30 TV Actors Who Should Do Movies

Jane Lynch

The Actor: Now infamous for playing Glee 's cheerleading coach who we all hate to love. Or is that the other way around? Screeching rapid-fire insults at both her charges and nemesis Gleeman Will (our favourite: “You think this is hard? I'm passing a gallstone as we speak. That is hard!”), Sue Sylvester is the barbed baddie who’s charged with curbing the show’s saccharine leanings. She is, in short, an evil genius.

Ideal Project: Lynch has been in more little-known movies than Sue’s drunk protein shakes, but it’s time for the flaxen-haired comedienne to land some lead roles.

Not sure we could buy Ms Lynch playing a salt of the Earth, wisdom-spouting orphan rescuer. But if she wants to go legit as, say, a ruthless FBI agent in Salt 2 , or a cold-hearted sci-fi villainess in the next Star Trek, we’re happy with that, too.

Vic & Bob

The Actor: Without a Bob, there is no Vic. Having worked together for 20 years, the duo have crafted their own brand of odd, inscrutable but brilliantly-observed comedy.

Starting in 1992, they recorded a pilot for The Weekenders that was never commissioned. Then in 2000 they successfully resurrected detective drama Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) before going on to acclaim for the kooky Catterick .

Ideal Project: Obviously, they’d have to work together. And whatever they do would have to be suitably left of the middle. Burke and Hare are taken, but what about a very British spin on the age-old Jack the Ripper yarn? The still-unsolved mystery would prove a perfect frame on which the pair could hang a their own twists on historical fact, while weaving in their distinctive, dark comedy.

Jennifer Saunders

The Actor: Treasured comedienne, best known for bringing to life the characters of the fittingly-titled Absolutely Fabulous . As vice-plagued PR Eddy, Saunders added a scathing, catty humour to the BBC scheduling, and turned other national treasure Joanna Lumley into a chain-smoking alcoholic.

Still, Saunders has had a go at movies, having voiced characters in Coraline and Shrek 2 , though her other film credits include the not-exactly-award-grabbing Spice World and Muppet Treasure Island .

Ideal Project: Considering Saunders’ history with the funny stuff, we’d suggest she stick to what she’s known for. If audience go to the cinema to see a Saunders movie, they'll want some funny.

Seeing as Avenue Q is saying goodbye to London this year, we propose a movie version with Saunders as a human character caught up in the puppet misadventures.

Alexander Skarsgrd

The Actor: Saucy Scandinavian with a penchant for stripping down to his smalls (and then some) in TV’s so-sexy-its-almost-radioactive (or something) True Blood . As Nordic Eric, Skarsgård steals every scene with his brooding, hurt-puppy face-pulling – will he ever get his mitts on Sookie?

Ideal Project: Skarsgård’s already lined up an appearance in Peter Berg’s Battleship redux (yes, the boardgame), and he likes to hop back to the hemland once in a while for bit parts in Swedish flicks, but we want more from/for the smouldering Swede.

He missed out on the opportunity to play Thor, but Skarsgård is perfect for the superhero mould. Perhaps a role in Chris Nolan’s third and final Batman ? Yes, that would do nicely.

Kristin Chenoweth

The Actor: Perky as a lamb before the mincer, this Oklahoma native has been a TV stalwart ever since she bewitched us in The West Wing . Since then she’s had a go at the movies with Stranger Than Fiction and, uh, Space Chimps . But it was her lovely-larynxed shows in the sadly cancelled Pushing Daisies and Glee that have raised her profile once more.

Ideal Project: In the world of movie blondes, there’s a wheel of variety that includes the Marilyn, the Hedren and the Dolly. Chenoweth most definitely belongs to the latter.

As big-hearted as she is big-voiced, we think it’s Chenoweth’s responsibility to resurrect the kind of roles that Dolly Parton once played so well. With Will Smith prepping his 9 To 5 remake, he’d do worse than to pick up the phone and give Kristin a call. That, or she could be a sexy new Tangina in the Poltergeist reboot…

Michael C. Hall

The Actor: Frequently splattered in blood as the titular (and, some might say, titillating) anti-hero in Showtime’s claret-drenched Dexter , Hall brings pathos and humour to a role that is as far away from easy as it’s possible to get. Heck, he makes a serial killer not only likeable, but sympathetic and understandable. Now that’s some acting. Previously, he turned heads (not literally this time) with Six Feet Under .

