well now that’s a dandy little item man
you’ve got to respect these performers
for their ability to find great small
screen roles several times over I said
you need somebody like me I didn’t say
I’d take okay
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
counting down our picks for the top ten
TV actors successful on more than one
show you’re a cab driver
what do you mean busting my chops here
make them believe you’re a regular
person I’ll call your name and number
till then keep your mouth shut for this
list we’re looking at actors that have
had starring roles on more than one
either critically acclaimed or
commercially successful television show
you said I couldn’t keep a made number
10
Rob Lowe that literally is the most
moving thing about her this is literally
the best way to start this list after
years of success on the big screen this
eminently likeable actor first
transitioned to a TV leading role in
1999 on Aaron Sorkin’s critically
acclaimed The West Wing this country is
an idea and when that’s lit the world
for two centuries and treason against
that idea is not just a crime against
the living a few years after leaving the
Bartlet administration he immersed
himself in a world of family drama on
the ABC show brothers and sisters
following that show’s cancellation in
2011 he relocated full-time to Pawnee
Indiana to play the endlessly upbeat
Chris Traeger on NBC’s beloved sitcom
parks and recreation Donna you are a
remarkable woman and I just wanted to
say that I’ve always thought of you as
family I just want to say that I’ve
always thought you were hot yes I know
although the grinder was canceled after
one season Lowe’s performance as actor
turned fake lawyer Dean Sanderson was
critically acclaimed and even earned him
a Golden Globe nomination we’re looking
forward to seeing what he does next wait
we’d be backlit oh you know what you’re
doing hey that’s great number nine Mary
Tyler Moore you’re not just saying that
a groundbreaker if ever there was one
more found success in two beloved
pioneering shows in the 60s and 70s
what’d you win oh I wanna Brier Hannah
roaches raucous she first became known
as housewife Laura Petry on the Dick Van
Dyke Show for five seasons netting two
Emmy Awards you just set the alarm for
an hour from now that’s right
call lack and his activated walnuts are
gonna come after me and my dreams I’ll
be Saved by the Bell
but it was her self-titled sitcom which
debuted in 1970 that turned her into the
legend she is today when you were
dismissing some of the staff did you
intend to fire me too especially me more
broke down barriers by starring as a
single woman pursuing a career in the
city a concept that was practically
sci-fi at the time in addition to
changing the television landscape the
show aired for seven seasons and gave
more three additional Emmys thank you
for being my family
number eight Betty White this is just a
suggestion lamzy but I love ham and eggs
good that door heading for dinner
recognized by Guinness World Records as
the female entertainer with the longest
television career Betty White’s starred
in more than her fair share of
successful shows he’s all man
well it’s oppressive titanium active in
the industry beginning in 1939 white got
her start on the 50 sitcom life with
Elizabeth where she starred as a young
newlywed ready 1 2 she later went on to
play Sue Ann Nivens on the critically
acclaimed The Mary Tyler Moore Show
however it was her role as the widowed
Rose Nylund on NBC’s The Golden Girls
alongside a couple of other multi show
actresses that turned her into a beloved
superstar
I adore Arnie he’s the sweetest man in
the world and very special to me and
it’ll be hard not to you know cuz I like
him so much which ran simultaneously
with another one of white successes the
syndicated Mama’s family I’ve got to
think of exactly the right words
how about Franny shafted you then in
2010 white experienced career resurgence
when she starred on another female lead
sitcom Hot in Cleveland
giving the elderly but capable actress
another well deserved opportunity to
shine you really want to hurt some
innocent guy just to get revenge on his
mother yes number 7 Alyson Hannigan I’m
eating this now it’s not lunch time I
don’t even care this actress became an
icon when she starred as the magically
gifted Willow Rosenberg on the cult
phenomenon Buffy the Vampire Slayer
lack of the sudden calisthenics I just
sort of naturally buff but who buff buff
willow became one of the most popular
characters on the show even appearing in
a few episodes of the David Boreanaz
spin-off angel we’re all clear on the
fact that Harmony’s a vampire right
looking to get into more comedic roles
after buffy ended in 2003 Hannigan
signed on to the well receive
sitcom How I Met Your Mother that show
which saw Hanigan as the lovable but
manipulative Lily Aldrin lasted for nine
seasons like a movie just was at the
freshman orientation party no no no no
no no no no no no no probably Hannigan’s
greatest claim to fame is that she was
one of the two main characters whose arc
didn’t infuriate viewers come this
series finale I love you guys so much I
