10 Brilliant TV Actors Who Have Failed At Becoming Movie Stars

Timothy Olyphant takes the top spot on this list for the simple reason that despite taking top billing in Deadwood and Justified, two of the best television shows of the 21st Century (not to mention two seasons guesting on the critically-acclaimed Damages), he has yet to make much of a mark on the movie industry despite the quality of his small-screen work.

While Ian McShane took most of the plaudits for his manic turn as Al Swearengen, it was Olyphant's Seth Bullock that provided the grounded moral centre of Deadwood. However, it was the role of US Marshal Raylan Givens that provided the perfect showcase for Olyphant's talents; deftly blending action, drama and occasionally comedy, the character of Raylan is smart, charming, charismatic, intense, witty and often outright violent, and all of these traits are balanced perfectly by the actor's performance over six seasons.

Still arguably best known on the big screen for his one-dimensional villain in Live Free Or Die Hard, along with playing the title character in the awful Hitman adaptation, Olyphant's filmography is littered with mediocrity like Gone In 60 Seconds, Dreamcatcher, The Crazies and I Am Number Four. With Justified having reached its conclusion, time may be fast running out for the 47 year-old to establish himself as a permanent fixture on Hollywood casting lists.

Do you agree with the names on the list? Can any of them still carve out a successful Hollywood career? Are there any other names that you would have included? As always, sign off in the comments below.