10 TV Actors With Multiple Hit Shows

The TV landscape can be treacherous, but these talented actors found success on not just one but multiple television hits over the years.

Acting can be a tough business and not everyone makes it big, which makes the fact that these 10 actors had multiple hit TV shows all the more impressive. The TV landscape is a treacherous one; streaming platforms like Netflix are known for ruthless cancelation policies, making it all the more likely that a show won't get renewed after season 1. This means it's arguably even more difficult for TV actors to find success on television in the current age.

Despite that, however, there are a handful of talented TV actors who have managed to make a name for themselves by starring in more than one hit TV show. While most actors would be happy with one stand-out television role, these actors have managed to star in multiple TV giants. From legends like Betty White and Bryan Cranston to younger names like Evan Peters, these 10 actors are known for multiple signature roles, having starred in more than one TV show that saw great success throughout their run.

For a generation, Bryan Cranston was known as the hapless but lovable dad in Malcolm in The Middle. Before this, Cranston's most notable role was a recurring turn as Jerry's dentist in Seinfeld. That makes it all the more surprising that he's now most well known as the high-school chemistry teacher turned drug dealer Walter White in Breaking Bad.

The roles of Hal and Walt couldn't be more different, but both shows were a success. Malcolm in The Middle ran for six years and 151 episodes, praised for its zany humor and distinctive visual style. Cranston earned multiple nominations for best supporting actor during its run. Breaking Bad, meanwhile, accumulated even more critical acclaim during its five-season and 62-episode run, regularly cited as one of the best shows of the 21st century so far.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus arguably has two signature television roles: Elaine Benes in Seinfeld and Selina Meyer in Veep. After her time on Saturday Night Live, Seinfeld was Louis-Dreyfus' breakout role, and she helped to carry the show as a main character throughout its nine-season. Seinfeld received critical acclaim and widespread viewership, with a legacy that has even resulted in academic literature on the subject.

More recently, Louis-Dreyfus has become known for her role in the political satire Veep, based on the U.K. series The Thick Of It. Much like Seinfeld, Veep has been the recipient of multiple award nominations, including Golden Globes and Primetime Emmys, proving that Louis-Dreyfus is an actor with more than one hit television show.

Steven Yeun gained notoriety for his performance as Glenn Rhee in The Walking Dead. Yeun appeared in the first seven seasons of the comic book adaptation before his character was killed off in one of The Walking Dead's most shocking scenes. While The Walking Dead has received mixed critical reception over the course of its eleven seasons, there's no denying its status as a television hit, having forged a dedicated fanbase and spawning a plethora of spinoffs furthering the universe.

Though the series currently has a much smaller scope than the sprawling universe of The Walking Dead, Beef has been another successful project for Yeun. Alongside Ali Wong, Yuen plays one half of a duo hellbent on enacting revenge on the other, leading to a shocking string of events. Beef was a huge success for A24 and Netflix and cementing Yeun as an actor with more than one successful television show to their name.

RELATED: Why Glenn Had To Die On The Walking Dead

After starring in the sitcom Cheers from 1982-1993, Ted Danson experienced something of a renaissance thanks to his role as Michael in The Good Place from 2016-2020. While both comedies, the two shows are vastly different in style and tone. Cheers is a down-to-earth sitcom typical of its era, while The Good Place is an irreverent, innovative show about morality and the concept of the afterlife.

However, both shows proved to be immensely successful for Danson. Both Cheers and The Good Place have earned critical acclaim if not widespread viewership at the time of their release. Both series also showcase Danson's comedic talents, proving that he more than deserves the 40+ award nominations he's accumulated over the course of his career.

Idris Elba's most popular television role to date is the titular protagonist of BBC's Luther. The show, which has spawned five seasons and a film, made Elba a household name and spurred years of speculation (and wishful thinking) that the star could be the next James Bond. Rotten Tomatoes' critic consensus singles out Elba's performance as the standout aspect of the series. The hype around the show can make it easy to forget that Elba actually appeared in another hit TV show before Luther.

