what actors need a good TV show and why?

[Temis the Vorta]

I recently realized that there are far, far too many actors I like whose coming-soon gigs on imdb are frustratingly skimpy and lame. Which actors do you want to see in an ongoing TV show, playing what role, and why?

This is also an appropriate place to complain about actors you like who are being wasted in garbage you can't stomach or which you stomach solely for the actor.

I'll start with an obvious candidate:

Connor Trinneer. Why does he not have a lead role in a series by now?!? Preferably sci fi but only because sci fi is my favorite genre. To keep him from getting too typecast, I'd prefer it be one of those modern-day sci fi premises, and that he not play a nicey nice guy. Maybe even a scene-chewing villain (but one we can take a bit more seriously than Michael from SG:A).

And one that gets less press round here:

Christopher Gorham. One of the very few redeeming features of Harper's Island is that it was the first time I'd gotten a good look at his acting ability. Sadly it looks like he's going to have a nice career in dippy rom-coms when I'd love to see him in some complex and morally ambiguous role in a series along the lines of Breaking Bad or Dexter. Or even on Heroes, if the writing would shape up.

Wasted-Actor Rant:

Mary McDonnell. Good for her getting a Gray's Anatomy gig. Hopefully it will be followed up by a more substantial role on something I'm willing to watch. How about a cool, nasty villain on 24?

 

[Captaindemotion]

Michael Biehn. Given the regard he's held in for Aliens, The Terminator and others, why he's never landed a high(ish)-profile tv gig is beyond me.

Avery Brooks. There's been so little heard from him in the decade or so since DS9 ended. Why? Can definitely see him playing a cop, a new boss for Jack Bauer, a patriarch in a drama ...

Ted Danson. Reliable in drama and comedy. Good tv track record, to put it mildly.

Nicholas Brendon. Always good value for money in Buffy. Is his drink problem the reason why we never see him on tv?

 

[Joy]

I'm right with ya about Connor Trinneer. Dude definitely needs his own series.

Joy

 

[sidious618]

Jay Karnes comes to mind immediately.

 

[kalysto]

David Anders, who got handled terribly in Heroes unfortunately. I'm really hoping for him to pop up in something new soon!

 

[byron lomax]

I'd love to see Andre Braugher in a role that does his talent some justice. Homicide was a truly great series and his presence played no small part in that. It's a shame he passed up on ER because it would have served his acting skills well. But he seems content to take roles in films which make him look like an idiot. What's that all about Andre?

Michael Biehn. Given the regard he's held in for Aliens, The Terminator and others, why he's never landed a high(ish)-profile tv gig is beyond me.

I've heard from some sources he's a difficult actor to work with, and very, very demanding with money. Could be nonsense, that's just what I've heard.

 

[Harvey]

Michael Biehn. Given the regard he's held in for Aliens, The Terminator and others, why he's never landed a high(ish)-profile tv gig is beyond me.

He was the lead on The Magnificent Seven for two seasons, but despite popularity among fans (and some critics) ratings were never high enough to justify the show's large costs.

Avery Brooks. There's been so little heard from him in the decade or so since DS9 ended. Why? Can definitely see him playing a cop, a new boss for Jack Bauer, a patriarch in a drama...

He seems to prefer stage work, and doesn't even have an agent anymore to readily secure him television roles. I wouldn't want to see him wasted on what 24 has become lately, anyway. How about releasing Spencer for Hire (and Hawk) on DVD instead?

 

[Aragorn]

How can Michael Biehn possibly be hard to work with and demanding with money considering the current state of his career?

I like Jason Gedrick, but he's had so many failed TV shows. Donnie Wahlberg too, and I think he's a better actor than his brother.

Tom Selleck deserves another shot at TV success. And no, his made-for-TV movies don't count.

Let's hope Nathan Fillion has a successful show on his hands with Castle.

If I were making a new Buck Rogers TV show, I'd cast Jill Wagner and Wilma and Connor Trinneer as Buck.

 

[NileQT87]

James Marsters and Alexis Denisof were two of the better actors on BtVS/AtS and are more or less unemployed or were for a long time (Alexis, in particular--James does get a few projects here and there--Brainiac on Smallville being notable).

Alexis Denisof did end up with Bell's Palsy during season 5 of AtS, but it's still a shame that he barely appears in anything other than just a couple episodes of his wife's show YEARS AGO and only one random television appearance beyond that. And apparently it's not due to not wanting to work because James mentioned seeing him at some of the same auditions he was at. I feel so sad for Alexis when all the baby news stuff only ever talked about Alyson Hannigan--and if they did mention Alexis at all, it was a one sentence blurb about them meeting when Alyson and he were on BtVS. Alexis was arguably the best actor in that franchise, but entertainment news outlets seem to be almost completely unaware that AtS ever existed.

David Boreanaz and Alyson Hannigan were the ones who got the bigger mainstream projects after the shows ended. Eliza Dushku finally seems to be on an upswing with a Joss Whedon project (and helping out Amy Acker, too). Sarah Michelle Gellar's film career is a flop, so she's going to HBO now.