Ideal Project: Hall’s not had much luck in sci-fi action terrain, his Paycheck and Gamer both falling foul of critics and audiences.

That said, the actor’s attention to character and story would serve him well in something like The Yiddish Policemen’s Union , which the Coen Brothers have long been attached to direct. It’s still sci-fi, but it’s pin-sharp smart, set in an alternate history, and would give Hall plenty to chew on.

David Tennant

The Actor: Who! Yes, that’s a statement, as any BBC-watching sci-fanatic will know. After Christopher Eccleston bailed on the Time Lord after just one season, Tennant came to the rescue and blew everything to pieces. In a good way. Hanging around for five whole years, his tenth Doctor earned the show a legion of new fans and transformed Tennant forever into Britain’s quirky sweetheart.

He’s also cropped up in Harry Potter as the lip-smacking villain Barty Crouch Jr., and various TV specials from The Catherine Tate Show to Extras .

Ideal Project: Something very British – we don’t want him straying too far from British soil, thank you very much. Shame Kenneth Branagh’s already made Hamlet . A team-up with Moon man Duncan Jones wouldn’t go amiss…

Nathan Fillion

The Actor: TV has not been kind to Nathan Fillion. Until his latest show Castle , which has recently had its third year greenlit, he’s possessed something of a Judas touch when it comes to killing off potentially awesome projects. Firefly and Drive both fell before him – not, we hasten to add, through any fault of his own. Snappy, funny and with precision delivery, Fillion deserves better.

Ideal Project: Frankly, we’re surprised and a little hurt that Joss Whedon didn’t call in Fillion to play Hawkeye in The Avengers . But no matter, Fillion’s got his own superhero flick – titled, perhaps fortuitously, Super – coming out, directed by Slither alumni James Gunn.

Still, Fillion should be getting more than support roles (no matter how scene-stealing they are), and it’s time he bagged himself a lead movie role. Hello new Mission: Impossible , is that you?

Eliza Dushku

The Actor: Another stellar but seemingly-cursed member of the Joss Whedon camp, most recently burned when the second season of Dollhouse got the chop - she previously came under fire when Tru Calling also bit it just two seasons in.

Still, she’s got the talent - after mining gold dust with her fractured, fantastic performance as tortured slayer Faith in Buffy , Dushku made a fair go at the movie biz with better-than-expected Bring It On and the dodgy straight-to-DVD Open Graves.

Ideal Project: We know she can kick ass, but can she reign it in and be ‘serious’? We’ve seen promise in her nuanced role as Faith. But let’s put Dushku under pressure and throw her a juicy chunk of drama – Joe Wright could direct her to success. If that doesn’t whet her appetite – Wonder Woman, anybody?

Kevin Eldon

The Actor: A pariah of comedy both on the stand-up circuit and in your television circuits, Eldon has given face in everything from Brass Eye to Smack The Pony, Spaced, I’m Alan Partridge, Black Books, Green Wing and even guested on Never Mind The Buzzcocks . Minor film work thus far has mostly consisted of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory and Four Lions .

Ideal Project: British film could do with an injection of Eldon drollness. Frankly, we’re not clever enough to dream up something good enough for him. But we will say this – get this man a pen, a bit of paper, a money bag and a camera crew. Pronto.

Caroline Aherne

The Actor: Formerly Mrs Dorothy Merton and co-creator of beloved BBC dramedy The Royle Family , Aherne has dipped nary a toe in the film world. Instead, she’s stayed true to the forum that has nurtured her, with roles in TV shows like The Fast Show and The Smell Of Reeves And Mortimer . Stick to what you know?

Ideal Project: Frankly, Aherne’s little toe is funnier than most the entirety of some comedians, so it’d be a shame to waste her talent by keeping her away from the big screen. In lieu of a Royle Family revival, she needs something along the lines of Lucky Voice to really show off her range.

Neil Patrick Harris

The Actor: Currently getting air time with comedy How I Met Your Mother , Harris opened the 82nd Academy Awards with a jaunty musical number. He also proved he really could hold a tune with appearances in Joss Whedon’s cultorific Dr Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog and an Emmy-winning turn in an episode of Glee that was also, funnily enough, directed by Whedon.

