History HeReallyCanAct / LiveActionTV

* James Corden got this reaction in S2 of ''Series/GavinAndStacey'' as his character Smithy started to grow up, having been pigeonholed as the loudmouthed comic relief in S1.

* Jameela Jamil was met with nothing but praise for her performance as the self-absorbed Tahani Al-Jamil in ''Series/TheGoodPlace''. While nobody was expecting her to be necessarily bad, many expected her to be average, but many were blew out of the water by her skill, which was on Par with the well known veterans Creator/KristenBell and Creator/TedDanson that were her coworkers.

** "[[Recap/StarTrekVoyagerS7E7BodyAndSoul Body and Soul]]" was also a very good episode for Jeri Ryan, as she had act as the Doctor...which she does flawlessly, right down to all of Creator/RobertPicardo's little ticks and mannerisms.

** Overshadowed by the others, but definitely worth a mention is Santiago Caberra's performance in the episode "Lancelot du Lac". He had only appeared in five episodes prior, and while he does play a very good Lancelot (his is probably the only PuritySue you will love), he completely and utterly nails a SoullessShell of Lancelot in this episode. No PsychoticSmirk, no ObviouslyEvil behavior, but he just subtly and slowly creeps you out until the end of the episode when seeing him throws off the UncannyValley. The last scene [[spoiler: where he is revived for a few seconds on the funeral boat]] shows just how different the two characters were.

** To say Paz de la Huerta is [[TheScrappy disliked by the majority]] [[{{Hatedom}} of the fandom]] is putting it mildly. However, watching her performance in the Season 2 episode "A Dangerous Maid" surprised a lot of her detractors as you watch Lucy Danzinger come to terms with her pregnancy, her baby's father, and her future. It's some very deft work from Ms. de la Huerta.

** Creator/AaronPaul was a bit actor for years with some minor film work and guess spots. Then he was cast as Jesse Pinkman on ''Series/BreakingBad'' and turned what could have been a thin character into a remarkably deep, fragile human being with an abundance of regret, self-loathing, a compulsive habit of destroying himself and probably the only real moral compass of anyone on the show. He won three Emmys for Best Supporting Actor, making him one of only five actors to win the respective award more than once.

** Sarah Hyland in the episode "Hothouse" especially when you consider how young she was at the time.

** There was minor controversy when David Schwimmer was cast as DrillSergeantNasty Herbert Sobel. Notably he was the most high profile star amongst a cast of relative unknowns. It's widely agreed that within his first scene, you forget you're watching Ross Gellar. You utterly despise Sobel for his cruel treatment of the men, and also eventually come to feel sorry for him.

** Creator/DavidMitchell and Creator/RobertWebb are comedians by trade, but their performance as an old Literature/SherlockHolmes [[spoiler: with dementia]] and Watson respectively in the final sketch of the show is genuinely tear jerking.

* Adrian Edmondson (''Series/TheYoungOnes'', ''Series/{{Bottom}}'') on ''Series/HolbyCity''. His character, Abra, starts out as borderline PluckyComicRelief, as one would expect from him, but it eventually becomes clear that the man can [[TearJerker reduce his audience to a sobbing mess]] just as easily.

* Dylan O'Brien was considered one of the stronger actors in ''Series/TeenWolf'' from the start, his role as Stiles was mostly restricted to PluckyComicRelief and DeadpanSnarker, raising questions of how well he could play roles outside that range. Then in Season 3b, he took on void!Stiles, playing a thousand-year old evil nogitsune spirit controlling his body. He pulled the role off flawlessly and his performance was lauded as one of the best ''Teen Wolf'' villains in the whole show and proved him as the truly exceptional, stand out actor of the cast. In one episode in particular O'Brien expertly played normal Stiles, the nogitsune, the nogistune pretending to be Stiles and a broken, traumatized Stiles at the end.

* Many people went into ''Series/TheOrville'' thinking it was going to be a purely comedic StarTrek parody, and Creator/SethMacFarlane would simply play one of his animated characters in real life. While the series has comedic moments it is also thoughtful and dramatic, and [=MacFarlane=] has demonstrated real dramatic acting chops, especially, for a man known for voice acting and singing, in using only his face to wordlessly convey real emotional depth.

** Creator/TylerHoechlin was met with [[WTHCastingAgency no small amount of scepticism]] when he was announced to be playing Franchise/{{Superman}} in Season 2, mostly because fans felt he wasn't large enough to play the [[HeroicBuild burly]] superhero, and partly because he was a popular fan choice to play ''Nightwing'' instead. People started being more optimistic about the casting when The CW released a two minute long sneak peak before the season premiere. Then the Season 2 premiere aired, and few people cared anymore about his perceived lean look and he was hailed as an optimistic and friendly Superman done right in the modern age. People started demanding that the network start working on Superman series starring him ''before the episode was over''.

* William B. Davis: In ''Series/TheXFiles'', Creator/GillianAnderson became pregnant and had to be written out for a while. Desperate for something to create a focal point in her absence, the producer chose Davis, then a minor extra. He had previously been in minor roles as the Cigarette Smoking Man through the series. Despite having very few on screen appearances to that point, it turned out he was a very good actor and did so well he became the primary antagonist for the entire series.

* Creator/JuneForay was already a [[ManOfAThousandVoices pretty damn good voice actress]], but her performance as a CreepyDoll in the famous ''Series/TheTwilightZone'' episode [[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS5E126LivingDoll "Living Doll"]] proved how well she could act in any setting.

* Creator/HaydenPanettiere: Many people who only knew as Claire the cheerleader in ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' (as opposed to Lizzie Spaulding in ''Series/GuidingLight'', Sarah Roberts in ''Series/OneLifeToLive'' or Sheryl Yoast in ''Film/RememberTheTitans'') got a very pleasant surprise on seeing her performance in ''Film/Scream4''. ''Series/{{Nashville}}'' also puts the burden of proof firmly on Hayden's haters, as well as on those of [[Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway Chip... er, sorry,]] ''[[Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway Charles]]'' [[Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway Esten]].

* Nicole Richie as an enemy agent in ''Series/{{Chuck}}''.
* Creator/EmmyRossum was mainly known for giving bland, [[WideEyedIdealist wide-eyed]], [[TheIngenue ingenue]] performances. The came the U.S. remake of ''Series/{{Shameless|US}}'' where she not only proved she could act her ass off but somehow managed to come off as a better actor than ''William H. Macy''.

* Andy Samberg, probably best known for his Music/TheLonelyIsland songs such as "Dick in a Box", wins a Golden Globe for his work on the sitcom Series/BrooklynNineNine and proves he can pull serious scenes.

* Kiernan Shipka as Sally Draper on ''Series/MadMen'', especially when she pulls the DeliberatelyCuteChild act in "The Beautiful Girls". There's a reason why her little brother has been [[TheOtherDarrin replaced four times]] while she's still on the show, even getting [[PromotionToOpeningTitles into the opening credits in Season 4]].
* Creator/JimmiSimpson is a character actor whose career has been split pretty evenly between comedic roles and serious roles. He is most recognized, however, as one of the [[{{Twincest}} twincestuous]] [=McPoyle=] brothers from ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia.'' Fans of that show who see him in something more serious (''Series/{{House of Cards|US}}'', for example) are likely to think, "I had no idea that Liam [=McPoyle=] could act!" I'm serious -- the man is incredible.

* Garrett Wang in the ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekVoyagerS5E6Timeless Timeless]]", the [[GoodTroiEpisode really good Harry Kim episode]].

[[folder: ''Band of Brothers'']]

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[[folder: ''Boardwalk Empire'']]

** Star Creator/SteveBuscemi plays very well against type as the ruthless but humane Nucky (being the ''star'' alone was playing very much against type, being for many years a supporting actor); but it is Michael Stuhlbarg, a former bit player whose only major role was as the timed Creator/WoodyAllen-type lead in ''Film/ASeriousMan'', as the brilliant but deeply twisted Arnold Rothstein and Creator/MichaelShannon as the psychopathic KnightTemplar Agent Van Alden that really leave a mark.

** To say Paz de la Huerta is [[TheScrappy disliked by the majority]] [[HateDom of the fandom]] is putting it mildly. However, watching her performance in the Season 2 episode "A Dangerous Maid" surprised a lot of her detractors as you watch Lucy Danzinger come to terms with her pregnancy, her baby's father, and her future. It's some very deft work from Ms. de la Huerta.
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[[folder: ''Breaking Bad'']]
* ''Series/BreakingBad''

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[[folder: ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'']]

** Michelle Trachtenberg's acting talent on ''Buffy'' is often overshadowed by how annoying her BrattyHalfPint character is, deeming her character as TheScrappy. However she delivered fantastic performances in "[[{Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E19ToughLove Tough Love]]" where she wonders if everything is her fault, "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E22TheGift The Gift]]" when she has to come to terms with her fate, "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS7E4Help Help]]" where she must deal with the death of a friend and "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS7E7ConversationsWithDeadPeople Conversations With Dead People]]" where she stands up to the friggin First Evil.

[[folder: ''Charmed'']]

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[[folder: ''Community'']]

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[[folder: ''Criminal Minds'']]

[[folder: ''Doctor Who'']]

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[[folder: ''Dollhouse'']]

[[folder: ''Game of Thrones'']]

[[folder: ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'']]

[[folder: ''Merlin'']]

[[folder: ''Once Upon a Time'']]

[[folder: ''Power Rangers'']]

[[folder: ''Saturday Night Live'']]
* A huge chunk of politicians, musicians, and athletes have hosted the show and proven themselves to be very skilled comedians in addition to their day jobs.
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[[folder: ''Sesame Street'']]

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[[folder: ''Smallville'']]

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[[folder: ''Stargate SG-1'']]

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[[folder: ''Supergirl'']]

[[folder: ''That Mitchell and Webb Look'']]

[[folder: Others]]
* All the child actors in ''Series/StrangerThings'', some of whom had never acted before or had very little acting experience.
* ''Series/ZNation''. Not so much for the actors, but for the company. It's a decent TV show made by Creator/TheAsylum, a studio typically known for producing SoBadItsGood Mockbusters, and films with intentionally cheesy premises like ''Film/{{Sharknado}}''. While the special effects are still bad, the fact that ''Z Nation'' is both well written and acted is completely unprecedented.
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** Pearl Mackie was a relatively unknown theatre actress prior to being cast as the series 10 companion Bill and some of the promotional material didn't fill the fanbase with a lot of confidence in her character. In just her first episode, the actress and the character was responded to positively.

