Greatest TV actors

I think Dennis Franz gets extra-credit points on NYPD Blue for the ridiculous string of bad luck the writers put him through.

His oldest son dies. First partner leaves after one season. Second partner dies of a heart ailment. Third partner gets murdered. Second wife gets shot, and killed. Second son has a cancer scare. He has "prostrate" cancer. Third wife gets held hostage at the office. Second boss gets shot in the office.

Surely I'm missing something, but why in God's name would anybody get within 50 feet of this guy?

I'm sure Tyne Daly was good on Cagney and Lacy. I enjoyed her work on Judging Amy

 

Great call on Mark Harmon...

NCIS may be my favorite show on the networks these days, not that that's saying much...

 

Larry Hagman deserves a nommy for his work on I Dream of Jeannie and Dallas.

 

Hey, I think Tony Danza's a hack (at best). I was just mentioning people who were in more than one hit show. That's what the first post specified.

But if we're talking about truly great TV actors, they only needed one memorable role. If that's the case, the discussion should be limited to people like James Arness, Alan Alda, Ted Danson, Henry Winkler and James Gandolfini.

 

Scrubs, too.

 

OK, isn't this a discussion that Peter, Cleveland, Joe, Brian and Quagmire should be having at the Clam?

My contributions: Bill Waterson (Law and Order), Kiefer Sutherland (24).

Honorable Mention: Brian Dennehy, who I believe has played a cop in every made-for-TV movie ever made. Ever....
He has had two roles: the arrogant, egotistical cop and the gruff but sensititve and understanding cop. He has turned that into 5,890 roles, mostly on the Lifetime Network.

 

In the show's last couple of seasons, I wish there were more episodes about Alan and Amy and less on Jack and Rachel and Angela. Alan/Amy are one of the more underrated television parents...they were fantastic.

 

You weren't the only one to mention him, either. And it did fit with the theme of the posts on the thread.

Just sent a shiver down my spine when I read the name.

And one time that Brian Dehenny didn't play a cop: his portrayal of John Wayne Gacy. Creepy.

 

Great call on Locklear...

Courtney Thorne-Smith has been on her share of shows as well...

 

Tony Shalhoub (Wings, Monk) should be in this discussion.

 

Thankfully nobody's mentioned series-killer Ted McGinley yet.