminal in Fargo, a snowy crime drama mystery classic that also established Frances McDormand and the Coen brothers. While Buscemi’s got an instantly recognisable face, he usually pops up in the weirdest places with quirky supporting roles.

Buscemi crossed over into television for an arc in The Sopranos and 30 Rock (his line “How do you do, fellow kids?” is the stuff memes are made of), but what makes his return in Boardwalk Empire so satisfying is that the underdog’s finally playing a proper lead, charged with bringing smarmy politician Enoch “Nucky” Thompson to life in the series that navigates between the law and gangsters in Prohibition-era Atlantic City. Directed by Martin Scorsese, this lavish and immersive production is steeped in his signature elements, creating the perfect platform for Buscemi to shine with 20 Primetime Emmy wins to its name.

Nicole Kidman: Big Little Lies and The Undoing

Most people expect Australian exports to have appeared in long-running Aussie soaps, Neighbours or Home and Away. Not so for Nicole Kidman. While the blue-eyed beauty has dabbled with series, she’s best known for her extensive film work starring in Bombshell and Secret in Their Eyes, with what many consider a career-best performance in the gritty crime drama Destroyer.

Having led an enviable film career, Kidman has embraced TV’s new golden age, winning herself an Emmy for her performance in David E Kelley’s crime drama mystery Big Little Lies. Reteaming with Kelley, she followed this up with another fine performance opposite Hugh Grant in the erotic, sleek and suspenseful The Undoing. She plays wealthy New York therapist Grace Fraser, whose seemingly perfect world is turned upside down when her husband is connected to a brutal crime. In the twisty and modern whodunnit, Kidman’s kindness and sincerity sets her apart.

Matthew McConaughey: True Detective

For a long time in Hollywood, Matthew McConaughey was regarded as a charming romantic lead, a gorgeous hunk who would sooner whip off his shirt than compete for an actual Oscar. It wasn’t for a lack of trying. After a streak of popcorn movies, a change in direction after The Lincoln Lawyer saw him win an Oscar for Dallas Buyers Club, upstaging DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street and doing wonders opposite Woody Harrelson in True Detective.

Under Cary Joji Fukunaga’s deft direction, this Louisiana State Police detective duo live in the crime drama of this dark, engrossing and influential series. McConaughey and Harrelson just seem right together, enjoying rich chemistry as they are forced to revisit the murder investigation of a prostitute 17 years later. A non-linear saga that explores powerful themes, True Detective set the new standard for crime procedurals with nuanced performances, layered storytelling and a hauntingly wistful tone.

Kate Winslet: Mare of Easttown and Mildred Pierce

Kate Winslet’s first big break came at the age of 17, landing a role in Heavenly Creatures. A year later, she impressed Emma Thompson at an open audition enough to land a part in Ang Lee’s adaptation of Sense & Sensibility. This critically acclaimed supporting performance garnered her an Oscar nomination, setting Winslet’s film career in full flight. One Oscar and five more nominations later, she continues to deliver full-fledged performances whether switching homes in The Holiday or taking haute couture style down under in The Dressmaker.

Known for playing strong, defiant characters, Winslet first crossed over in Mildred Pierce, a 1930s drama in which she starred as a divorced single mom trying to start a restaurant. Wanting to break into miniseries once again, Winslet turned to the haunting crime drama and character portrait, Mare of Easttown. She stars as a brow-beaten detective whose failure to find a missing girl is amplified by a local murder a year later. Set in a small Pennsylvanian town, Mare of Easttown’s steeped in atmosphere and driven by strong performances, layered storytelling and realistic interpersonal drama. (Look out for Hacks‘s Jean Smart in an Emmy-nominated supporting role as Mare’s mother.)