** Creator/DavidBoreanaz. Most people were iffy on his acting in the first season of the show and doubted he could play more than the broody sexy vampire (_sexy_ being the key reason he was cast) but when his character Angel lost his soul halfway through Season 2, Boreanaz absolutely shined as the sadistic, terrifying, and darkly charismatic [[JekyllAndHyde Angelus]]. Watching him physically and psychologically torture (and sometimes kill) Buffy and her friends was a complete 180 difference from his former self. In fact, his performance in the episode "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS2E19IOnlyHaveEyesForYou I Only Have Eyes for You]]" (where the evil Angelus is possessed by the ghost of a female [[StarCrossedLovers star crossed lover]] and forced to act out her tragic final moments with Buffy taking the role of the male lover) is what convinced Creator/JossWhedon that Boreanaz was ready to carry his own [[Series/{{Angel}} spin-off show]].

** Creator/DavidBoreanaz. Most people were iffy on his acting in the first season of the show and doubted he could play more than the broody sexy vampire... But when his character Angel lost his soul halfway through Season 2, Boreanaz absolutely shined as the sadistic, terrifying, and darkly charismatic [[JekyllAndHyde Angelus]]. Watching him physically and psychologically torture (and sometimes kill) Buffy and her friends was a complete 180 difference from his former self. In fact, his performance in the episode "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS2E19IOnlyHaveEyesForYou I Only Have Eyes for You]]" (where the evil Angelus is possessed by the ghost of a female [[StarCrossedLovers star crossed lover]] and forced to act out her tragic final moments with Buffy taking the role of the male lover) is what convinced Creator/JossWhedon that Boreanaz was ready to carry his own [[Series/{{Angel}} spin-off show]].

* Creator/EmmyRossum was mainly known for giving bland, [[WideEyedIdealist wide-eyed]], [[TheIngenue ingenue]] performances. The came the U.S. remake of ''Series/ShamelessUS'' where she not only proved she could act her ass off but somehow managed to come off as a better actor than ''William H. Macy''.
* Who knew that Sean Hayes, the guy that played a bimbo CampGay for years in ''Series/WillAndGrace'', could act out a breakdown in ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' so easily?
* To complement his entry on [[HeReallyCanAct/{{Film}} this trope's film examples page]], Creator/JohnLithgow also has his blood-chilling portrayal of the Trinity Killer on ''Series/{{Dexter}}''. The performance won him an Emmy and a Golden Globe.

* Tori Spelling has been Hollywood's favorite punching bag for years, usually seen as a product of nepotism and a talentless little rich girl. In an effort to defy this, she put together a little LifeEmbellished sitcom in 2006 called ''So [=NoTORIous=].'' The critics who normally got their kicks trashing her, almost unanimously (and frequently, begrudgingly) praised the show, saying it was better than they assumed, and that Spelling is actually funny and pretty good at comedy, enjoying that, rather than a vanity project, she was willing to [[SelfDeprecation make fun of herself]] as much as anyone else.
* Creator/HughLaurie's star turn in ''Series/{{House}}'' would have been surprising to American audiences had they already been familiar with his work in British comedy. Not that anyone ever doubted his comedic chops. The initial British reaction to hearing about the ''House'' series was to either avoid it, believing Hugh Laurie in drama would be a disaster, or to watch it solely to see if he could pull it off. The buzz the show generated in Britain was huge when consensus agreed that Hugh Laurie was ''good'' at drama. (Not that kept it from being [[ChannelHop dropped by its initial UK broadcaster]].
* And then there's ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' himself, Creator/RowanAtkinson. Watch him in that show or in his other big hit, ''Series/{{MrBean}}''. Then watch him as Detective Jules Series/{{Maigret}}. DAMN.
* [[TeenIdol Shaun Cassidy]] & Parker Stevenson of ''Series/TheHardyBoysNancyDrewMysteries'': Two good-looking, easy-going actors with one-dimensional characters who mostly quip back and forth in a show that's only bait for teenage girls, right? Then we get Third Season. Hoooo, brother, do we get Third Season. ''Last Kiss of Summer'' has Shaun sinking his acting teeth into the dark side of Joe Hardy with a vengeance, portraying a revenge-obsessed, bereaved man who tramples over everything & everyone to bring his fiance's killers to justice. On top of that, throughout Third Season, Parker gives us a doubting & conflicted Frank Hardy, who is constantly put into undercover roles that require gaining someone's trust & then breaking it (usually in a way that traumatizes the victim); ''Game Plan'' brings this to a head, as the show implies that Frank [[spoiler: might have betrayed his brother and the federal sting operation in order to run away with the BigBad, a woman he truly loves, if she had just told him the full truth about her escape plans]].

* In ''Series/TheXFiles'', Creator/GillianAnderson became pregnant and had to be written out for a while. Desperate for something to create a focal point in her absence, the producer chose a then minor extra, William B. Davis. He had previously been in minor roles as the Cigarette Smoking Man through the series. Despite having very few on screen appearances to that point, it turned out he was a very good actor and did so well he became the primary antagonist for the entire series.
* Jake T. Austin's role on Creator/ABCFamily's ''Series/TheFosters'' is a stark contrast to his considerably better-known Cloudcuckoolander counterpart character on ''Series/WizardsOfWaverlyPlace''.
* Another one by Mos Def in the TV biopic ''Something The Lord Made'' where he played pioneering black cardiac surgeon Vivien Thomas. He managed to not only hold his ground but possibly surpassed it against Creator/AlanRickman. Mos Def was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Emmy. Mos has also received praise for his performance in the sixth season of ''Series/{{Dexter}}''.

** Her debut on ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' was met with a degree of eye-rolling from the fanbase: "Oh great, here comes a shameless attempt at MsFanservice, {{Narm}} ahoy, etc...." Then came that episode where she had to manifest a dozen different personalities in 20 minutes... HiddenDepths indeed.
** "[[{{Recap/StarTrekVoyagerS4E23One}} One]]", "[[{{Recap/StarTrekVoyagerS5E2Drone}} Drone]]" and " [[{{Recap/StarTrekVoyagerS6E9TheVoyagerConspiracy}} The Voyager Conspiracy]]" all served as excellent and impressive episodes for her character and her acting ability.
** "[[{{Recap/StarTrekVoyagerS7E7BodyAndSoul}} Body and Soul]]" was also a very good episode for Jeri Ryan, as she had act as the Doctor...which she does flawlessly, right down to all of Creator/RobertPicardo's little ticks and mannerisms.
** Garrett Wang in "[[{{Recap/StarTrekVoyagerS5E6Timeless}} Timeless]]", the [[GoodTroiEpisode really good Harry Kim episode]].

* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
** Creator/ColinBaker, aka the Sixth Doctor, was widely considered the worst from his short TV tenure on ''Doctor Who''. When Baker reprised the role for the [[AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho Big Finish audio dramas]], he was later voted the ''best''.
** The Creator/BigFinish Audios also gave [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap pretty epic upgrades]] to some of the [[TheScrappy scrappier]] companions, such as [[ScreamingWoman Mel]] and [[MsFanservice Peri]].
** The Creator/JohnNathanTurner era was notorious for the inappropriate stunt-casting of light-entertainment figures in guest roles. How the fans groaned at the news that this was happening ''yet again'' with game-show host Nicolas Parsons being cast in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS26E3TheCurseOfFenric The Curse of Fenric]]". How the fans cheered when Parsons delivered a superb performance as a vicar trying to cope with losing his faith.
** Whether Creator/ArthurDarvill was any good at acting in his earlier career was mostly up for debate due to the fact that he spent most of it playing back up for a much more [[Series/TheSootyShow famous]] teddy bear, and now... well, watch any episode of ''Series/DoctorWho'' he's in and you'll see what this guy can do. His conversation with Amy in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E12ThePandoricaOpens The Pandorica Opens]]" is arguably his best scene. This scene in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E7AGoodManGoesToWar A Good Man Goes to War]]" shows that he can act a badass:
--->'''Rory:''' I have a message and a question. A message from the Doctor... and a question from me. Where. Is. My. Wife?! Oh, don't give me those blank looks! The 12th Cyber Legion monitors this entire quadrant. You hear everything. So you tell me what I need to know, you tell me now. And I will be on my way...\\
'''Cybermen:''' What is the Doctor's message?\\
(''The entire fleet explodes'')\\
'''Rory:''' Would you like me to repeat the question?
** His turn as the male lead in the musical ''Once'' is astonishing. He sings! He plays guitar! He's got a great Irish accent!
** After Creator/CatherineTate landed the role of Donna in ''Doctor Who'', many doubted she could she'd adapt to a more serious role from [[Series/TheCatherineTateShow her catchphrase comedy]]. Not only did she manage to do that, but the writers also retained elements of her notorious "Am I bovvered?" character and ''actually made them funnier''.
** Before Tate, even Creator/BilliePiper was viewed by many fans when her casting was announced as a has-been former pop singer, who would be incapable of keeping up with Creator/ChristopherEccleston and drag the show down. Fairly soon, even those who disliked her character recognised that she could act.
* Creator/DavidTennant is known as a very good actor, but also as one hell of a LargeHam owing to his time on ''Doctor Who'' and the film adaptation of ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire''. So people who saw ''Series/TheEscapeArtist'' (the 2013 BBC drama series) were blown away by his depiction of a court barrister whose life starts taking a turn for the worse, [[spoiler:culminating in him showing himself as a MagnificentBastard by murdering his wife's killer and passing it off as a simple accident which he had nothing to do with]]. ''Damn''. Even better? Throughout the whole thing, there's barely a ''hint'' of hammy-ness.
** Tennant's also shown his acting abilities on ''Series/DoctorWho'' as well. One such example would be his work in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E10Midnight Midnight]]", particularly when [[spoiler:the Doctor is being {{Mind Rape}}d]]. To quote the [[spoiler:CanOnlyMoveTheEyes page]], "his reaction is shown with the barest minimum to the point where one cannot really point out any distinct facial move or change, yet he still manages to pull off enough fear and anguish to firmly cement the PsychologicalHorror aspect of the episode." And '''''damn''''', is it effective.
* Firass Dirani had generally been considered a competent and likeable young actor, but nothing truly special. The ''Series/{{Underbelly}}: The Golden Mile'' happened, in which he showcases his dramatic chops to fullest. The show earned him rave reviews and he eventually ended up winning a Logie Award''.
* Who knew that Creator/SeanHayes, the guy that played a bimbo CampGay [[Series/WillAndGrace for years]], could act out a breakdown [[Series/{{Scrubs}} so easily]]?
* Creator/PattonOswalt
** People were surprised he got an actual subplot after a few episodes of just being a joke-spouting friend on ''Series/UnitedStatesOfTara''.
** And in ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}'''s GrowingTheBeard episode, "[[Recap/DollhouseS01E06 Man on the Street]]".
** He had a recurring role on the fourth season of ''Justified'', soon to be followed by some guest work on the second season of ''TheNewsroom''.
%%** Patton was amazing in ''Film/BigFan''.
%%** Don't forget ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}}''!
%%** ''Muriel's Wedding''.
* Hell, Toni Colette on ''Series/UnitedStatesOfTara''. Not only portraying five people living in the same body of varying ages and genders, but playing the main personality ''badly impersonating'' one of the other personalities. Wow.
* Creator/NeilPatrickHarris is an odd example. He's re-invented himself as a comedic actor in the last decade after being known as a child star in TheEighties. Then came ''WebVideo/DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog''. He already had plenty of fans because he's just a cool guy, but compared to his role in the Harold & Kumar films, his role as Dr. Horrible was surprisingly good. He was also very touching as a disturbed, socially-awkward murderer in ''Series/LawAndOrderCriminalIntent''. He also had some serious Broadway cred in between his stints on television.
** Creator/JoshHartnett was pegged by many critics as the weak link of the cast. Come "[[Recap/PennyDreadfulS1E7Possession Possession]]", specifically the scene where [[spoiler: Vanessa's demon appears in Ethan's form]] and his good-ol-boy cowboy charm suddenly goes from sexy to NightmareFuel in a matter of seconds, and the scene where [[spoiler: Ethan exorcises Vanessa]], Hartnett really takes a level in acting badassery.
* There's also Anna Hutchinson's fantastic performances in both ''Underbelly: A Tale Of Two Cities'' and ''Film/TheCabinInTheWoods''. In, the latter, she gives a truly frightening performance right until [[spoiler: where her character is brutally killed]].
* ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' is actually pretty good for these moments. Considering that one of the prerequisites for being a Ranger is being a "Teenager with Attitude" (or at least a young adult), you end up with very young people who are doing their very first big job, and have little experience otherwise. It could be said that they become good actors ''because'' of their time on ''Rangers''.
** Creator/AmyJoJohnson is probably the best-known example of this trope. There's a great moment from the second season of the original show when Kim is kidnapped by Goldar and is turned into his perfect bride... which happens to be Rita Repulsa. The potion doesn't take, but Kim decides to mess with Goldar, Squatt and Baboo and turn in a pitch-perfect imitation of Rita, right down to the screeching and "I have a headache!", enough that Goldar thinks it worked too well. Even [[WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall Linkara]] mentioned in his review of the series that this moment is scarily good.
** Melody Perkins jumps in leaps and bounds from her first appearance as Astronema in ''Series/PowerRangersInSpace''. In her first few appearances, she [[ChewingTheScenery chews]] and [[EvilIsHammy hams]] more than the [[Series/PowerRangersTurbo previous season's]] villain [[MeaningfulName Divatox,]] including a great amount of [[LargeHam Shatner speech.]] A few episodes and she'd gotten better, and then came the epic 'Secret of the Locket' arc, where she portrayed Astronema teetered between good and evil so well that the viewer honestly didn't know where she would end up in the end. And ''then'', after turning her back on being a bad guy, she is downright ''terrifying'' when she is reprogrammed back into her Astronema persona.
** Olivia Tennet, and her performance as Dr. K, are just a couple of the reasons why ''Series/PowerRangersRPM'' is so awesome. Let's review: At first, she is totally deadpan and hardly changes facial expressions or displays emotions. (It's in character, so it's justified. Dr. K only loses it whenever [[BerserkButton someone mentions that the suits are made of spandex]], including a little kid.) And then there's the episode [[DayInTheLimelight "Doctor K"]], where Olivia really gets to shine. Holy cow. That she portrayed the various emotions her character felt throughout the episode, especially the [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds guilt she faced over her mistakes]], with seeming effortlessness was awesome enough--especially considering how difficult it would be to portray a TeenGenius that [[MikeNelsonDestroyerOfWorlds accidentally destroyed nearly the whole world]]. That she did it at only 17 years old (when ''RPM'' began production) makes it a CrowningMomentOfAwesome for her.
** Regardless of how you feel about ''Series/PowerRangersOperationOverdrive'', the scene where Mack finds out he's really [[spoiler: a robot]] is well-acted. You can just hear the grief Mack and his father feel after learning and admitting the truth, respectively. Also from the same series, Ronny's sadness after [[spoiler: Mack supposedly dies]] is pretty jerking as well, even if it only lasts for a few lines.
** ''Series/PowerRangersTimeForce'' is an absolute gold mine for acting moments. Jen's reaction to [[spoiler: seeing Wes for the first time]] is one of only many.
** ''Series/PowerRangersDinoCharge'' has a lot of these moments, being on the better side when it comes to acting. Still, the knightly speeches of Ivan or the charismatic (and hammy) attitude of Heckyl takes the cake.
* ''Series/CriminalMinds'':
** Jackson Rathbone's performance in ''Film/{{Twilight}}''? [[{{Narm}} Hilariously terrible]]. His performance in ''Series/CriminalMinds''? Very believable. In ''Criminal Minds'', he played a shy, troubled, perennially mumbling, drug-addicted janitor [[spoiler: and said janitor's split personality]]. What makes this even more impressive is that [[spoiler:the other personality was a serial-killing woman with a Southern accent, contrasting with the normal personality in every possible way]]. To top that off, Rathbone had to [[spoiler: transition between personalities in the middle of a scene]], and he pulled that off as well.
** There are a ''lot'' of surprisingly good turns for [=UnSubs=]. [[Series/DawsonsCreek James Van Der Beek]] as a killer with three personalities, Jamie Kennedy as an unrecognisable cannibal, and Frankie Muniz as a haunted comic book artist are just three examples.
* ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}'':
** Creator/ElizaDushku. Most fans agree that her acting skills at the show's beginning were, while not awful, very limited. But then came the Season 2 finale [[spoiler:in which she hits it out of the park, when the realization of Paul's death finally hits her]].
** Creator/AlanTudyk's breakout performance was as the nerdy, gregarious NonActionGuy [[Series/{{Firefly}} Hoban Washburn]]. Then came his guest placement in ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}'', where he plays the NonActionGuy to the asthmatic, scatterbrained hilt... only to bury it in an unnerving AxCrazy psychopath performance. No one saw it coming.
** Creator/EnverGjokaj (Victor) started out as just "that guy who can do a pretty good Russian accent." Then in one episode, they needed to interrogate a character who had been put in the Attic. For safety reasons, instead of shipping him back from where they had sent him, they just downloaded a copy of his brain into Victor. Enver was able to perfectly portray a character who had been in about a dozen episodes already. In a later episode, he gets a copy of Topher, and the two snark at each other over the phone.
* Creator/ParisHilton's brief, almost self mocking appearance on ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' in Season 5.

* Creator/MikeOMalley is known for [[Series/YesDear subpar comedies that somehow made it past five seasons]], Nickelodeon game shows, and being a Boston sports fan. However it wasn't until his turn on ''Series/{{Glee}}'' as Kurt's father that people realized that he can actually act! He's also playing a recurring role on ''Series/{{Parenthood}}''. That said, his history with this trope goes back earlier than ''Glee'' and ''Parenthood''. Case in point: the NBC series ''Series/MyOwnWorstEnemy'' where he switches back and forth between a falsely created personality as a loving husband and his true self as a badass killing machine spy.
* Also revealing depth on ''Parenthood'' is Dax Sheperd, who got his start goofing off on ''Series/{{Punkd}}''.
* ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'': How about Ludacris as Darius, Fin's evil stepson. He was pretty impressive as a villain, and honestly stole the show as a legitimately intimidating perp.
** SVU is apparently good for this sort of thing. Witness [[Series/TheCarolBurnettShow Carol Burnett]] (yes, ''that'' Carol Burnett) as Birdie Sulloway in Season 10's "Ballerina" and Kathy Griffin, (yes, ''that'' Kathy Griffin) as Babs Duffy in Season 11's "P.C."
** Another odd case is Cynthia Nixon. While she is a good actress, and no one's arguing that, she's best known at this point for ''Series/SexAndTheCity'', a show with a reputation for being a little vapid and superficial. When she goes on ''SVU'', she plays a woman with multiple personalities, and jumped from one personality to another easily (and horrifying people who only knew her as Miranda).
** Cynthia Nixon had some powerful moments as Miranda as well. The episode where Miranda's mom dies, and Miranda's holding it together until an innocuous comment from a store clerk makes the reality hit and she breaks down sobbing uncontrollably, was absolutely gut wrenching.
** Even before Music/{{Ludacris}}, there's Music/IceT himself. While he'd been seriously acting for a few years, most of his roles were drug dealers and gangbangers, which people probably didn't see as a stretch for someone known primarily as a gangsta rapper. There were a lot of raised eyebrows when he appeared on screen to play Fin Tutuola, with jokes about the rapper who brought you "Copkiller" playing a cop. And then he proceeded to own the role.
** There was also Schuyler Fisk, best known as Creator/SissySpacek's daughter and the girlfriend in ''Orange County'' playing a college student who has a child with her estranged father. Talent clearly runs in that family.
*** Acting aside, though, Schuyler is a really good folk-pop singer as well.
** Let's not forget Creator/RobertPatrick, best known as the T-1000. His role as a sex offender is creepier than anything involving liquid metal or guns.
*** Fans of ''Series/TheXFiles'' knew Patrick could act. His turn as Agent John Doggett is one of the only highlights of the eighth and ninth seasons.
*** And don't forget his turn in ''Series/TheSopranos'' as a compulsive gambler in way over his head. When he finally breaks down in anguish, it is absolutely heartbreaking.
*** Hell, anyone who saw ''[[Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay Terminator 2]]'' knew that. There's a reason the T-1000 has made so many "best villain" lists, and at least half of that is due to Patrick's utterly [[UncannyValley terrifying]] performance.
** While he was always good, Creator/ChristopherMeloni really proved himself in his monologue in the Season 2 episode "Victims."
** And he showed impressive comic talents in ''Film/WetHotAmericanSummer'', a guest spot on ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'', and ''Film/GymTeacherTheMovie''. Also his guest spots on ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' and his spoof on ''Series/TheDailyShow'', with "[[ComicallySerious Chris Melogna]] as [[http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/19/nyregion/commander-who-pepper-sprayed-wall-street-protesters-faces-disciplinary-charges.html?_r=0 Tony Bologna]]".
** Danny Pino was no slouch on ''Series/ColdCase'', but it's ''really'' impressive how well he's taken over the spot vacated by Chris Meloni on SVU. Love him or hate him, Stabler was central to the show, and the fact that Pino came in and blew right past the ReplacementScrappy box is truly a feat.
* Music/MileyCyrus got critical acclaim for her guest appearance in ''Series/TwoAndAHalfMen''.
* ''Series/GreysAnatomy'': Not a comedic example, but after playing Meredith Grey as a perpetually vague, droll, half-asleep character for what seemed hundreds of episodes, all of a sudden Ellen Pompeo confronts her lucid mother about how she just can't deal with yet another upheaval in her life. It's not one of Izzie Stevens's hysterical meltdowns; it's quiet, understated, and completely rips your heart out.
* Josh Peck, famous for kid-oriented shows like ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'', ''Series/TheAmandaShow'', and various movies got his HRCA moment in 2008's ''The Wackness''.
* Anthony Anderson spent quite a few years being thought of as just a funny fat guy, verging on UncleTomfoolery in some roles. Then came his terrifying run as LargeHam Antwon Mitchell on ''Series/TheShield'', leading to more highbrow films like ''Film/TheDeparted'' and a starring role on ''Series/LawAndOrder''...shortly before it was cancelled. He was also good as a more laid-back Louisiana cop on the ScrewedByTheNetwork show ''K-Ville''.
** His acting on ''Series/BlackIsh'' is pretty funny, but his in-character monologue about [[https://youtu.be/rA9QBZr8WEg how he feared some racist asshole would try to assassinate Barack Obama during his inauguration]] was classified by many critics as unadulterated TearJerker fuel.
* Also in ''The Shield'', Walter Emmanuel Jones, who played [[Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers the first Black Ranger]], as a coked out gangbanger.
* While he was arguably already giving the best performance in the ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' films, Creator/TaylorLautner's performance as the host of SNL really sold him as an actor to Hollywood.
* Another wrestling example. Even some huge WWE fans didn't expect {{Wrestling/Edge}} to make it as an actor, especially those who saw Bending the Rules. Then he joined the cast of {{Series/Haven}}...