Ideal Project: Does Harris fancy himself as something of a new Gene Kelly? We’re fine with that. But Harris’ career could get a further boost if he took on the lead in a weighty movie drama. Get on the blower to Clint Eastwood, say we – he’s an actor’s director who’s drawn credible performances from many a lead.

Tamsin Greig

The Actor: Greig has mixed both TV and movies throughout her career, but it’s her numerous, multi-hued roles in the best of British telly comedy that have earned her the most kudos. Fran in Black Books , Dr Caroline Todd in Green Wing , Alice in Love Soup …

Well-placed parts in some decent British films have helped Greig establish a foothold in film, even if she's yet to fully exploit it. Her recent turn in Tamara Drewe wielded much dramatic weight, though.

Ideal Project: Having played second fiddle to Gemma Arteron and Simon Pegg (in Shaun Of The Dead ), Greig needs a starring role that’ll make her stand out from the crowd. She's already tackled World War II as Edith Frank, so how about a ticking time bomb 7/7 thriller that takes place entirely in the tube immediately after the terrorist attacks?

Matthew Fox

The Actor: One-hundred-and-fourteen episodes of Lost later, and Matthew Fox is what you might call a ‘household name’. (Though that number pales in comparison to the total of Party Of Five episodes he filmed – a gargantuan 142.) He’s also doing TV adverts for various male grooming bits and bobs – because he’s just that dashingly handsome.

Film jobs have included the visually gorgeous but critically shrugged-off Speed Racer , the equally ignored Vantage Point and sporting drama We Are Marshall .

Ideal Project: Two words: Daredevil . Reboot. Think about it.

Amy Acker

The Actor: If this list goes to show anything, it’s that Joss Whedon’s genius extends to casting – the sheer volume of talented young actors he’s plucked from obscurity is phenomenal.

Acker is just another gem that he took from the, um, rough (literally, she was a filthy slavegirl when she first appeared in Angel ) and buffed her ‘till she gleamed. By the end of Angel ’s final season, her character had morphed into a uber-powered warrior goddess. Since then, Acker’s cropped up in TV's Dollhouse , The Good Wife and Happy Town .

Ideal Project: Acker’s a key player in Drew Goddard’s troubled Cabin In The Woods (it’s ready for release, but MGM ain’t doing anything with it), but other than that she’s got nothing much going on. Considering her quiet, fragile beauty and indomitable acting prowess, that’s pretty hard to believe. Hammer Horror studios are back, and we can’t think of a better actress to play one of their tortured heroines. Do it. Now.

Jensen Ackles

The Actor: Constant resident of our tellyvisual schedules, Ackles first caught our attention as the can’t-strap-him-down type alongside Jessica Alba in Dark Angel .

His wise-cracking ass-kicker was to be a prelude for his best-known role to date as Dean in Supernatural , in which he tracks down X-Files -like cases alongside bro Jared Padalekci (him from Friday The 13th ).

Ideal Project: Ackles beefed up the anaemic My Bloody Valentine remake and is set to steam up the Child’s Play remake.

But we want something with a little more gristle. Something noir and moody, where the bad guys are very human and very dangerous. With his smouldering looks and bad boy ‘tude, Ackles fits the runaway train detective story down to the ground. Chuck in Martin Scorsese and we’ll call it a deal.

Jon Hamm

The Actor: From blink-and-you'll-miss-him bit part in Space Cowboys to full-blooded star thanks to Mad Men , Hamm plays anti-hero Don Draper with the kind of effortless lazy drawl and boozy bombust that used to be Marlon Brando’s calling card.

Pivotally, Hamm’s the sort of actor who visibly thinks as his character – there’s always something there behind his eyes, even if we can’t figure out what it is. In short, he’s a tall, dark enigma and we wouldn’t have him any other way.

Ideal Project: Hamm’s appearing in Ben Affleck’s superior sophomore flick The Town , which should start him on the right track after odd choices like The A-Team . He’s also got parts in the upcoming Howl and girlie fist-bruiser Sucker Punch , which means he’s set to make quite a mark on the movie landscape. More of the same, please, basically.

Sarah Parish

The Actor: Mistresses alumnus Parish has spent three seasons on the BBC moping over men and sobbing her eyes out ‘till they’re raw. But she does it with such skill that it’s easy to forget she’s one of the best funny gals this country’s got going for it, having tickled our chuckle bones in Cutting It and Blackpool .