From 2002 to 2004, Elba played Russell "Stringer" Bell in the critically acclaimed crime drama The Wire. Ironically, Stringer is a drug kingpin on the opposite end of the spectrum to DCI John Luther. While Elba wasn't in the show for the entirety of its run, his character was integral to the first three seasons. In both projects, Elba brings a gravitas and charisma that has enabled the TV actor to transition into big-budget big-screen outings, including roles in both the MCU and the DCU.

The late Betty White was certified television royalty, with a career that began in the 1940s and was only just slowing down in the years preceding her death in 2021. White was a successful television actress from the off, starring in Hollywood on Television, The Betty White Show, and Life With Elizabeth. Her most successful shows, however, are arguably The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Golden Girls, and Hot In Cleveland.

The Mary Tyler Moore show had a huge cultural impact, arguably changing the television landscape forever. The Golden Girls meanwhile was White's longest-running role and bought much-needed representation for cool older TV characters. Hot In Cleveland also secured positive reviews from critics, drawing comparisons to The Golden Girls. White's impressive career is not easy to sum up, but it's clear she'll be remembered as a television legend for years to come thanks to these three shows.

Katey Sagal rose to fame thanks to her role as Peggy Bundy in Married... With Children. This remained her most recognizable role until she starred as Gemma Teller Morrow in Sons of Anarchy. Vastly different in style and tone, both shows saw considerable success throughout their run and highlight Sagal's versatility as an actress. While Married... With Children was not a standout critical or ratings success like Sons of Anarchy, it developed a huge and enduring fanbase throughout its 11 years on the air.

In between these two shows, Sagal was also cast as Leela in Matt Groening's Futurama. The animated sci-fi show has had a rocky history; Futurama has been canceled multiple times. Despite this, however, it's developed a cult following. Sagal's character, a strong-willed but often self-conscious one-eyed mutant, again highlights her talents as an actress, offering something entirely different from her Married... With Children and Sons of Anarchy roles.

Pedro Pascal has been in the business for nearly three decades but has seen astronomical success in the last ten years. Despite small roles in film and TV throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Pascal's career really began to take off due to his recurring role as Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones beginning in 2014. Since then, however, Pascal's career has only gone from strength to strength.

His role as Din Djardin in The Mandalorian positioned Pascal as a powerhouse in TV, with the show praised as one of the "most engaging adventures in a galaxy far, far away" (per Rotten Tomatoes). This position has only been cemented by his portrayal of Joel in HBO's adaptation of The Last Of Us, for which he earned an Emmy nomination. Pascal is set to take the lead role in My Dentist's Murder Trial, a true-crime series based on an article from The New Yorker. Not much is known about the series yet, but given his involvement alongside Stranger Things star David Harbour (per Time Out), it could be Pascal's fourth TV success in 10 years.

RELATED: Every Pedro Pascal TV Show Ranked

While Gillian Anderson has carved out a career on both the big and small screens, her television work is perhaps most notable. Her career really began in the 1990s as FBI Special Agent Dana Scully in The X-Files, a performance that will likely be her defining role. However, she has since had important roles in three more hugely successful shows: The Fall, Sex Education, and The Crown.

All four of Anderson's biggest shows have received critical acclaim, but The Crown remains Gillian Anderson's highest-rated TV role according to IMDb. In terms of personal performance, however, Anderson has been given most accolades for her portrayal of Scully in The X-Files, winning both a Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy among numerous other nominations.

Evan Peters is perhaps still best known for his work on Ryan Murphy's anthology series American Horror Story, but the actor also has multiple other successful TV roles under his belt. 2021 was a bumper year for Peters, starring in his ninth season of American Horror Story as well as WandaVision and Mare of Easttown. WandaVision remains one of Disney+'s best MCU shows to date and Mare of Easttown was a hit for HBO, with the finale becoming Max's most-watched episode ever. While Peters isn't the lead in either project, his work as a version of Wanda's brother and Detective Colin Zabel respectively has been praised, earning a Primetime Emmy for the latter.

Peters got his star turn a year later, however, when he collaborated with Ryan Murphy once again for Netflix's Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Peters stars as the titular real-life serial killer in a role that attracted widespread criticism for insensitivity to Dahmer's victims and their families. Despite the controversy, the show was a commercial success for Netflix, and Peters has been praised for his ability to capture Dahmer's real-life mannerisms.

Sources: Rotten Tomatoes, Time Out