10 Forgotten Movie Stars Who Were Saved By TV

9. Alec Baldwin

30 Rock To be fair, Alec Baldwin can never really be classed as a forgotten movie star. Sure, he was really popular in the 80s and early 90s, with performances in hits like Beetlejuice and The Hunt for Red October. He worked consistently throughout the 90s and 2000s, maintaining a presence that kept him consistently on the periphery of the Hollywood elite. A string of bad choices in the early 2000s, including the disastrous Cat in the Hat and The Adventures of Pluto Nash, tempered the critical good will he received for his Oscar nominated performance in The Cooler. So his career wasn't really struggling too much, but it certainly hadn't reached the heights it would fly to when he was cast in 30 Rock. His cocksure performance as Jack Donaghy, a smooth television executive with a penchant for back-handed compliments, turned him into a pop culture icon overnight. His star has never been higher, despite his off-screen controversies and patented ability to keep his foot fixed securely in his mouth.
 
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Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.