She has but three film credits to her name, though Parting Shots doesn’t really count, considering her character was called Ad Agency Receptionist.

Ideal Project: The clutchbag-full of times that Parish has jumped into mainstream cinema, she’s been a no-nonsense scene-snaffler. As a sweary party-girl in The Wedding Date she easily outshone meek Debra Messing. So she’s obviously got an edge for comedy – chuck her Judd Apatow’s way and see what he can come up with for her.

Kyle Chandler

The Actor: You don’t land two Primetime Emmy nominations for nothing, and Chandler’s clearly doing something right. He’s been recognised in the Outstanding Lead Actor category for Friday Night Lights , in which he plays the coach, and in the Outstanding Guest Actor category for Grey’s Anatomy .

Big screen success has been limited, with his actor role in King Kong all but lost in the clash of dinosaurs and giant beasts, while a part in The Day The Earth Stood Still was obviously an unwise move.

Ideal Project: Chandler’s played the coach in FNL for four years now, so it’s time to break the mould a little. We suspect he’s got a bit of a funny bone (thanks to Kong ), so how about a team-up with the Frat Pack? He could play the straight man to their unearthly gurning.

Michael Chiklis

The Actor: Chiklis will probably forevermore be synonymous with the name Detective Vic Mackey. But that’s okay, considering the actor put in seven seasons of hard work bringing the character to life in The Shield . He got an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his efforts, of course.

Outside of TV, Chiklis is best known as the bloke in the full-body suit playing Thing in the Fantastic Four movies.

Ideal Project: FF is getting a reboot, and by all accounts Chiklis won’t be called upon to reprise his role – though he’s probably not too fussed considering the savaging the flicks received.

Evidently audiences like Chiklis best when he’s being gruff and non-nonsense. A Shield movie could be a good testing ground, though after that we’re thinking it’s time for Chiklis to team up with Willis over in the Die Hard franchise…

January Jones

The Actor: With a name like that, Jones was always destined for stardom. It wasn’t until she landed the role of the icy Mrs Draper in Mad Men that Jones really hit the big bucks, spending her time prior to that guesting on Huff , Law & Order , and appearing in a stream of sub-par flicks.

Ideal Project: Jones’ presence on the big screen is getting a boost thanks to Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class next year, with the actress tackling the role of Emma Frost. Then she’s starring alongside Nic Cage in The Hungry Rabbit Jumps . Is she a born support actress? Or should the spotlight be hers alone? Time will tell...

Josh Holloway

The Actor: From heartless heartthrob to bona fide hero, Holloway’s transformation on Lost gripped fans the world over and he quickly became a firm favourite. With the end of that show, though, Holloway appears to be taking it easy with no projects on the horizon.

Previous TV credits include Angel (in which he played ‘Good Looking Guy’), CSI and NCIS .

Ideal Project: Holloway does rugged good. He also does suave good. And he treads the tightrope between villain and hero staggeringly well. If rumours of Indy 5 taking flight are to be believed, Holloway could prove a fun sparring partner/potential nemesis for Indy.

Stephen Fry

The Actor: Everybody’s favourite Twit likes to dabble in tellyland as well, as it happens. Not only has he outsmarted many a smart man on Q.I. , he’s also done the acting thing in Absolute Power, Kingdom and David Boreanaz crime drama Bones .

Mostly, though, he’s been lending his voice to things of late – making the Cheshire Cat suitably slippery in Alice In Wonderland , and lending his pipes to various video games.

Ideal Project: It’s time Fry cooked bigger fish, to be honest. We miss seeing him up there on the big screen, exuding wit and wisdom like a pro. He’s done period drama, biopics and comedy with equal aplomb, so how about wading into the action genre? Stephen Fry with an uzi. Now that sounds like a good time to us.

Christina Hendricks

The Actor: Playing woman-in-a-man’s-world Joan in TV’s Mad Men , Christina has become a part of the show’s iconic imagery – fashionable, flame-haired and ballsy, but still restricted by the norms of the day. It’s a brilliant piece of work from the former TV guest starrer, whose previous credits include stints on Tru Calling, ER, Firefly and Without A Trace .

