There used to be definitive lines between movie and television. As streaming services start to launch, those lines are beginning to blur. It used to be the other way around, actors would seek to television roles as starting roles, content to prepare themselves for the world of film. Before streaming, television didn’t really get any love. At combined Award Shows, like the Golden Globes and SAG Awards, the television nominees are seated noticeably far away from the stage, making their walk to the podium a long march. This seating pattern wasn’t a mistake, it was a symbol. Movies and Television were different and inevitably, by their placement, not equal.
Prior to streaming, actors and actresses used to use films as their guiding light to mark a successful career. That paradigm is changing and it has been changing since the birth of streaming. Streaming Services had ground to make up. When they launched their sites, they knew they had to offer appealing projects and content that would entice subscribers. The stories didn’t just have to be great, the actors did to. And what better way to boost subscribers than attaching famous movie starts to the projects.
With the birth of streaming sites and their large pockets, there are now more opportunities for successful careers by setting sight on the ever-evolving television landscape. There are more channels to interact with and more people to view these pieces of content from their own homes. Especially now with the movie theaters shut down for what seems like the foreseeable future, high profile movie stars are starting to appear for the first time ever, or more frequently, in television series and in streaming landscapes.
Let’s take a look at what has come in the past year and who will be featured in prominent streaming series moving forward.
Big Little Lies Cast (2017, HBO)
One of the first pioneers in this space was Reese Witherspoon. I have talked about her in detail in previous articles, but she found a way not just to appear in television series, but to make enormous profit off of their success and she enlisted prolific movie star friends to help. Yes, I’m talking about Big Little Lies. The popular 2017 Series on HBO featured not just 1 high-profile movie star, but 4: Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern and Shailene Woodley. Then in just a year’s time, they added Meryl Streep. Two of the five (Kidman and Streep) had rarely appeared in television series since they made it to the mainstream media, they were known for their film roles and had been awarded justly. This was a wake-up call to the rest of the industry, you can now earn just as much acclaim and awards in television categories.
Julia Roberts, Homecoming (2019, Amazon Prime Video)
Julia Roberts, Celebrated Movie Star, Oscar Winner, Queen of Rom-Coms. It seemed impossible that once Roberts got her start, earned her way and won acclaim that she would ever return back to television. Yet in 2019, she starred in Amazon Prime Video, Television Series “Homecoming”. The series dealt with War Veterans who have come home and were suffering PTSD. The psychological thriller earned enough viewers and praise that it was carried on for a second season. However, following in an “anthology” format, the cast was replaced in the second season with new characters and stories to tell – similar to American Horror Story. She is being replaced in the second season for Janelle Monáe - another star setting her sights on television.
Amy Adams, Sharp Objects (2018, HBO).
Amy Adams got her start in television with small parts in “The Office” and “West Wing” but it didn’t seem likely that she would return after her break in 2008 when she started earning Awards Buzz and Nominations for her performances. She returned in 2018 where she starred in a Gillian Flynn Novel Adaptation in 2018, “Sharp Objects” which also went on to be recognized in Awards Circuits. Also joined by Patricia Arquette, the mini-series was nominated at the Emmy's, Golden Globes, and SAG Awards.
Here’s Who’s Coming:
Chris Evans, Defending Jacob (2020, Apple+)
Chris Evans came off a great run at the Box Office. He wrapped the “Avengers” in 2019 and had a plethora of project options that he could choose. Instead of veering towards the big screen, he turned to television. Evans stars in “Defending Jacob” a book adaptation that was snatched up by Apple + as part of its launch package, promising a large salary and the ability to use Chris Evan’s fan base to promote another series of work. The show debuted in April to mixed reviews (64% on Meter), and along with the rest of Apple +’s Library, proved that they needed a strong bench to sell their product.
Mark Ruffalo (I Know This Much Is True, HBO)
Mark Ruffalo also came off “The Avengers” Run and immediately turned to television. This mini-series stars Mark Ruffalo…twice. Ruffalo plays twin brothers, Dominick and Thomas Birdsey. “I Know This Much Is True” follows the true story drama Dominick’s life as he struggled to cope with his twin brother, Thomas’, who suffers from schizophrenia. The Show debuted to slightly better than average reviews (74%), but is almost guaranteed to win awards recognition, as Ruffalo shows depth and commitment to play both roles of the characters that consistently share the screen.
Nicolas Hoult and Elle Fanning (The Great, HULU)
Nicolas Hoult has been acting since he was a child and hasn’t invested in television content in many years. Elle Fanning as well, she used the popularity of her sister to surpass the television space altogether, jumping straight to film in many instances. Hulu was hoping that their combined star power would be enough to sell another period-piece that looks strangely familiar to 2019’s Movie “The Favourite”…but more on that another time.
There are many more cases in streaming and there are many more to come. These transitions have opened the doors for new adaptations and projects to be presented in a television format instead of going straight to theater screens.
Be on the lookout in the next few months as more famous and established “movie stars” start breaking the mold and venturing into television series, anthologies and projects. There are sure to be more to come and they are destined for nominations and awards.
And that’s the sitch.
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