Television has become a dominant force in the entertainment industry, with numerous A-list actors making the leap from the big screen to the small screen. With the rise of high-budget TV shows and streaming platforms producing cinematic-quality content, many well-known actors have eagerly taken on new projects on television. Ironically, several actors have majored their careers in television, with little to no movie projects.
However, some Hollywood stars have remarkably avoided working on TV throughout their careers. They instead have chosen to remain focused on film projects. While they each have reasons why they’ve avoided television, there’s no denying that the financial incentives and creative freedom that come with big-budget films often outweigh the long-term commitment that TV roles demand. Although a few worked on television in their early career, most of these actors have never taken an acting role on the small screen. As the list grows smaller, these four actors have yet to work on a major TV project.
Scarlett Johansson
Known for portraying Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow in the MCU, Scarlett Johansson is one of the world’s most famous actresses. With her film having grossed over $15.4 billion at the Box Office, Johansson is currently the highest-grossing box office female star of all time. At some point in the late 2010s, Johansson was the world’s highest-grossing actress. Yet, all of her success has been from the big screen, with the actress yet to star in a major television project. Scarlett Johansson made her acting debut in 1994, and has only done a few voice roles and appeared as herself on television.
Johansson made a cameo appearance as herself in 2004, in HBO’s comedy-drama Entourage. She has also hosted Saturday Night Live and voiced several characters on Adult Swim’s Robot Chicken (2005–2008). While she continues to expand her film credits, audiences anticipate her first major television project. Having worked across genres, Johansson will undoubtedly find success on television whenever she chooses to look towards the small screen.
Cameron Diaz
Actress Cameron Diaz dominated the big screen as a sex symbol and one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars in the 1990s and early 2000s. Diaz, who transitioned from a modeling career, made her acting debut in the 1994 Jim Carrey-led comedy The Mask. About a decade later, Diaz was the highest-paid actress in 2013.
In the past three decades, Cameron Diaz has starred in numerous Box Office hits, co-starring alongside several other Hollywood A-listers. Although she took a decade-long break from acting in 2024, she made a major comeback to film in 2025. Interestingly, Diaz has never had an acting role on television. Besides voicing Princess Fiona in two TV specials and hosting SNL, Cameron Diaz has only appeared as herself in a few other TV shows.
Tom Cruise
Few stars have achieved as much fame and success as Tom Cruise Hollywood. Despite being known to many of today’s movie audiences as an action star, Cruise has starred in various roles across genres in his early career. While he finds new ways to jump off cliffs and perform adrenaline-pumping stunts, Tom Cruise has little to no time to work on television. Cruise has consistently been one of the highest-paid actors based on his bankability and movie successes.
Even in his early career when he took on romantic and horror roles, Tom Cruise never branched into television. Besides his appearance at the Paris 2024 Olympics Closing Ceremony, Cruise has no other listed credit on television. With the final installment of the highly successful Mission: Mission franchise, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, scheduled for release in 2025, maybe Cruise will have more time to consider working in television. Anyone who knows and has followed the actor for decades knows it’ll be hard for Tom Cruise to commit to the time demands of television projects.
Nicolas Cage
Hate or love his movies, Nicolas Cage is one of Hollywood’s most versatile actors. He’s never afraid to take on any role or work with lesser-known filmmakers. Since his acting debut in 1981, Cage has starred in many classic films that have gained a cult following. Throughout his four-decade career, Nicolas Cage has focused entirely on the big screen.
Besides hosting SNL and History of Swear Words (2021), there are only a few credits left on television, with none being major projects. However, with reports of an upcoming MGM+ TV series Spider-Noir, Nicolas Cage is set to take on his first major television project, portraying Spider-Man Noir. With no announced release date, Cage still sits comfortably on the short list of Hollywood stars who have never worked on television.
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