We seem to be in a golden age for television series – even though the majority of the most critically acclaimed shows are not shown on conventional television at all, but are offered by streaming services accessible from computers and mobile devices as well as real television sets.

Considering the quality of so many shows these days, it’s no surprise that movie stars in the order of Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Helen Mirren, Matthew McConaughey and Don Cheadle have turned to the little one. screen in recent years.

Traditionally, however, it worked the other way around: many actors and actresses who rose to prominence in the movies made their debut in TV series and then made the jump to the movies. In fact, some, like Steve Carrell and Jennifer Aniston, will probably always be best known for their iconic roles on television (in “The Office” and “Friends” respectively), no matter how many films they star in. (These are the longest prime-time shows in history.)

To compile a list of TV stars who have made the jump to the movies, 24/7 Tempo examined the credits of dozens of leading actors and actresses on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon. Only performers whose first major acting credit was in a TV show or TV movie were selected, although some of them may have had uncredited or very minor roles in films before making themselves known to television.

Click here to see the TV stars who made the jump to the movies

Because they played many characters instead of a major role, the countless actors and actresses who became movie stars after stints as regulars on “Saturday Night Live” were left off the list. But check out our list of SNL cast members with the most successful film careers.