** Creator/AlysonHannigan. She did okay in films, and looked decent in ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', but the episode "[[{{Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS3E16Doppelgangland}} Doppelgangland]]" was where she showed she could really, really act. Evil Vampire!Willow was darn impressive, but then Good!Willow tries to imitate Vampire!Willow, and Vampire!Willow tries to imitate Good!Willow. It was a tour de force performance. For her dramatic chops, watch the episodes "Confessions" where she is crying in the bathroom and "[[{{Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS4E6WildAtHeart}} Wild At Heart]]" where [[spoiler: Oz leaves her]]. She really was one of the best criers on the show.
** Michelle Trachtenberg's acting talent on ''Buffy'' is often overshadowed by how [[TheScrappy annoying her]] [[BrattyHalfPint character is]]. However she delivered fantastic performances in "[[{{Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E19ToughLove}} Tough Love]]" where she wonders if everything is her fault, "[[{{Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E22TheGift}} The Gift]]" when she has to come to terms with her fate, "[[{{Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS7E4Help}} Help]]" where she must deal with the death of a friend and "[[{{Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS7E7ConversationsWithDeadPeople}} Conversations With Dead People]]" where she stands up to the friggin First Evil.
** Creator/DavidBoreanaz. Most people were iffy on his acting in the first season of the show and doubted he could play more than the broody sexy vampire..... But when his character Angel lost his soul halfway through Season 2, David absolutely shined as the sadistic, terrifying, and darkly charismatic [[JekyllAndHyde Angelus]]. Watching him physically and psychologically torture (and sometimes kill) Buffy and her friends was a complete 180 difference from his former self. In fact, his performance in the episode "[[{{Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS2E19IOnlyHaveEyesForYou}} I Only Have Eyes for You]]" (where the evil Angelus is possessed by the ghost of a [[StarCrossedLovers female star crossed lover]] and forced to act out her tragic final moments with Buffy taking the role of the male lover) is what convinced Creator/JossWhedon that David was ready to carry his own [[Series/{{Angel}} spin-off show]].
* Brenda Song does as well in ''Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody'' and the sequel series ''Series/TheSuiteLifeOnDeck'' as anyone can be expected to do in a Disney Channel series. She'd played the same character in everything she'd done: dumb, spoiled rich girl with a penchant for snobbery. These series turned that UpToEleven and she's gone with it. Everyone who has seen her act before is therefore in for a very pleasant surprise should they see ''Film/TheSocialNetwork''; Christy's a slutty, jealous, and sometimes downright scary bitch, and you ''will'' respect her for it.
* When Nina Dobrev was cast in the roles of Elena and Katherine for ''Series/TheVampireDiaries'' most people thought she would never be able to carry the series, let alone play two completely different characters, judging by her performances on ''Series/{{Degrassi}}''. Fast forward to mid-Season 1, and people started to realize just how talented she actually is. Fast forward to Season 2, and she had viewers and critics floored by how easily she slips between Elena and Katherine while keeping both of them completely in character. If there were any critics left, They've almost certainly been silenced by Dobrev's performance in Season 4 when she shows uncanny skill in portraying Elena's slow descent into vampirism and her desperate struggle to hold onto her humanity and in Season 5 when she does terrific work as Elena, gives a heartbreaking performance as Katherine realizes that she is dying and cannot save herself, summoning sympathy for an otherwise deeply unlikeable character and her episodes as Amara, when she is both functional and after she has undergone a complete mental breakdown from years of torture. Even fans who don't like Elena have commented on how impressive her acting is.
* Tom Welling:
** He is able to play several completely different in personality characters in ''Series/{{Smallville}}''. There's Clark Kent, Kal (Clark while infected by Red Kryptonite, a hedonistic and insensitive JerkAss), Kal-El (Clark Kent's StrawVulcan Kryptonian self), a teenage Jor-El during flashbacks, Bizarro (who gets CharacterDevelopment into a WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds), and Clark Luthor/Ultraman (who's screwing his own sister). And when Clark gets possessed, he perfectly copies the person's speech patterns.
** He also did a great impression of Creator/JohnGlover[=/=]Lionel Luthor in the BodySwap episode.
** Welling also has good comedic timing, as can be seen in "[[Recap/SmallvilleS08E17Hex Hex]]" where he's cursed into forgetting he has superpowers. See [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dciw9alV1S0 here for some of the highlights]].
** You can even see how Tom Welling improves as an actor by the different personalities he portrays on the show. Kal and Kal-El seem a little over-done and forced when he portrays them, but his Clark Luthor is so different from the normal Clark through subtle acting differences and a more reserved portrayal. Clark Luthor is probably one of the most disturbing things on the show; he looks like Clark, but Welling portrays him completely differently whilst simultaneously avoiding the viewer thinking "this is just the guy who plays Clark doing him another character" -- we are absorbed into the role.
** The same can also be said for his co-star Creator/MichaelRosenbaum as Lex Luthor. While he was never bad in the series (quite the opposite, in fact), it was the Season 3 arc when Lex is desperately trying to win his father's affection by doing increasingly terrible things that really showed how much he had grown. When he crosses the line into full-on villainy, it's both terrifying and heartbreaking. He shows how horrible a person Lex can be while reminding us of the boy he used to be. By the end, it is practically impossible to imagine anyone else playing the role.
* George Eads of ''Series/{{CSI}}'' was a passable but unremarkable actor, but then came the Season 5 episodes "Grave Danger: Volume 1" and "Grave Danger: Volume 2." Wow. Especially considering that he spends about 90% of "Grave Danger" [[spoiler:in a box the size of a coffin]].
* Wrestling/MickieJames, in that episode of ''Wrestling/WWERaw'' where she tricks Trish Stratus into believing Trish's boyfriend Jack had just tried to rape her.

** Joel [=McHale=] in ''Series/{{Community}}''. Jeff seems like the same "character" plays on ''Series/TheSoup''. Then you see something like "Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking", and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9Pkzl1BzYQ the look on Jeff's face during the following line]]. For context, [[spoiler:Pierce promised Jeff would get to meet his estranged dad, whom he has issues with. Jeff said that if it turns out to be a MindScrew by Pierce, that he will beat Pierce. Jeff is currently looking at a limo, and has answered from a phone call from a man claiming to be his father and in the limo. It's obviously Pierce, and Jeff has just realized that and is right in the middle of switching between "hopeful" and "murderous rage".]]

