10 Forgotten Movie Stars Who Were Saved By TV

The traditional role of television has always been to serve as a refuge for movie stars on the down and out. The current quality of TV programming coupled with an economic downturn has created an environment where bigger names are lured to the small screen, but the medium can nonetheless be credited with the saving of many a career. When the cushy film offers stop rolling in, it's only logical that actors would set their sights on the second tier of stardom. After all, TV work provides significantly more stability that a film career, if arguably less prestige. But then, something amazing happens. Their TV show takes off, and their formerly struggling career is reinvigorated. When you watch movies, it's all about the story. But television succeeds or fails on the merits of its characters. So all of a sudden, the actor who thought his best days were behind him has a character that audiences really latch onto, and he's back on top again. If it helps, think of it as the circle of life. Here are some of the most well-known examples of actors whose careers had been on the rocks until television swooped in and gave them a second (and sometimes third) shot at stardom.

10. Rob Lowe

Rob Lowe was one of the studly members of the Brat Pack, a group of young actors who starred in a series of classic 80s films, among them St Elmo's Fire and About Last Night. But like many of the other Brat Packers, his career began to fizzle out in the early 90s. After a scandal in 1988 involving a sex tape with a minor did serious damage to his reputation, and a famously cringe-inducing performance of Proud Mary with Snow White at the Oscars in 1989 made him a laughingstock, it's little wonder that the film offers weren't coming in the way they had just a few years earlier. Lowe worked in smaller roles throughout the 1990s, unable to headline a film as a lead actor despite his name recognition. But then The West Wing, a razor sharp series about politics in the White House written by Aaron Sorkin, came along, and we all collectively remembered that he actually was a pretty decent actor. The role of Sam Seaborn breathed new life into his career, and he was able to climb his way back into the Hollywood elite. Nowadays, he does a good mix of television and film work, best known currently for his hilariously upbeat performance as Chris Traeger on Parks and Recreation.