These 22 film actors have never starred on a TV show

Timothée Chalamet still has many years ahead of him - plenty of time to star on television if he wants. But he's only done TV a few times, making it very clear that film acting is his preference. 

Jack Nicholson did some work in television early in his career, but he hasn't done any small screen work since the late '60s (unless you count commercials). That man is a film star if there ever were one. Just ask his three Oscars. 

Natalie Portman has been working in Hollywood for decades, and she’s got enough money and prestige to afford to take on only projects she cares about. Portman must not care too much about TV because she’s only entered that world a handful of times, and never for more than two episodes. 

Scarlett Johansson has had a similar acting path to Natalie Portman. She’s done some voice-over work for television and even played herself in an episode of Entourage, but the Oscar nominee mostly sticks to movies. The only series she’s appeared in more than two episodes in are Robot Chicken and Saturday Night Live.

Willem Dafoe has mastered the art of film. The famed actor has been nominated for four Oscars. But he won’t take his talents to television, and he never has. The actor known for projects like Spider-Man and At Eternity’s Gate has said that he only wants to work with one director at a time. 

Not only has Nicolas Cage never starred on television, but he’s literally never acted in a series. Cage is one of the very rare actors whose entire career has been defined by film. He has starred in a few made-for-TV movies, but we’re guessing that if Cage were to have a say, he’d reject the notion that he’s been on TV. 

Javier Bardem took some television work at the beginning of his career, but none were ever starring roles. Eventually, he found his footing in movies, and it was clearly where he was meant to be as he earned an Oscar for his work in No Country for Old Men.

Robert Pattinson is another actor who’s never been on television in any capacity (except the Twilight films airing on TV). Aside from his massive work in the Twilight franchise and his turn as Batman, Pattinson has done mostly independent films, staying away from anything too mainstream. 

Helena Bonham Carter’s career has been mostly movies, with her roles in films like Fight Club and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street among her most notable. The actress did play Princess Margaret in quite a few episodes of The Crown, but it wasn’t a starring role. 

Very, very early in his career, Christian Bale had roles in a couple of television series. But since 1989, his on-screen work has consisted solely of films. American Psycho, The Dark Knight, The Big Short, and Vice have been among his most notable roles. 

Brad Pitt has acted in a few television series throughout his career, but he’s never starred in a program. Pitt’s involvement with television hasn’t been quite as scant as it seems, though —the celebrated actor has served as an executive producer for a number of series in the past. 

Like her ex-husband, Angelina Jolie just loves film. While she’s stepped foot on a couple of TV sets, she’s kept her career focused on movies, even diving into the writing, producing, and directing side of the craft. 

A movie star through and through, Tom Cruise is another actor who’s literally never done any acting work on TV, although he did try. Once things took off for him, he kept his focus mainly on high-grossing action films like Mission: Impossible films and Top Gun. Cruise did direct an episode of the TV series Fallen Angels, though. 

Television wasn’t quite as popular in Old Hollywood as it is now, so it’s less surprising that iconic actors from that era didn’t act on TV, but Judy Garland had a long career. She probably could’ve starred in a television series if she had wanted to, but she never even garnered credit for the medium. 

Audrey Hepburn never starred in television, either. The famed actress did act in a few episodes of series here and there, but her legacy will remain as a celebrated movie star, known for hits like Breakfast at Tiffany’s and My Fair Lady. 

Marlon Brando had a long enough career that he could’ve starred in a television series if he wanted to. Understandably, though, Brando stayed in movie land. He did technically star in The Godfather Saga miniseries for television, but that was just the first two installments of The Godfather re-edited for TV. 

Known for projects like Some Like It Hot and The Seven Year Itch, Marilyn Monroe only ever starred in films. She appeared in a couple of episodes of the comedy series The Jack Benny Program, but otherwise, she stayed on movie sets. Had her life not met such a tragic end, perhaps she would’ve ventured into television. 

If you’d asked Joaquin Phoenix where he saw things going at the beginning of his career, he might’ve said television acting. The actor found work on several series when he was just getting started, but eventually, his time on TV waned, and since the late ‘80s, he’s only worked in film. 

Kristen Stewart has done television, but she’s never starred in anything. She’s been too busy starring as a girl who wants to become a vampire and Princess Diana to engage in television. 

Matt Damon has appeared in the occasional television series, like 30 Rock and Entourage, but most of his acting work has been in movies. The famous actor does have a variety of executive producer credits for TV series, though, such as City on a Hill and The Runner. 

Cameron Diaz pretty much sticks to cinema, too. And seeing as she’s been in and out of retirement for the past several years, it doesn’t seem too likely that she will commit to starring in a television series soon. But she will be in Shrek 5, and that’s all that matters. 

Emma Watson also has only a couple of television credits. But when the first decade of your career is overwhelmed by one of the biggest book-to-film franchise adaptations ever, you don’t really have time to star in a TV show.