With The Hobbit coming out this weekend, starring Martin Freeman and Richard Armitage, we’ve decided to take a look at the other TV stars that have made it flawlessly from the small screen straight to the biggest of blockbusters.
Richard Armitage
After winning the hearts of millions in his role in period drama North & South, Richard continued to pop up throughout the world of British TV, most notably as the leather clad baddie Guy of Gisbourne in the BBC’s Robin Hood and as smooth spy with a past to hide Lucas North in high stakes espionage drama Spooks.
Throughout his time on UK TV, his leading man qualities were clear to see. While it’s easy to concentrate on his, let’s say aesthetic qualities, he showed he was able to carry a show with consummate ease, comfortably being the best thing about the troubled Robin Hood.
This isn’t even Armitage’s first blockbuster; he was involved in last year’s big screen adaptation of Captain America, be it in a fairly small role as hit assassin Heinz Kruger. His lead role in The Hobbit should catapult him into the stratosphere.
Will Smith
While it would be more accurate to put him on a list of rappers turned TV stars turned movie stars, that list would pretty much begin and end with him.
From the very first episode of Fresh Prince though, you could tell that Will Smith wasn’t going to be on the medium for long. Effortlessly charming, incredible affable and
That proved to be the case, as when the show came to an end, he found himself the lead in enormous action film Independence Day and has never looked back since.
Bruce Willis
Remember when he still had a full head of hair, didn’t just wear vests? We had to go searching in out memory banks too for the role that made Bruce Willis famous on TV to begin with.
Starring as a private eye in hit show Moonlighting, Willis set paces running across the US, with fans enraptured by his and co-star Cybil Shepard’s amazing on-screen flirtations.
After four years on the show though, Bruce finally got on to the big screen in the guise of vest wearing, terrorist shooting copper John McClane. The film became the biggest action film of the year, and thrust Willis into the very highest echelons of film star.
Michael J Fox
Jumping straight from a sitcom of all things into the lead role of a Robert Zemeckis sci-fi romp isn’t the easiest trick to pull off, but the young Canadian proved it could be done, landing the coveted role of Marty McFly in Back To The Future.
The role made him a worldwide sensation and a bone fide movie star of the very highest degree in the 1980s.
FemaleFirst Cameron Smith