** Everyone on ''Series/{{Community}}'' is amazing. It may just be the writing but Creator/ChevyChase is incredibly funny on it. Chevy Chase. The guy who took pratfalls for one season on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'', did two good vacation movies and has been a punchline ever since, because everything he tried either simply failed or was a complete disaster. Rebooting this guy's career is just one of this show's 6 billion [[CrowningMomentofAwesome CMOAs]] and counting.
** On a related note, John Oliver's character on ''Community'' is a completely drunk version of his Daily Show self -- humorously bufoonish. Then comes along "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas", where [[spoiler: he is so unflinchingly cruel and cynical, in one protracted voice-acting sequence, that he ''breaks Abed with just his words''.]] He steals the show from a whole cadre of established actors, in one of the most raw, emotional episodes of the series, by being the rawest.
* Shane Kippel in ''Series/{{Degrassi}}''. He was criticized ''a lot'' during his tenure on the show (primarily earlier seasons) for not really being able to act when it came to dramatic sequences (which, being ''Degrassi'', did happen sometimes). Then he played a supporting character in the film ''Dog Pound'', which caused ''everybody'' to go back and do a DoubleTake... even IMDB gave him praise for his performance in it.
* Jack Huston:
** As the grandson of [[Creator/JohnHuston that famous director]] and nephew of [[Creator/AnjelicaHuston that other badass lady]], was perfectly serviceable in things like "Series/{{Eastwick}}," the very silly and enjoyable ''Film/{{Outlander}}'' and even ''[[Literature/{{Twilight}} Eclipse]]'', but it wasn't until his subtle, [[ColdSniper scary]], [[TheWoobie heartbreaking]], [[DoingItForTheArt Method-influenced]] ''Series/BoardwalkEmpire'' performance as [[GoodScarsEvilScars deformed]] UsefulNotes/{{WWI}} [[ShellShockedVeteran veteran]] [[EnsembleDarkhorse Richard Harrow]] that we saw how talented and committed he really is.
** ''Series/BoardwalkEmpire'' has this effect with a few of its stars. Creator/SteveBuscemi plays very well against type as the ruthless but humane Nucky; but it is Michael Stuhlbarg, a former bit player whose only major role was as the timed Woody Allen type lead in ''Film/ASeriousMan'', as the brilliant but deeply twisted Arnold Rothstein and Michael Shannon as the psychopathic KnightTemplar Agent Van Alden that really leave a mark.
** To say Paz de la Huerta is [[TheScrappy disliked by the majority]] [[HateDom of the fandom]] is putting it mildly. However, watching her performance in the Season 2 episode "A Dangerous Maid" surprised a lot of her detractors as you watch Lucy Danzinger come to terms with her pregnancy, her baby's father, and her future. It's some very deft work from Ms. de la Huerta.
* Though ''{{Series/Damages}}'' wiped out any possible doubts about Ted Danson, no one expected [[Series/{{Cheers}} Sam Malone]] to knock it out of the park as Gulliver in TheNineties TV version of ''Literature/GulliversTravels''.
* After small roles in ''Series/TheAdventuresOfPeteAndPete'' and other shows, Heather Matarazzo turned a searing and remarkably mature performance in ''Film/WelcomeToTheDollhouse'' proving immense skill for any actor but especially for a twelve year old.
* Creator/SimonPegg makes a surprisingly good villain of the CorruptCorporateExecutive type, if you happen to be a fan of ''Series/DoctorWho''.
* Many people who only knew Creator/HaydenPanettiere as [[Series/{{Heroes}} Claire the cheerleader]] (as opposed to [[Series/GuidingLight Lizzie Spaulding]], [[Series/OneLifeToLive Sarah Roberts]] or [[Film/RememberTheTitans Sheryl Yoast]]) got a very pleasant surprise on seeing her performance in ''Film/{{Scream 4}}''. ''{{Series/Nashville}}'' also puts the burden of proof firmly on Hayden's haters, as well as on those of [[Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway Chip... er, sorry,]] ''[[Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway Charles]]'' [[Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway Esten]].
* ''Series/{{Merlin}}''
** Creator/ColinMorgan and Creator/AngelCoulby easily dominated the early episodes of ''Series/{{Merlin}}'', especially with their character's reactions to their [[GirlOfTheWeek girlfriend]] and father's deaths respectively, but Creator/BradleyJames gets to prove himself with Arthur's rage against Uther and subsequent meltdown when he discovers the truth about his mother. Angel and Bradley also deserve credit for ''completely and utterly selling'' the Arthur/Guinevere romance, a relationship that even the ''shippers'' admit was initially a bad case of StrangledByTheRedString.
** Creator/KatieMcGrath was often considered the weak link amongst the younger cast considering she was the only one who had no professional training, but she manages a heart-rending delivery of the line: "I'm scared, Merlin," and nails a later scene in which Merlin is forced to poison her, in which she goes from confusion, to gradual realization, to horror and panic without a single word of dialogue.
** It's pretty common for fans to be blown away when seeing Colin Morgan in a serious role for the first time -- he's never ''bad'' as Merlin, but in ''Island'' and ''Parked'', his two subsequent film roles, he's phenomenal to the point that after having gone to see either film specifically for him, it's easy to be so drawn in to his performance that you forget that it's him.
** Overshadowed by the others, but definitely worth a mention is Santiago Caberra's performance in ''Lancelot du Lac''. He had only appeared in five episodes prior, and while he does play a very good Lancelot (his is probably the only PuritySue you will love), he completely and utterly nails a SoullessShell of Lancelot in this episode. No PsychoticSmirk, no ObviouslyEvil behavior, but he just subtly and slowly creeps you out until the end of the episode when seeing him throws off the UncannyValley. The last scene [[spoiler: where he is revived for a few seconds on the funeral boat]] shows just how different the two characters were.
** While we're at it, ''everyone'' in "Lancelot du Lac" was great. The scene where [[spoiler: Arthur confronts Gwen over her infidelity]] is so painful to watch that the [[Recap/MerlinS04E09LancelotDuLac recap of the episode]] doesn't even write it down, just links you to the scene.
* Season 10 of Series/{{Smallville}} is showing that Lucas Gabreel doesn't need ''Film/HighSchoolMusical'' to show that he can really act, especially since he plays [[EvilRedhead Alexander]] [[TeensAreMonsters Luthor]] and [[ComicBook/{{Superboy}} Conner Kent]].
* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'':
** Creator/MishaCollins' Castiel in the episode "[[Recap/SupernaturalS06E15TheFrenchMistake The French Mistake]]", where Misha seamlessly transitions from Castiel to his tweet-happy self, "[[Recap/SupernaturalS06E20TheManWhoWouldBeKing The Man Who Would Be King]]", where Castiel is ''begging'' for a sign from God, and "[[Recap/SupernaturalS06E22TheManWhoKnewTooMuch The Man Who Knew Too Much]]", where we learn that Misha can be ''really'' scary when needed, are all evidence of this.
** The episode "[[Recap/SupernaturalS04E20TheRapture The Rapture]]" aired two seasons before the above episodes, and is widely praised as one of the best examples of Misha's acting ability. In this episode, he transitioned from the relatively emotionless Castiel to his very human vessel Jimmy, and [[TearJerker brought many viewers to tears]] in the process. Notable since this episode is during his first season on ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', before which he was largely unknown.
* Nicole Richie as an enemy agent in ''Series/{{Chuck}}''.
* While Tobey Maguire may be best known for being [[Film/SpiderManTrilogy Peter Parker]], he has considerable acting chops. A notable example comes from ''Film/{{Brothers 2009}}'', with [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3L5Fz7HDno one of the most terrifying performances]] you'll ever see. Before that, there was ''Film/WonderBoys''.
** See also ''Film/TheCiderHouseRules'' and ''Film/{{Pleasantville}}''.
* The acting in ''Series/GameOfThrones'' is superb across the board, but special congratulations has to go to Jack Gleeson, as [[TheCaligula Joffrey.]]

** Creator/MaisieWilliams starts out as Arya Stark and has been winning near-universal praise. It's her ''first'' acting role.
*** She had to spend much of Season 2 holding her own against the near-40-years-of-experience, highly-respected acting veteran Creator/CharlesDance. Said scenes were widely hailed as some of the best acted in the entire series.
** Gwendoline Christie shows way more range in four episodes of Season 3 than in the whole of Season 2, proving that any perceived "woodenness" back then wasn't a fault on the actress' acting, but part of how Brienne really was supposed to be as a character.

** While nobody really doubted Kristain Nairn (Hodor's) acting ability, the character was largely used as comic relief. Then came his performance in "[[{{Recap/GameOfThronesS4E5FirstOfHisName}} First of His Name]]", where he shows some serious dramatic acting ability, especially after [[spoiler:Bran wargs into him to kill Locke.]]