Jason Behr and Brendan Fehr from Roswell need to come back. Fehr is at least playing Booth's brother on Bones (the old WB boys!). Behr used to be all over the WB shows back in the late '90s. He's kind of disappeared from the mainstream into irrelevance.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Michael Biehn. Given the regard he's held in for Aliens, The Terminator and others, why he's never landed a high(ish)-profile tv gig is beyond me.

Definitely, it's weird that he's been in so little, at least of a high profile nature.

David Anders, who got handled terribly in Heroes unfortunately. I'm really hoping for him to pop up in something new soon!

Yep - I could see him in some quirky comedy, perhaps partly fantasy based.

Another one: Casey Biggs. Gets the odd TV role every now and then, but it's usually one of those cop shows I don't watch.

 

[sidious618]

I'd love to see Andre Braugher in a role that does his talent some justice. Homicide was a truly great series and his presence played no small part in that. It's a shame he passed up on ER because it would have served his acting skills well. But he seems content to take roles in films which make him look like an idiot. What's that all about Andre?

I was going to list him, too, but he actually has a TV show coming up called "Men of a Certain Age." It's not a terribly interesting premise but you never know.

You're absolutely correct in that he's a great dramatic actor. He is also a great actor with comedic, too. I remember my favorite exchange from Homicide whil Frank is driving with Bayliss in the car:

Frank: Whoever drew this map is an idiot.
Bayliss: I drew that map.
Frank: Oh, I know.

 

[Captain Shaw]

James Marsters and Alexis Denisof were two of the better actors on BtVS/AtS and are more or less unemployed or were for a long time (Alexis, in particular--James does get a few projects here and there--Brainiac on Smallville being notable).

Alexis Denisof did end up with Bell's Palsy during season 5 of AtS, but it's still a shame that he barely appears in anything other than just a couple episodes of his wife's show YEARS AGO and only one random television appearance beyond that. And apparently it's not due to not wanting to work because James mentioned seeing him at some of the same auditions he was at. I feel so sad for Alexis when all the baby news stuff only ever talked about Alyson Hannigan--and if they did mention Alexis at all, it was a one sentence blurb about them meeting when Alyson and he were on BtVS. Alexis was arguably the best actor in that franchise, but entertainment news outlets seem to be almost completely unaware that AtS ever existed.

David Boreanaz and Alyson Hannigan were the ones who got the bigger mainstream projects after the shows ended. Eliza Dushku finally seems to be on an upswing with a Joss Whedon project (and helping out Amy Acker, too). Sarah Michelle Gellar's film career is a flop, so she's going to HBO now.

Jason Behr and Brendan Fehr from Roswell need to come back. Fehr is at least playing Booth's brother on Bones (the old WB boys!). Behr used to be all over the WB shows back in the late '90s. He's kind of disappeared from the mainstream into irrelevance.

I am so with you on Alexis Denisof he was really good has Rossendale on sharpe.
Also i think David Hewlett is quite good the sga ep the shine showed you he could do more than play the geek.
Also what is paul MCcrane up to these day's he was great has Romano.

 

[Aragorn]

Andre Braugher was completely wasted in Rise of the Silver Surfer. It's like they looked at X-Men: The Last Stand, and thought, "If they can completely waste the talents of eight known actors and give them nothing to do, we can do it with at least one!"

 

[Joy]

Yeah, David Hewlett needs his own show, too. I want to see him weekly again.

Another actor I'd like to see more of, even if it were just a movie or two, is John Dye. I think by now it's been long enough since Touched By An Angel went off the air that he could come back onto television and not be typecast, especially after one of the movies he made post-TBAA (though only a handful of people have ever even watched it; I'm a fan of his, and even I have only watched clips from it... read the script, though, and he *definitely* was trying to shed the "angel" typecast).

Joy

 

[Trubinator]

I'd like to mention Ben Browder. LOVED his Farscape character, and I thought he did a good job with his SG-1 role. I could easily see him taking another lead role...

Skeet Ulrich and Lennie James also deserve work. They were both great in Jericho, and I thought Ulrich was awesome in Scream.

 

[Candlelight]

Nicholas Brendon. Always good value for money in Buffy. Is his drink problem the reason why we never see him on tv?

He has a recurring role on Criminal Minds but it's very infrequent.

 

[Kirk's_Tights]

Michael Biehn. Given the regard he's held in for Aliens, The Terminator and others, why he's never landed a high(ish)-profile tv gig is beyond me.

Oh YES! He is so awesome yet he seems to have disappeared and he;s far too good to disappear.

Ted Danson. Reliable in drama and comedy. Good tv track record, to put it mildly.

Well, he had Cheers and Becker, both fairly popular shows (well, Becker was so so, anyways) so I don't think he needs to have another show. I think his time as passed, personally.

 

[Candlelight]

I hope Nathan Fillion's new series lasts longer than Drive...

 

[Joy]

Skeet Ulrich and Lennie James also deserve work. They were both great in Jericho, and I thought Ulrich was awesome in Scream.

Here's another vote for those two! Both of them were awesome in Jericho, and I'd love to be able to see Skeet weekly again. Yummy.

Joy

 

[Broccoli]

I'd like to see Conner Trinneer in a comedy series, specifically a single-camera one. I don't know why, but I'd think he'd do well.