can’t even sleep the second apart
chuckling – Ted don’t say it thank you
number six Kelsey Grammer what a good
boy do this playing the same character
for 20 straight years sounds like a
recipe for insanity doesn’t it do you
have any idea what it’s like to play the
same character for 20 years
Grammer made his debut with psychiatrist
Frasier Crane in the third season of
Cheers and played the intelligent but
pretentious shrink until the series
wrapped in its 11th season not here
of course a mere four months later
grandma returned to TV for the
seattle-based spin-off Frasier where he
played his signature character for 11
more seasons hanging up his headphones
in 2004 good nights yet although we
never expected that he would be the
cheers character we’d be following for
so long
Frasier became one of the most
successful spin-offs ever giving grammar
for Emmy Awards and giving us decades of
this beloved breakout character time
goes by so fast people move in and out
of your life
number five Julia louis-dreyfus a
wedding have you lost it men three
iconic roles and a whopping seven Emmy
Awards I’m a political leper and I’m an
emotional time bomb so here’s an idea
let’s put me on stage Louie Dreyfus made
her debut as the feisty assertive and
dominating Elaine Benes in Seinfeld
cementing her status as one of the
funniest women on TV that whole thing
the whole production it was all an act
not they had huh it was a hard act to
follow but she managed to break free
from the infamous Seinfeld curse in 2006
starring for five seasons as the title
character in the new adventures of old
Christine oh wow a crash table see
drug-free fun and if that wasn’t enough
in 2012 she debuted as vice president
Selina Meyer and HBO’s beef a role that
led her to four consecutive Emmy Awards
if that’s not sponge worthy then we
don’t know what is so you think your
sponge worthy yes I think I’m sponge
more than you think I’m very sponge
run down your case for me again number
four Bryan Cranston run chemistry is the
study of change and there’s no better
way to showcase that than by looking at
the man who many consider to be one of
the most versatile actors of our time
Craig after a memorable five episode arc
is dr. Tim Watley on Seinfeld in the
first half of the 2000s Cranston gained
a following for his performance as
bumbling dad Hal on the popular Fox
sitcom Malcolm in the Middle
but never gave the impression that he
could do more than comedy how come
there’s never any iced tea in his
pitcher I make a fresh batch every
morning it’s gone by the time I get home
thus people were skeptical before he
first appeared as Walter White on AMC’s
Breaking Bad I am NOT in danger Skyler I
am the danger a guy opens his door and
gets shot and you think that of me no I
am the one who knocks well five seasons
and four Emmys later
Cranston stands as one of our greatest
performers and a central figure in the
so-called golden age of television
stay out by territory number three
Edie O’Neil let me tell you something no
woman tells our Bundy what to do hey yo
get my shoes yes ma’am
the beleaguered father character is so
overdone that it takes a true talent to
elevate it above just another tired
archetype Ed O’Neill is that talent you
have trouble showing affection in public
places yes you yes was that before or
after you were delivered to my door in
squad car wearing nothing but your
underwear in a police way also starring
multi show success katey sagal married
with children featured O’Neil portraying
patriarch Al Bundy whose dry but loving
performance was a major factor of
success in the show’s eleven season run
oh sure on the surface selling women’s
shoes is fun won’t you cut through all
the hype the myths the glamour it’s
really very much like any minimum wage
paying slow debt normally it would be
hard to follow a run like that but in
2009 he found himself at the head of a
new more diverse clan as Jay Pritchett
and ABC’s wildly successful Modern
Family so I stuck it out until they were
grown
yeah you want to join me in the jacuzzi
and the universe rewarded me this is led
O’Neill to receive three Emmy
nominations and has exposed a new
generation to his trademark dry sense of
humor it’s a model of a plane that was
built for Amelia Earhart why because she
wanted to fly around the world why
because she probably needed to get away
from her kids why you know how to stop
this
number two David Hasselhoff just do me a
favor huh make me look good you ever
hear about this guy
they say he’s huge in Germany that’s
personal the well-sculpted actor first
rose to popularity on the soap opera The
Young and the Restless but gained more
mainstream fame in the hugely successful
series Knight Rider I can’t believe this
a car that talks back to me after the
show ended in 1986 The Hoff returned to
television three years later where he
starred as Mitch Buchanan on the body
fest Baywatch oh oh you sure let me
clean it for you oh no no really it’s
okay I’ll just go put another one no
problem NBC dropping the show after one
season turned out to be a blessing in
disguise as it was picked up in
syndication where it ran for ten more
seasons and turned out to be one of the