** Despite being a sportsman with no acting resume to speak of, Hafþór Björnsson proves himself to be more than Conan Stevens' equal as Gregor Clegane in "[[{{Recap/GameOfThronesS4E8TheMountainAndTheViper}} The Mountain and the Viper]]", turning in an [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0SXDXVMNUk absolutely terrifying performance.]] He even manages to completely bury his native Icelandic accent, which was a common uncertainty among fans.
** Dean-Charles Chapman is limited mostly to portraying Tommen's childish naivety until "[[{{Recap/GameOfThronesS5E7TheGift}} The Gift]]", when Tommen expresses his utter frustration at Margery's arrest and his impotence to do anything about it.
* Remember Judith Light from ''Series/WhosTheBoss''? Well, before she was Tony Danza's co-star, she was on ''Series/OneLifeToLive''. As Karen Wolek, who had to admit to being a prostitute on the witness stand at her friend's murder trial. The scene is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSLLTBaR9gQ&feature=related here]]. She won the 1980 Daytime Emmy for Best Actress for that scene, BTW.
* Lacey Turner was fairly well-known in Britain for portraying Stacey Slater in popular soap opera ''Series/EastEnders''. When she was cast in the third season of ''Series/{{Being Human|UK}}'', many fans groaned at the prospect of having to sit through the performance of an actress largely known for shouting loudly at everyone else in the room. The fanbase was very pleasantly surprised when she turned in a surprisingly nuanced performance as vengeful murder victim Lia.
** She also underwent quite a transformation within ''[=EastEnders=]''. She was perfectly good as a shouter, but her last few months on the show and her character's struggle with being bipolar showed what a phenomenal actress Lacey Turner actually is.
* [[Series/TheYoungOnes Adrian]] [[Series/{{Bottom}} Edmondson]] on ''Series/HolbyCity''. His character, Abra, starts out as borderline [[PluckyComicRelief comic relief]], as one would expect from him, but it eventually becomes clear that the man can [[TearJerker reduce his audience to a sobbing mess]] just as easily.
* In his first two major roles, ''Series/{{Moonlight}}'' and ''Three Rivers'', Alex O'Loughlin didn't impress many people (except with his hotness). But then he guest-starred on an episode of ''Series/CriminalMinds'' as a tormented serial killer with a crippling case of OCD. His performance was incredible, and he's almost unrecognizable to someone who knows him from his other work. When you compare the withdrawn, quiet and fairly meek serial killer to his highly-physical, snarking, and aggressive Steve [=McGarrett=] in the new ''Series/HawaiiFive0'', the difference is astounding. Even someone who's seen both roles would be hard-pressed to recognize him as the same actor, even though the only difference in appearance [[ClarkKenting is a pair of glasses]].
* Disney Channel star Music/DemiLovato won critical praise for her guest role on a 2010 ''Series/GreysAnatomy'' episode, as a suicidal patient.
* Music/LadyGaga at the 2011 [=VMAs=] proved that she could be a great stage actor.
** Further cemented with her performance in ''Series/AmericanHorrorStoryHotel'' earning her a Golden Globe.
* Kiernan Shipka as Sally Draper on ''Series/MadMen'', especially when she pulls the DeliberatelyCuteChild act in "The Beautiful Girls". There's a reason why her little brother has been [[TheOtherDarrin replaced four times]] while she's still on the show, even getting [[PromotionToOpeningTitles into the opening credits in Season 4]].
* Creator/IwanRheon in ''Series/{{Misfits}}'' was certainly never considered a bad actor, and was arguably the best of the main cast. However his role as [[spoiler: Future!Simon]] shows his clear talent: through subtly changing his behavior, [[spoiler: Rheon in a few scenes clearly showed the character development Simon has undergone, and exhibits simultaneously a vastly different personality, yet with a few glimpses of the Simon we know and love peeking through]]. Not an easy job to handle.
** This was followed up by his role in ''Series/GameOfThrones'' where people were shocked to see the guy who played [[TheHeart Simon]] now playing the deranged and [[TortureTechnician torture-happy]] {{Sadist}}, [[BastardBastard Ramsay Snow/Bolton]], and extremely convincingly. Every single aspect of his performance, from the somewhat off inflections of his sentences to his chilling {{Slasher Smile}}s and body movements go to portray one of the most disturbing and vile characters in television history. [[AxCrazy Ramsay]] is also an extreme MoodSwinger who can go from quiet and CreepyMonotone to [[PsychopathicManchild childlike enthusiasm]] to [[HairTriggerTemper psychotic rage]] in the span of just of a few minutes, which Rheon manages to pull off amazingly well.
* Music/BritneySpears is rather respected for her comedic-timing in her bit parts on ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' and ''Series/WillAndGrace''.
* If there's anyone out there that doubts Creator/SarahMichelleGellar has skill as an actress, they should be made to watch the ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' episode "[[{{Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E16TheBody}} The Body]]" and [[{{Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E17Forever}} the episode following it]]. They could ''not'' have worked nearly as well without Gellar's painstricken performance. (And she won an Emmy ''before'' she started playing Miss Summers, remember.)
** Then there's ''Series/{{Ringer}}'' where she excelled playing two extremely different types of women... one kind of cuddly loving messed up MamaBear and another ice queen/manipulative bastard defined.
** Even long before "The Body," actually. Take one good look at her [[TearJerker tearjerking]] performance during her "I don't want to die," speech from [[{{Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS1E12ProphecyGirl}} the first season finale]]. That was the scene for many fans that convinced them that Ms. Gellar really did have excellent acting chops.
* Creator/StephenColbert on ''Series/LawAndOrderCriminalIntent'' as a [[spoiler:forger and murderer]]. It's not until the credits roll that you realize you've been watching ''that'' [[Series/TheColbertReport Stephen Colbert]] in a dramatic role.
* Creator/BryanCranston on ''Series/BreakingBad'' is defining example of this trope in action. Almost no one thought the bumbling dad from ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle'' could take on such a heavy role. By the end of the series, he won four Emmys, turned the show into a critical favourite, and helped make Walter White one of the most complex characters ever to grace the small screen. His performance on the whole is widely regarded as one of the greatest performances in television history, with even Sir Creator/AnthonyHopkins referring to it as ''the'' best acting he'd ever seen, television or otherwise.
** Not so surprising to anybody who is familiar with his acting resume which covers an astonish variety of roles across film and television.
** He did play TheDevil in ''Fallen''.
** And PresidentEvil Vilos Cohaagen in the ''[[Film/TotalRecall2012 Total Recall]]'' remake.
* Creator/AaronPaul was a bit actor for years with some minor film work and guess spots. Then he was cast as Jesse Pinkman on ''Series/BreakingBad'' and turned what could have been a thin character into a remarkably deep, fragile human being with an abundance of regret, self-loathing, a compulsive habit of destroying himself and probably the only real moral compass of anyone on the show. He won three Emmys for Best Supporting Actor, making him one of only five actors to win the respective award more than once.
* Inverted with Jon Hamm. He received tons of praise for his remarkably tense, understated performance on ''Series/MadMen'' and is praised as the reason the show is so successful. Many viewers have been surprised by his work in stuff like ''30 Rock'' and ''Film/{{Bridesmaids}}'', which qualify more as "He really can be funny".
* Creator/ShaileneWoodley is best known for her role on ''Series/TheSecretLifeOfTheAmericanTeenager'', turning in a performance that ranges all the way from bitchy to pouty with heaps of DullSurprise in between. Imagine the shock critics had upon seeing ''Film/TheDescendants'' where she is not only very good but nearly steals the film from Creator/GeorgeClooney. Maybe there's hope for the rest of the cast too.
** She's also surprisingly good in ''Film/{{Divergent}},'' of all things. Special mention goes to the scene where [[spoiler:Tris' mother is killed.]]
** Then she topped herself in ''Film/TheFaultInOurStars''. To the extent that Woodley ever needed to prove she has serious acting chops, she has surely done it now.
* Creator/MartinFreeman. "[[Series/{{Sherlock}} The Reichenbach Fall]]". He deserved that BAFTA for series 1 and there's no doubt about it, and we've always known he could act, but "Reichenbach" is a whole different ballgame. Whatever remaining critics of his are out there, they've been silenced. ''And how.''
* Matthew Morrison certainly hasn't been bad on ''Series/{{Glee}}'', but his turn as co-plaintiff Paul Katami in ''[[Theatre/{{Eight}} 8]]'', the play based on the Prop 8 trial, was fantastic. He conveys his character's hurt over being considered a threat to children perfectly.
** Creator/ChrisColfer's acting on ''Series/{{Glee}}'' has always been praised (he received a Golden Globe), but his [[OneSceneWonder short but memorable scene]] in ''8'' left no doubt how talented he is. Can be scene [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kwBzbd9bHQ here]].
** More generally, while it was the music that drove the show, let's not forget that the cast was comprised of talented ex-Broadway stars and character actors with years of experience. Glee produced some of the most visceral and emotional scenes one could witness.
* A good deal of the musical guests on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' have appeared in skits--or hosted the show outright--proving themselves to be not only talented musicians, but pretty good comedic actors as well. Some of the athletes who have hosted also, and the politicians in particular.
* Chris Addison's acting roles consisted entirely of comedy until his role in ''Series/{{Skins}}'' as the headmaster of the college that the series is set in, later revealed to be the father of a main character. This role started off as another comedic one, his character being a strict teacher and very resentful of his daughter's boyfriend, but it took a dramatic turn when [[spoiler: the character of his daughter was killed off]] and the emotional scene where [[spoiler: he breaks the news to her boyfriend]] left viewers surprised that not only was he suddenly doing serious acting but was also very good at it!
* Creator/OliviaMunn has mostly been known for her MsFanservice roles on ''Series/AttackOfTheShow'' and ''Series/TheDailyShow'' and the intense arguments about how geeky she really is. Then she was cast in ''Series/TheNewsroom'', Creator/AaronSorkin's new TV project. Most critics were well and truly silenced by episode six, where her character got the limelight and she promptly went toe-to-toe with [[Series/LawAndOrder Sam Waterston]].
* Troian Bellisario generally got this reaction for her depiction of Spencer Hastings' brief SanitySlippage on ''Series/PrettyLittleLiars''.
* Going back 15 years now, but it needs to be mentioned. In the iconic series ''Series/XenaWarriorPrincess'', Hudson Leick, a young actress who had previously played bit roles in soaps, played Callisto, one of the most complex and heart-rending villains to grace the stage of TV. The range and depth of her acting, the way she developed the character, and the transition to Callisto's ultimate redemption was all absolutely brilliant. She also played the title character Xena ''very'' well for a few episodes, and other small parts were played with the same ingenuity. That her undeniable talent wasn't picked up for much larger roles after ''Xena'' is a true example of Hollywood overlooking a wonderful actor who deserved much more.
* All of the actresses on ''Series/{{Charmed}}'' at one point:
** Creator/ShannenDoherty was mostly known as Brenda on ''Series/BeverlyHills90210'' and her character Prue was horribly written in the show's first season. Then came [[[[{{Recap/CharmedS2E1WitchTrial}} the Season 2 premiere]] where Prue suffers a breakdown over [[spoiler: Andy's death]] and the pressure of supposedly being the strongest sister. She also delivers a brilliant performance in Season 3's "[[{{Recap/CharmedS3E16DeathTakesAHalliwell}} Death Takes a Halliwell]]", as well as "[[{{Recap/CharmedS3E6PrimroseEmpath}} Primrose Empath]]" and her final episode "[[{{Recap/CharmedS3E22AllHellBreaksLoose}} All Hell Breaks Loose]]".
** Creator/HollyMarieCombs was the unknown one of the leading actresses, though anyone who had watched her in ''Series/PicketFences'' would know how talented an actress she is. Her SRCA moment came in the show's second episode where she worries that she and her sisters could be evil. She ended up delivering the most consistent performances of all the leading actresses across eight seasons. Her acting range was taken to a new level with Season 4's "[[{{Recap/CharmedS4E3HellHathNoFury}} Hell Hath No Fury]]" where she loses it in front of [[spoiler: Prue's grave]].
** Creator/AlyssaMilano was always considered the weakest of the sisters, having been known either as the child star on ''Series/WhosTheBoss'' or a sexpot. Her first SRCA moment came in Season 2's "[[{{Recap/CharmedS2E2MoralityBites}} Morality Bites]]" where she assumes the role of her future self and comes to terms with what she's become. And again in Season 4's "[[{{Recap/CharmedS4E20LongLiveTheQueen}} Long Live the Queen]]" after [[spoiler: Cole has been vanquished]].
** Creator/RoseMcGowan had a lot of ReplacementScrappy heat to shake off, which she did within her first few episodes. Season 4's "[[{{Recap/CharmedS4E10APaigeFromThePast}} A Paige from the Past]]" helped her fall in line with the show's standards.
** Even Kayley Cuoco got this, despite her character not being well received. "[[{{Recap/CharmedS8E11MrAndMrsWitch}} Mr. & Mrs. Witch]]" has Billie desperately trying to get her parents to remember her and the season finale has her trying to come to terms with who her sister really is. Both are good performances from her. Though she previously showed hints of dramatic flair in the infamous ''Series/EightSimpleRules'' episodes following Paul's abrupt death.
** Brian Krause's crying scene over [[spoiler: Piper's body]] in the Season 3 finale? Absolutely atrocious and nearly ruined the scene. His crying in the Season 6 finale [[spoiler: when Chris dies]] and subsequent RoaringRampageOfRevenge? He Really Can Act.
* Matt Lucas is known on both sides of the Atlantic for his role on comedy series ''Little Britain'' and ''Bridesmaids''. But he proved his dramatic talent in ''Small Apartments'' as a middle aged ManChild lacking in almost any survival skills and completely lost without the brother who once helped him get by. The scene where he finds out [[spoiler: his brother has died of a brain tumor that he never told him about]] is utterly heartbreaking. The film also has ''Jackass'' star Johnny Knoxville, best known for exploring new boundaries of pain endurance, do great work as a convenience store clerk desperate to convince himself that he isn't wasting his life. He is especially good in a scene where he tells a young stripper the bitter reality of life as a topless dancer in Las Vegas and how people will view her.
* While few who saw him on ''The OC'' was in doubt that he could act, Ben [=McKenzie=] has spent much of his post teen-idol career showing his considerable talent in roles such as ''Junebug'' where he plays an ignorant character seething with resentment that his brother has been so successful and all too aware that he is viewed as the family screw-up, ''Batman: Year One'' where he played the title character and proved equally capable of making a convincing shallow playboy and tortured man unable to move on and in a one-man version of ''Johnny Got His Gun'' where he earned rave reviews for a role previously played by the heavyweight likes of James Cagney and Jeff Daniels. He has continued to earn praise for his part on ''Southland'' which has solidified his ascent as a serious actor.
* Creator/JenniferGarner can do drama (''Series/{{Alias}}''), she can do comedy (''13 Going on 30''), she can do family stuff (''Film/TheOddLifeOfTimothyGreen''), yet is generally seen as a fluffy rom-com B-actress.
* Creator/MunroChambers, whose known as playing the hilariously funny Wilder on ''Series/TheLatestBuzz'', became more popular when he took on a dramatic role on ''Series/{{Degrassi}}'' as Eli Goldsworthy.
* Farrah Fawcett, who to this day is best remembered as one of [[Series/CharliesAngels Charlie's original Angels]], proved to many that she was more than a pretty face in ''The Burning Bed'' on TV (as a woman striking back against an abusive husband) and in both the stage and movie versions of ''Extremities'' (where she turns the tables on a would-be rapist who attacks her in her own home).
* Hey, remember cute, cuddly, [[Music/TheMonkees Davy Jones]]-lookalike [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Pavel Chekov]]? About thirty years later, he did a turn as ''Series/BabylonFive'''s MagnificentBastard, [[DevilInPlainSight Alfred Bester]], and many viewers were shocked to discover that Creator/WalterKoenig not only had versatility and range, he could be charismatic and downright terrifying. Reportedly, he became the envy of many other ''Trek'' alumni, for getting such a compelling and juicy recurring role.
* [[Music/TheLonelyIsland Andy Samberg]], probably best known for the song "Dick in a Box", wins a Golden Globe for his work on the sitcom Series/BrooklynNineNine and proves he can pull serious scenes, as anyone who saw the indie movie [[Film/CelesteAndJesseForever Celeste and Jesse Forever]] could attest.
* Gareth David-Lloyd on ''Series/{{Torchwood}}''. "[[Recap/TorchwoodS1E4Cyberwoman Cyberwoman]]" is a very good example of this, as is "[[Recap/TorchwoodS3E4DayFour Children of Earth: Day Four]]". Another notable example worth mentioning is "[[Recap/TorchwoodS2E5Adam Adam]]".

