TV The Best TV Actors of All Time  

Ranker Community
Originally by Ranker Community
83.9k votes 5.6k voters 57k views 503 items

List Rules Any actor who has ever been a part of a TV show and not simply a guest star.

The greatest TV actors of all time. Some of these actors have been in movies, some of them are even more well known at this point for their work in films rather than on TV but all of these actors have really shown off some impressive chops on the small screen.

From Bryan Cranston to Hugh Laurie and beyond, these are the best TV actors ever. From Emmy winners to simply fan favorites. Don't see your favorite actor from a TV show on this list? Add them! And make sure to vote for all of your favorites. Vote up who you think deserves the top spot, and vote down anyone that you think is overrated.
list ordered by

1
1,518 1,168
Bryan Cranston is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Best TV Actors of All Time
Breaking Bad, Malcolm in the Middle

2
841 759
Robin Williams is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Best TV Actors of All Time
Mork & Mindy, The Crazy Ones, Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In

3
893 709
James Gandolfini is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Best TV Actors of All Time
The Sopranos

4
717 659
Lucille Ball is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Best TV Actors of All Time
I Love Lucy

5
638 458
Betty White is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Best TV Actors of All Time
The Golden Girls, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Hot in Cleveland

6
712 550
Steve Carell is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Best TV Actors of All Time
The Office

7
854 869
Hugh Laurie is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Best TV Actors of All Time
House, Blackadder, A Bit of Fry & Laurie

8
653 664
Michael J. Fox is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Best TV Actors of All Time
Family Ties, Spin City, The Michael J. Fox Show

9
554 430
Benedict Cumberbatch is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Best TV Actors of All Time
Sherlock, Parade's End, The Last Enemy

10
582 478
Patrick Stewart is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Best TV Actors of All Time
Star Trek: The Next Generation

11
805 642
Peter Dinklage is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Best TV Actors of All Time
Game of Thrones

12
651 540
Neil Patrick Harris is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Best TV Actors of All Time
How I Met Your Mother, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Doogie Howser

13
453 395
Tom Selleck is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Best TV Actors of All Time
Blue Bloods, Magnum, P.I.

14
520 345
Andy Griffith is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Best TV Actors of All Time
The Andy Griffith Show, Matlock

15
575 681
Steve Buscemi is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Best TV Actors of All Time
Boardwalk Empire

16
457 384
Julia Louis-Dreyfus is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Best TV Actors of All Time
Seinfeld, Veep, The New Adventures of Old Christine

17
471 385
Ed O'Neill is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Best TV Actors of All Time
Modern Family, Married... with Children

18
510 472
Jennifer Aniston is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Best TV Actors of All Time
Friends

19
374 317
Kelsey Grammer is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Best TV Actors of All Time
Cheers, Frasier, Medium

20
417 436
Matthew McConaughey is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Best TV Actors of All Time
True Detective

21
558 724
Kevin Spacey is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Best TV Actors of All Time
House of Cards

22
400 349
Leonard Nimoy is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Best TV Actors of All Time
Star Trek: The Original Series

23
376 219
Mary Tyler Moore is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Best TV Actors of All Time
The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Hot in Cleveland

24
456 276
Dick Van Dyke is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Best TV Actors of All Time
The Dick Van Dyke Show

25
535 510
Peter Falk is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Best TV Actors of All Time
Columbo