most popular shows of all time while
Baywatch may look a bit silly now
Hasselhoff made a fortune from it and
his perennial shirtless body became
iconic why take a job inside the house
before we reveal our number one pick
here are some honorable mentions I was
young The Fool okay you’re still at
fault because looking for Spock
if that is a doorway back through time
could we somehow take bones back a day
in time
why feels like that’ll kill ya grounded
for this oh no you’re not grounded
you’re not going to aspen with hunter
scangarelo that’s where you are not
going I tell you to order a scan you
order a goddamn scan because if you
don’t do it I’ll just go to the next
doctor and the next doctor after that in
the meantime that kid died you ever see
a scorpion sting itself dead yes but
there are no creatures like this on
Abydos those people were human tell her
her hair smells friend then I’m gonna
lean in and sniff her shampoo girls love
getting sniffed you showed us a mess
girl bang ping puddle good dog what was
that one doing here master that one was
my fiancee
thou art kidding no the minute young
lady we do want an heir to hit the
family in the business for the next
generation number 1 Michael J Fox it’s
very easy to stand outside throwing
rocks but please do not have the
unmitigated ID acity two very big words
it’s impossible to say anything bad
about this actor or his characters yeah
well I never missed a poetry reading I
have season tickets Fox became a
household name in the 1980s as young
Republican Alex P Keaton on the sitcom
Family Ties which subverted normal
sitcom tropes by featuring what the
producers described as hip parents
square kids hey dad we need a new mom
this one’s had it Alex became the focus
of the show earning Fox 3 Emmy Awards
during its run after nurturing his film
career for a few years
Fox took on the role of deputy mayor
Mike Flaherty in 1996 on Spin City which
won him another Emmy Award this is so
cool the series led to an emotional
goodbye when he had to leave the show in
2000 due to worsening conditions from
Parkinson’s disease however in 2013 he
returned to TV with a short-lived
self-titled sitcom that dealt with his
condition and reminded everyone that
Michael J Fox is a TV icon 7 year old is
like a sponge she’s ready to absorb the
world that 8 year old is dead inside
do you agree with our list who are your
favorite actors that were successful on
multiple shows there’s a flash for you
we’re all desperate to be relevant for
more TV top 10s published every day be
sure to subscribe to watchmojo.com arms
up dude
you’ve got to respect these performers
for their ability to find great small
screen roles several times over I said
you need somebody like me I didn’t say
I’d take okay
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
counting down our picks for the top ten
TV actors successful on more than one
show you’re a cab driver
what do you mean busting my chops here
make them believe you’re a regular
person I’ll call your name and number
till then keep your mouth shut for this
list we’re looking at actors that have
had starring roles on more than one
either critically acclaimed or
commercially successful television show
you said I couldn’t keep a made number
10
Rob Lowe that literally is the most
moving thing about her this is literally
the best way to start this list after
years of success on the big screen this
eminently likeable actor first
transitioned to a TV leading role in
1999 on Aaron Sorkin’s critically
acclaimed The West Wing this country is
an idea and when that’s lit the world
for two centuries and treason against
that idea is not just a crime against
the living a few years after leaving the
Bartlet administration he immersed
himself in a world of family drama on
the ABC show brothers and sisters
following that show’s cancellation in
2011 he relocated full-time to Pawnee
Indiana to play the endlessly upbeat
Chris Traeger on NBC’s beloved sitcom
parks and recreation Donna you are a
remarkable woman and I just wanted to
say that I’ve always thought of you as
family I just want to say that I’ve
always thought you were hot yes I know
although the grinder was canceled after
one season Lowe’s performance as actor
turned fake lawyer Dean Sanderson was
critically acclaimed and even earned him
a Golden Globe nomination we’re looking
forward to seeing what he does next wait
we’d be backlit oh you know what you’re
doing hey that’s great number nine Mary
Tyler Moore you’re not just saying that
a groundbreaker if ever there was one
more found success in two beloved
pioneering shows in the 60s and 70s
what’d you win oh I wanna Brier Hannah
roaches raucous she first became known
as housewife Laura Petry on the Dick Van
Dyke Show for five seasons netting two
Emmy Awards you just set the alarm for
an hour from now that’s right
call lack and his activated walnuts are
gonna come after me and my dreams I’ll
be Saved by the Bell
but it was her self-titled sitcom which
debuted in 1970 that turned her into the
legend she is today when you were
dismissing some of the staff did you
intend to fire me too especially me more
broke down barriers by starring as a
