TV/Movie star who originated from Musical Theatre

[ruthiefan_felix]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 5:36am

I could only think of Taye Diggs, Hugh Jackman, Megan Mullaly & Catherine Zeta Jones. Anymore?

[tomwing]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 6:06am

Richard Gere was in the original off-broadway cast of Grease

[buffyactsing]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 6:10am

Sarah Jessica Parker, Alyssa Milano

[tophertilson]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 7:06am

Hugh Jackman - heralded for taking a break from making movies to do a Broadway show - actually began his career on the Australian stage.

TT

[broadwayboy430]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 8:27am

Jerry Orbach! Julie Andrews, Allison Janney, Jesse L. Martin...all for now. I think it's great how some pop-culture names started out in "real" showbiz.

[EganFan2]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 9:14am

I was gonna say, who could forget Julie Andrews?
Patrick Wilson has also been in movies. Or do you mean "big" names?
Updated On: 3/26/06 at 09:14 AM

[jimnysf]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 10:40am

Scott Bakula ("Marilyn, An American Fable", Tony nominated for "Romance, Romance") starred in "Quantum Leap" and "Star Trek Enterprise", "Murphy Brown" on TV.

Robert Morse "How to Succeed in Business" had a musical TV series called "That's Life" and Robert Goulet had a spy series called "Blue Light".

Steve Zahn was in the Tommy Tune tour of "Bye Bye Birdie".

John Travolta was in the chorus of "Over There" before he made it on TV.

And, of course, Dick Van Dyke.

Updated On: 3/26/06 at 10:40 AM

[Kicks8567]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 12:03pm

Chandra Wilson, Cynthia Nixon

[Katurian2]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 12:11pm

Would Matthew Broderick count?

[Jon]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 12:11pm

Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand, Jason Alexander, Bebe Neuwirth, Robert Guilliaume, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Leslie Uggams, Diann Carroll, Christopher Walken, Liza Minnelli, Mandy Patinkin, Diane Keaton, Betty Buckley, Kristin Chenoweth, Dule' Hill, Barry Bostwick, Adrienne Barbeau, Beatrice Arthur, Jean Stapleton, Ray Walston, Buddy Ebsen, Madeline Kahn, et cetera et cetera et cetera....

Most of the stars of the movie musicals of the 1930's through 1960's started on stage. Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Gene Kelly, the Marx Brothers - all were on Broadway before they went to Hollywood.
Updated On: 3/26/06 at 12:11 PM

[FoscasBohemianDream]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 5:19pm

Carole Bishop from the original cast of A Chorus Line, now known as Kelly Bishop.
Jane Krakowski who got her big break in Grand Hotel and went on to become a TV star, fortunately she has always been faithful to her stage roots.

[Enjolras77]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 5:35pm

What about Shirley MacLaine and Glenn Close (her role as Chairy Barnum being the springboard).

[peggyandvelma]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 5:44pm

Was Angela Lansbury on stage before her film debut??

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 5:47pm

James Dean

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 5:49pm

Jenna Elfman (dancer)

Jane Krakowski started in theatre as well
Updated On: 3/26/06 at 05:49 PM

[FoscasBohemianDream]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 5:51pm

Angela Lansbury was a film star before making her Broadway debut, actually.
Also, Anne Hathaway was a stage actress before making her film debut.

[peggyandvelma]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 6:12pm

That's what I thought Fosca. I remember her film debut was in the forties so I figured she started there before stage. Thanks!

[Renthead#1]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 7:49pm

Does Kristin Chenoweth count?