Ideal Project: Film has already come calling in the shape of Katherine Heigl’s Life As We Know It and Hisako Matsui’s Leonie , but with that iconic shock of red hair and pure-as-driven-snow skin, Hendricks would be the perfect femme fatale for the next Bond film. If it ever gets made.

Julian Barratt

The Actor: That’s Howard Moon to you and me, the self-proclaimed jazz maverick of Mighty Boosh fame. Leeds-born Barratt has been offering his talents to the likes of Boosh and Edgar Wright/Simon Pegg team-up Asylum since the ‘90s, and played a pivotal role in last year’s surreal film comedy Bunny And The Bull . His full frontal flash in Bunny is proof that this guy has the balls to do anything.

Ideal Project: Which makes it disconcerting that he’s not done much movie work. Still, plenty of time old chap. Teaming up with Noel Fielding and/or Bunny director Paul King wouldn’t go amiss.

Ed Westwick

The Actor: His fellow Gossip Girl co-stars might be getting a) savaged my piranhas, b) wooed by Green Lantern and c) Footloose and fancy free, but Westwick’s been dumped from the new Wuthering Heights adap thanks to a director shake-up.

No matter, he’s still one of the best things about this glossy, daft soap. The doomed romance he shares with co-star Leighton Meester exists in its own little bubble of angst and misery – and long may it continue.

Ideal Project: Could this be the man to play the Riddler in Batman 3 ? We’d rather Gordon-Levitt had a crack, but Westwick could be a decent second choice. If Bat goes astray, Westwick should return to home turf for a gritty little British family drama set against the backdrop of an impending hurricane. No slick suits. Mike Leigh to direct.

Rutina Wesley

The Actor: Basically unknown before True Blood sunk its fangs into her, Wesley plays Tara Thornton in the hit show – and spends much of her time sassing and sobbing. Prior to Blood , she pitched up in an episode of Numb3rs , has voiced a character in The Cleveland Show , and made her acting debut in 2007’s duff drama How She Move .

Ideal Project: Alan Ball has really put Wesley through the wringer on True Blood , giving her a mad-as-two-wasps-stuck-together mother, a doomed romance and all manner of vampire hell. So how about something a little lighter and brighter? Romcoms are below her, but a road trip comedy could do her a world of good.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

The Actor: Remembered for being a pivotal part of the Best Sitcom Ever Made (previously known as Seinfeld ), Louis-Dreyfus was snatched from a promising film career that included a part in Hannah & Her Sisters back in 1986, and has spent most of her career in television.

Aside from the excellent and amazing Seinfeld , she’s also been in Arrested Development, Watching Ellie, Curb Your Enthusiasm and The New Adventures Of Old Christine .

Ideal Project: It’s comedy we love her for, so it’s comedy that Louis-Dreyfus should relaunch her cinematic career with. Get Tina Fey to write her a funny but touching dramedy that involves one woman’s attempts to launch a new brand of 'healthy' cigarettes. Easy.

David Jason

The Actor: Considering he’s been on our tellies for nigh on four decades, it’s somewhat shocking to discover that Jason’s only ever given himself over to cinema a handful of times – and most of those were pre-90s. Sure he’s done the odd TV movie here and there, but the majority of Jason’s time has been spent on A Touch Of Frost, Only Fools And Horses and The Darling Buds Of May .

Ideal Project: Now a slightly craggy character actor, Jason’s cockney trappings mean he’d make for a charismatic lead in a feature film, but which project to go for?

Well, how about we invert expectations and cast Jason as the lead serial killer in an adap of Ramsey Campbell’s The Face That Must Die . Age is irrelevant here – and Jason could do something really quite chilling with the character.

Dawn French

The Actor: Like her sparring partner Jennifer Saunders, French has provided voices for numerous big cinematic outings (including Coraline and The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe ), but has rarely appeared physically over the years.

Instead, she’s opted for sitcoms like The Vicar Of Dibley, Jam & Jerusalem , and the awesomely odd Psychoville .

Ideal Project: French’s dry sense of humour, ease in front of cameras, and implicit likability means she’s ripe for some mockumentary action. And just because The X Factor is back, how about a thinly-veiled SuBo send-up (yes, yes, we know she was in Britain’s Got Talent, but really what’s the diff?), with French as the angelic singer nobody thought would ever get anywhere…