single woman pursuing a career in the
city a concept that was practically
sci-fi at the time in addition to
changing the television landscape the
show aired for seven seasons and gave
more three additional Emmys thank you
for being my family
number eight Betty White this is just a
suggestion lamzy but I love ham and eggs
good that door heading for dinner
recognized by Guinness World Records as
the female entertainer with the longest
television career Betty White’s starred
in more than her fair share of
successful shows he’s all man
well it’s oppressive titanium active in
the industry beginning in 1939 white got
her start on the 50 sitcom life with
Elizabeth where she starred as a young
newlywed ready 1 2 she later went on to
play Sue Ann Nivens on the critically
acclaimed The Mary Tyler Moore Show
however it was her role as the widowed
Rose Nylund on NBC’s The Golden Girls
alongside a couple of other multi show
actresses that turned her into a beloved
superstar
I adore Arnie he’s the sweetest man in
the world and very special to me and
it’ll be hard not to you know cuz I like
him so much which ran simultaneously
with another one of white successes the
syndicated Mama’s family I’ve got to
think of exactly the right words
how about Franny shafted you then in
2010 white experienced career resurgence
when she starred on another female lead
sitcom Hot in Cleveland
giving the elderly but capable actress
another well deserved opportunity to
shine you really want to hurt some
innocent guy just to get revenge on his
mother yes number 7 Alyson Hannigan I’m
eating this now it’s not lunch time I
don’t even care this actress became an
icon when she starred as the magically
gifted Willow Rosenberg on the cult
phenomenon Buffy the Vampire Slayer
lack of the sudden calisthenics I just
sort of naturally buff but who buff buff
willow became one of the most popular
characters on the show even appearing in
a few episodes of the David Boreanaz
spin-off angel we’re all clear on the
fact that Harmony’s a vampire right
looking to get into more comedic roles
after buffy ended in 2003 Hannigan
signed on to the well receive
sitcom How I Met Your Mother that show
which saw Hanigan as the lovable but
manipulative Lily Aldrin lasted for nine
seasons like a movie just was at the
freshman orientation party no no no no
no no no no no no no probably Hannigan’s
greatest claim to fame is that she was
one of the two main characters whose arc
didn’t infuriate viewers come this
series finale I love you guys so much I
can’t even sleep the second apart
chuckling – Ted don’t say it thank you
number six Kelsey Grammer what a good
boy do this playing the same character
for 20 straight years sounds like a
recipe for insanity doesn’t it do you
have any idea what it’s like to play the
same character for 20 years
Grammer made his debut with psychiatrist
Frasier Crane in the third season of
Cheers and played the intelligent but
pretentious shrink until the series
wrapped in its 11th season not here
of course a mere four months later
grandma returned to TV for the
seattle-based spin-off Frasier where he
played his signature character for 11
more seasons hanging up his headphones
in 2004 good nights yet although we
never expected that he would be the
cheers character we’d be following for
so long
Frasier became one of the most
successful spin-offs ever giving grammar
for Emmy Awards and giving us decades of
this beloved breakout character time
goes by so fast people move in and out
of your life
number five Julia louis-dreyfus a
wedding have you lost it men three
iconic roles and a whopping seven Emmy
Awards I’m a political leper and I’m an
emotional time bomb so here’s an idea
let’s put me on stage Louie Dreyfus made
her debut as the feisty assertive and
dominating Elaine Benes in Seinfeld
cementing her status as one of the
funniest women on TV that whole thing
the whole production it was all an act
not they had huh it was a hard act to
follow but she managed to break free
from the infamous Seinfeld curse in 2006
starring for five seasons as the title
character in the new adventures of old
Christine oh wow a crash table see
drug-free fun and if that wasn’t enough
in 2012 she debuted as vice president
Selina Meyer and HBO’s beef a role that
led her to four consecutive Emmy Awards
if that’s not sponge worthy then we
don’t know what is so you think your
sponge worthy yes I think I’m sponge
more than you think I’m very sponge
run down your case for me again number
four Bryan Cranston run chemistry is the
study of change and there’s no better
way to showcase that than by looking at
the man who many consider to be one of
the most versatile actors of our time
Craig after a memorable five episode arc
is dr. Tim Watley on Seinfeld in the
first half of the 2000s Cranston gained
a following for his performance as
bumbling dad Hal on the popular Fox
sitcom Malcolm in the Middle
but never gave the impression that he
could do more than comedy how come
there’s never any iced tea in his
pitcher I make a fresh batch every
morning it’s gone by the time I get home
thus people were skeptical before he
first appeared as Walter White on AMC’s