* ''Series/{{Gotham}}'': Many people thought Robin Lord-Taylor would be doomed to be forever known as that scrawny kid from ''{{Film/Accepted}}''. Then they watched him give one of the most terrifying performances of Oswald Cobblepot ever, well, putting it lightly, they were convinced otherwise. He's become one of the highest-praised aspects of the show.
* Creator/JimmiSimpson is a character actor whose career has been split pretty evenly between comedic roles and serious roles. He is most recognized, however, as one of the [[{{Twincest}} twincestuous]] [=McPoyle=] brothers from ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia.'' Fans of that show who see him in something more serious (''[[Series/HouseOfCardsUS House of Cards]]'', for example) are likely to think, "I had no idea that Liam [=McPoyle=] could act!" I'm serious -- the man is incredible.
* Even the showrunners of ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'' admit that Creator/TriciaHelfer, at the time a model with little acting experience, was initially cast as Number Six [[MsFanservice for her looks]]. Part-way through the first season, however, they noticed her acting talent, and by the end of the series she'd played at least three very different roles of real depth, and a host of walk-on characters, many of whom achieved genuine individuality.
* ''Series/ZNation''. Not so much for the actors, but for the company. It's a decent tv show made by Creator/TheAsylum, a studio typically known for producing SoBadItsGood Mockbusters, and films with intentionally cheesy premises like ''Film/{{Sharknado}}''. While the special effects are still bad, the fact that Z Nation is both well written and acted is completely unprecedented.
* Willard Scott, besides being a weatherman on the ''Series/{{Today}}'' show, has done a few sporadic acting roles, all very lightweight (many of them were UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC children's shows during the 1950's and 1960's, i.e. Bozo the Clown) and in general is particularly well-known for being an {{adorkable}} NiceGuy. Then he appeared on Creator/DavidLetterman's show to call out a skeet who had [[ItMakesSenseInContext faked being 99 so he could get a birthday greeting from him]], and [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMoments did so in a way]] [[BewareTheNiceOnes that sounded legitimately threatening]]. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfOKIpY3rnQ&feature=youtu.be&t=6m10s Video here.]]
-->"Willard thinks he's Hulk Hogan."
** Though it was only a guest role for several episodes, he was also surprisingly believable as Mr. Poole on ''Series/TheHoganFamily''.
* Creator/AmyAcker has never been considered a bad actress. Her roles on ''{{Series/Angel}}'' and ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}'' were praised. Her acting in ''Series/PersonOfInterest'' as the sociopathic serial killer hacker Root was likewise met with universal acclaim, especially since she initially appeared as a [[MasterActress subdued, innocent therapist before switching to her]] GigglingVillain natural state. However, in the Season 3 episode "Aletheia," she hit it out of the park when Root spoke for the Machine directly. She managed a perfect not-quite CreepyMonotone, balancing ambiguously between "creepy computer is spying on us" and "benevolent AI doesn't know how to talk to people." Earlier in the last few episodes of ''Angel'', she really impressed by playing both Fred and Illyria in one episode -- and even switching back and forth within the same scene.
* ''Series/BandOfBrothers'' was generally good for a lot of this:
** There was minor controversy when David Schwimmer was cast as DrillSergeantNasty Herbert Sobel. Notably he was the most high profile star amongst a cast of relative unknowns. It's widely agreed that within his first scene, you forget you're watching Ross Gellar. You utterly despise Sobel for his cruel treatment of the men, and also eventually come to feel sorry for him.
** Creator/JamesMadio was most recognizable for a SoBadItsGood sitcom called ''Series/USAHigh'' or as a Lost Boy in ''{{Film/Hook}}''. Those who knew him as Bobby Lazzarini were hugely impressed, especially come episode nine where his character snaps and delivers a ReasonYouSuckSpeech to NewMeat.
** Creator/RossMcCall had mostly done children's films and guest spots on ''Series/TheBill'' before he was cast as Joe Liebgott. Not only did he [[TearJerker break viewer's hearts]] in episode nine, but he also fooled most of his fellow cast members who didn't realise he was a FakeAmerican. He credits the miniseries with helping him have a career in America.
** Matthew Settle's most high profile role before the miniseries was in ''Film/IStillKnowWhatYouDidLastSummer''. His performance as [[MemeticBadass Ronald Speirs]] is held up as fiendishly creepy and badass. It's widely recognised as his best role.
** Although Creator/ScottGrimes was reasonably known for ''Series/PartyOfFive'', he was never particularly challenged much. His HRCA moment came at the end of episode 3 when he realises just how many of his comrades have been killed. He solidified this status after the sheer heartbreak his character goes through in episode 7.
** It might be shocking to realise but Creator/DamianLewis started out as a telemarketer and had just one film and a handful of TV roles to his name when he was cast as Dick Winters. Needless to say it was a huge success for him and remains one of his iconic roles. He claims he still gets surprised remarks from fans who didn't realize he was actually British.
* ''Series/{{StargateSG1}}'' has a number of such moments.
** Creator/MichaelShanks gets several chances to act as someone other than Doctor Daniel Jackson (actually, Daniel ends up with other people stuck in his head almost as often as he ends up dead, come to think of it), and the performances range from chilling, to heartbreaking, to hilarious.
** Creator/ChristopherJudge also has a couple of instances where he gets to do something other than Teal'c being a stoic badass. The highlight is definitely the incident where Teal'c and Jack end up switching bodies, and he '''nails''' Creator/RichardDeanAnderson's mannerisms.
* Caroll Spinney in the ''Series/SesameStreet'' episode about Mr. Hooper's death. Spinney absolutely nails it as he perfectly communicates how a little kid like Big Bird struggles to come to terms with a dear friend's death.

* ''Series/{{Elementary}}'': As of "Details", the fandom is more or less chanting ''holy shit, Jon Michael Hill''.
* ''Series/{{Daredevil 2015}}'': Cole Jensen (whose best known role is the main character in ''Series/CrashAndBernstein'') plays Wilson Fisk as a child. Those skeptical about that casting choice were blown away in "Shadows in the Glass", where he plays the character to a T and sets up Kingpin's WellIntentionedExtremist attitude in the present ''beautifully''.

** Creator/TylerHoechlin was met with [[WTHCastingAgency no small amount of scepticism]] when he was announced to be playing Comicbook/{{Superman}} in Season 2, mostly because fans felt he wasn't large enough to play the [[HeroicBuild burly]] superhero, and partly because he was a popular fan choice to play ''Nightwing'' instead. When the Season 2 premiere aired, few people cared anymore about his perceived lean look and he was hailed as an optimistic and friendly Superman done right in the modern age.
*** People started being more optimistic about the casting when the CW released a two minute long sneak peak before the season premiere. Then came the season premiere. People started demanding that the network start working on Superman series starring him ''before the episode was over''.
* ''Series/TeenWolf'': While Dylan O'Brien was considered one of the stronger actors in the show from the start, his role as Stiles was mostly restricted to PluckyComicRelief and DeadpanSnarker, raising questions of how well he could play roles outside that range. Then in Season 3b, he took on void!Stiles, playing a thousand-year old evil nogitsune spirit controlling his body. He pulled the role off flawlessly and his performance was lauded as one of the best Teen Wolf villains in the whole show and proved him as the truly exceptional, stand out actor of the cast. In one episode in particular O'Brien expertly played normal Stiles, the nogitsune, the nogistune pretending to be Stiles and a broken, traumatized Stiles at the end.
* ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'': Brett Dalton was a novice actor playing the rather boring character of Grant Ward. There were a few hints of his acting ability like in the episode where he was afflicted by a rage artifact, but for the most part he didn't have a chance to shine. When [[spoiler:Ward was revealed to be a mole]], it still didn't quite help, since Dalton was ActingInTheDark, but ''after'' the reveal, he proved to be able to switch between "bland big-brother soldier" to "SmugSnake spy who loves his job" at the drop of a hat. Then in the third season, Dalton started playing Hive, an ancient Inhuman of god-level power. He completely hit it out of the park, portraying a completely calm and collected devil-figure with subtle and dangerous emotions under the surface.
* Ashley Boetcherr in ''Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street'', specially the climatic scene in the second season finale in "''Mel vs. the Future''" [[spoiler: where she has to come to terms with her mothers death]]. Great acting for a relatively innocent SliceOfLife show.
* Creator/PatrickWarburton is mainly known for his comedic performances, from ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' to ''Disney/TheEmperorsNewGroove''. This makes it all the more surprising that he can put on such a genuinely sad performance as Lemony Snicket in ''Series/{{A Series of Unfortunate Events|2017}}''. He seems constantly affected by the things he has seen regarding the Baudelaire children.
* Creator/DavidMitchell is a comedian by trade, but his performance as an old Literature/SherlockHolmes [[spoiler: with dementia]] in the final sketch of Series/ThatMitchellAndWebbLook is genuinely tear jerking.
** His partner, Creator/RobertWebb's performance as Watson in the same sketch also qualifies.