Breaking Bad I am NOT in danger Skyler I
am the danger a guy opens his door and
gets shot and you think that of me no I
am the one who knocks well five seasons
and four Emmys later
Cranston stands as one of our greatest
performers and a central figure in the
so-called golden age of television
stay out by territory number three
Edie O’Neil let me tell you something no
woman tells our Bundy what to do hey yo
get my shoes yes ma’am
the beleaguered father character is so
overdone that it takes a true talent to
elevate it above just another tired
archetype Ed O’Neill is that talent you
have trouble showing affection in public
places yes you yes was that before or
after you were delivered to my door in
squad car wearing nothing but your
underwear in a police way also starring
multi show success katey sagal married
with children featured O’Neil portraying
patriarch Al Bundy whose dry but loving
performance was a major factor of
success in the show’s eleven season run
oh sure on the surface selling women’s
shoes is fun won’t you cut through all
the hype the myths the glamour it’s
really very much like any minimum wage
paying slow debt normally it would be
hard to follow a run like that but in
2009 he found himself at the head of a
new more diverse clan as Jay Pritchett
and ABC’s wildly successful Modern
Family so I stuck it out until they were
grown
yeah you want to join me in the jacuzzi
and the universe rewarded me this is led
O’Neill to receive three Emmy
nominations and has exposed a new
generation to his trademark dry sense of
humor it’s a model of a plane that was
built for Amelia Earhart why because she
wanted to fly around the world why
because she probably needed to get away
from her kids why you know how to stop
this
number two David Hasselhoff just do me a
favor huh make me look good you ever
hear about this guy
they say he’s huge in Germany that’s
personal the well-sculpted actor first
rose to popularity on the soap opera The
Young and the Restless but gained more
mainstream fame in the hugely successful
series Knight Rider I can’t believe this
a car that talks back to me after the
show ended in 1986 The Hoff returned to
television three years later where he
starred as Mitch Buchanan on the body
fest Baywatch oh oh you sure let me
clean it for you oh no no really it’s
okay I’ll just go put another one no
problem NBC dropping the show after one
season turned out to be a blessing in
disguise as it was picked up in
syndication where it ran for ten more
seasons and turned out to be one of the
most popular shows of all time while
Baywatch may look a bit silly now
Hasselhoff made a fortune from it and
his perennial shirtless body became
iconic why take a job inside the house
before we reveal our number one pick
here are some honorable mentions I was
young The Fool okay you’re still at
fault because looking for Spock
if that is a doorway back through time
could we somehow take bones back a day
in time
why feels like that’ll kill ya grounded
for this oh no you’re not grounded
you’re not going to aspen with hunter
scangarelo that’s where you are not
going I tell you to order a scan you
order a goddamn scan because if you
don’t do it I’ll just go to the next
doctor and the next doctor after that in
the meantime that kid died you ever see
a scorpion sting itself dead yes but
there are no creatures like this on
Abydos those people were human tell her
her hair smells friend then I’m gonna
lean in and sniff her shampoo girls love
getting sniffed you showed us a mess
girl bang ping puddle good dog what was
that one doing here master that one was
my fiancee
thou art kidding no the minute young
lady we do want an heir to hit the
family in the business for the next
generation number 1 Michael J Fox it’s
very easy to stand outside throwing
rocks but please do not have the
unmitigated ID acity two very big words
it’s impossible to say anything bad
about this actor or his characters yeah
well I never missed a poetry reading I
have season tickets Fox became a
household name in the 1980s as young
Republican Alex P Keaton on the sitcom
Family Ties which subverted normal
sitcom tropes by featuring what the
producers described as hip parents
square kids hey dad we need a new mom
this one’s had it Alex became the focus
of the show earning Fox 3 Emmy Awards
during its run after nurturing his film
career for a few years
Fox took on the role of deputy mayor
Mike Flaherty in 1996 on Spin City which
won him another Emmy Award this is so
cool the series led to an emotional
goodbye when he had to leave the show in
2000 due to worsening conditions from
Parkinson’s disease however in 2013 he
returned to TV with a short-lived
self-titled sitcom that dealt with his
condition and reminded everyone that
Michael J Fox is a TV icon 7 year old is
like a sponge she’s ready to absorb the
world that 8 year old is dead inside
do you agree with our list who are your
favorite actors that were successful on
multiple shows there’s a flash for you
we’re all desperate to be relevant for
more TV top 10s published every day be
sure to subscribe to watchmojo.com arms
up dude
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