* Not that his acting skills were in doubt before, but many critics have deemed Creator/MarkHarmon's terrifying performances as SerialKiller Ted Bundy and murderer Thomas Capano (in two separate miniseries) as among his best work. Probably because they were such a departure from both his NiceGuy persona and his typical doctor/cop roles.

* Creator/TatianaMaslany was just a minor actress with a few roles under her belt... and then came ''Series/OrphanBlack''. In the first season alone, she plays nine different clones, all with different mannerisms, accents, speech patterns, and personalities. From the wild and rough British Sarah, to the competent but unraveling Beth, to the tightly-wound Allison, to the genius and excitable Casmina, to the religious fanatic Helena, she plays every single one of them absolutely perfectly, even when they are onscreen at the same time. Even better, multiple times the clones have to play each other, and it's still quite easy to tell which character Maslany is playing as the other character. Sarah spends most of the first season playing Beth competently enough, but when Allison has to play Sarah she's clearly trying too hard to be cool and aloof. Helena pretends to be Sarah pretending to be Beth and knows she can't fake the accent, so she keeps her sentences short and curt; even so, all the cops can tell that there is something off about her body language, since Helena moves like a predator. Sarah has to play Allison when Allison gets drunk at a party, and while Sarah does an excellent job, she can't quite keep up with the energy that Allison is supposed to have. One of the long-running jokes of the fandom was that [[AwardSnub Maslany wasn't going to get the award she deserved]] until she was playing literally the entire cast. She finally got nominated for her work on season 3, and won an Emmy for season 4.

* Creator/EmmyRossum was mainly known for giving bland, [[WideEyedIdealist wide-eyed]], [[TheIngenue ingenue]] performances. The came the US remake of ''Series/ShamelessUS'' where she not only proved she could act her ass off but somehow managed to come off as a better actor than ''William H. Macy''.

* To compliment his entry on [[HeReallyCanAct/{{Film}} this trope's film examples page]], Creator/JohnLithgow also has his blood-chilling portrayal of the Trinity Killer on ''Series/{{Dexter}}''. The performance won him an Emmy and a Golden Globe.

* CTori Spelling has been Hollywood's favorite punching bag for years, usually seen as a product of nepotism and a talentless little rich girl. In an effort to defy this, she put together a little LifeEmbellished sitcom in 2006 called ''So [=NoTORIous=].'' The critics who normally got their kicks trashing her, almost unanimously (and frequently, begrudgingly) praised the show, saying it was better than they assumed, and that Spelling is actually funny and pretty good at comedy, enjoying that, rather than a vanity project, she was willing to [[SelfDeprecation make fun of herself]] as much as anyone else.

* [[TeenIdol Shaun Cassidy]] & Parker Stevenson of ''Series/TheHardyBoysNancyDrewMysteries'': two good-looking, easy-going actors with one-dimensional characters who mostly quip back and forth in a show that's only bait for teenage girls, right? Then we get Third Season. Hoooo, brother, do we get Third Season. ''Last Kiss of Summer'' has Shaun sinking his acting teeth into the dark side of Joe Hardy with a vengeance, portraying a revenge-obsessed, bereaved man who tramples over everything & everyone to bring his fiance's killers to justice. On top of that, throughout Third Season, Parker gives us a doubting & conflicted Frank Hardy, who is constantly put into undercover roles that require gaining someone's trust & then breaking it (usually in a way that traumatizes the victim); ''Game Plan'' brings this to a head, as the show implies that Frank [[spoiler: might have betrayed his brother and the federal sting operation in order to run away with the BigBad, a woman he truly loves, if she had just told him the full truth about her escape plans]].

** Her debut on ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' was met with a degree of eye-rolling from the fanbase: "Oh great, here comes a shameless attempt at MsFanservice, {{Narm}} ahoy, etc..." Then came that episode where she had to manifest a dozen different personalities in twenty minutes... HiddenDepths indeed.

** Creator/ColinBaker, aka the Sixth Doctor was widely considered the worst from his short TV tenure on ''Series/DoctorWho''. When the actor reprised the role for the [[AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho Big Finish audio dramas]], he was later voted the ''best''.

---> '''Rory''': I have a message and a question. A message from the Doctor... and a question from me. Where. Is. My. Wife?! Oh, don't give me those blank looks! The 12th Cyber Legion monitors this entire quadrant. You hear everything. So you tell me what I need to know, you tell me now. And I will be on my way...\\
'''Cybermen''': What is the Doctor's message?\\

'''Rory''': Would you like me to repeat the question?

** After Creator/CatherineTate landed the role of Donna in ''Series/DoctorWho'', many doubted she could she'd adapt to a more serious role from [[Series/TheCatherineTateShow her catchphrase comedy]]. Not only did she manage to do that, but the writers also retained elements of her notorious "Am I bovvered?" character and ''actually made them funnier''.

* Creator/DavidTennant is known as a very good actor, but also as one hell of a LargeHam owing to his time on ''Series/DoctorWho'' and the film adaptation of ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire''. So people who saw ''Series/TheEscapeArtist'' (the 2013 BBC drama series) were blown away by his depiction of a court barrister whose life starts taking a turn for the worse, [[spoiler:culminating in him showing himself as a MagnificentBastard by murdering his wife's killer and passing it off as a simple accident which he had nothing to do with]]. ''Damn''. Even better? Throughout the whole thing, there's barely a ''hint'' of hammy-ness.

* Firass Dirani had generally been considered a competent and likeable young actor, but nothing truly special. The ''{{Underbelly}}: The Golden Mile'' happened, in which he showcases his dramatic chops to fullest. The show earned him rave reviews and he eventually ended up winning a Logie Award''.

* ''Franchise/PowerRangers'': Power Rangers is actually pretty good for these moments. Considering that one of the prerequisites for being a Ranger is being a "Teenager with Attitude" (or at least a young adult), you end up with very young people who are doing their very first big job, and have little experience otherwise. It could be said that they become good actors ''because'' of their time on ''Rangers.''
** Creator/AmyJoJohnson is probably the most well-known example of this trope. There's a great moment from the second season of the original show when Kim is kidnapped by Goldar and is turned into his perfect bride... which happens to be Rita Repulsa. The potion doesn't take, but Kim decides to mess with Goldar, Squatt and Baboo and turn in a pitch-perfect imitation of Rita, right down to the screeching and "I have a headache!", enough that Goldar thinks it worked too well. Even [[WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall Linkara]] mentioned in his review of the series that this moment is scarily good.
** Melody Perkins jumps in leaps and bounds from her first appearance as Astronema in ''Series/PowerRangersInSpace''. In her first few appearances, she [[ChewingTheScenery chews]] and [[EvilIsHammy hams]] more than the [[Series/PowerRangersTurbo previous season's]] villain [[MeaningfulName Divatox,]] including a great amount of [[LargeHam Shatner speech.]] A few episodes and she'd gotten better, and then came the epic 'Secret of the Locket' arc, where she portrayed Astronema teetered between good and evil so well that the viewer honestly didn't know where she would end up in the end. And THEN, after turning her back on being a bad guy, she is downright TERRIFYING when she is reprogrammed back into her Astronema persona.

** Creator/DavidBoreanaz. Most people were iffy on his acting in the first season of the show and doubted he could play more than the broody sexy vampire..... But when his character Angel lost his soul halfway through Season 2, David absolutely shined as the sadistic, terrifying, and darkly charismatic [[JekyllAndHyde Angelus]]. Watching him physically and psychologically torture (and sometimes kill) Buffy and her friends was a complete 180 difference from his former self. In fact, his performance in the episode "[[{{Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS2E19IOnlyHaveEyesForYou}} I Only Have Eyes For You]]" (where the evil Angelus is possessed by the ghost of a [[StarCrossedLovers female star crossed lover]] and forced to act out her tragic final moments with Buffy taking the role of the male lover) is what convinced Creator/JossWhedon that David was ready to carry his own [[Series/{{Angel}} spin-off show]].

** He also did a great impression of Creator/JohnGlover/Lionel Luthor in the BodySwap episode.

* George Eads of ''Series/{{CSI}}'' was a passable but unremarkable actor, but then came the Season 5 episodes "Grave Danger: Volume 1" and "Grave Danger: Volume 2." Wow. Especially considering that he spends about 90% of "Grave Danger" [[spoiler:in a box the size of a coffin.]]
* Wrestling/MickieJames, in that episode of ''[[Wrestling/{{WWERaw}} WWE Raw]]'' where she tricks Trish Stratus into believing Trish's boyfriend Jack had just tried to rape her.

** [=Joel McHale=] in ''Series/{{Community}}''. Jeff seems like the same "character" plays on ''Series/TheSoup''. Then you see something like "Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking", and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9Pkzl1BzYQ the look on Jeff's face during the following line]]. For context, [[spoiler:Pierce promised Jeff would get to meet his estranged dad, whom he has issues with. Jeff said that if it turns out to be a MindScrew by Pierce, that he will beat Pierce. Jeff is currently looking at a limo, and has answered from a phone call from a man claiming to be his father and in the limo. It's obviously Pierce, and Jeff has just realized that and is right in the middle of switching between "hopeful" and "murderous rage".]]