The American Television industry surely saw some new faces in the 2000s as there was a major twist. The viewers were more interested in viewing sitcoms that belonged to the comedy genre. Performance by many actors and actresses during this decade has just been obscure and skillful. Have a look at a few of the best television celebrities of the 2000s.
Popular Television Stars of the 2000s
Neil Patrick Harris
Perhaps one of the funniest yet classiest actors of 200ss was Neil Patrick Harris. Born in 1973, Neil started his career at the very young age of 16 when he took part in Doogie Howser which helped him gain popularity in the industry. Most people know him as Barney Stinson from the famous show “How I Met Your Mother?” which lasted for almost 9 years.
There have been numerous films including Starship Troopers, The Smurfs Part 1 and 2, A Million Ways to Die in the West, Gone Girl, and others as well. Neil also took part in several musicals and got the award for Hedwig and the Angry Inch in 2014 for the Best Leading Actor in a physical. Neil has such a big fanbase that Times Magazine ranked him as the 100 Most Influential People in 2010. He is still quite active and planned for the release of “The Matrix 4”.
Josh Radnor
Joshua Thomas Radnor is another famous actor known for his lead role in the sitcom, “How I Met Your Mother?”. Radnor and Neil Harris have gone along very well on set and this collaboration resulted in the success of the sitcom as well. He played the role of Ted Mosby between 2005 and 2014.
But that’s not it! Radnor has been known for his role in several other TV sitcoms as well which include Welcome to New York, Off Centre, Law, and Order, The Court, ER, Six Feet Under, Miss Match, Judging Amy, and Family Guy as well. Moreover, Radnor has also made his appearance in the film industry. Surprisingly, the first film he wrote and directed, “Happy Thank You More Please”, earned him the Sundance Film Festival Audience Award.
Kaley Cuoco
This pretty star is the favorite of many! We know her from the famous TV sitcom “The Big Bang Theory” which aired between 2007 and 2019 where she played the role of Penny. For her exceptional role, she has received the Critics’ Choice Award, People’s Choice Award, and Satellite Award as well. However, she has been working in several other sitcoms before The Big Bang Theory.
Kaley Cuoco worked in 8 Simple Rules, Brandy & Mr. Whiskers, and a guest role in the television series named Charmed. Moreover, she appeared in many films after her role in The Big Bang Theory helped her gain fame. She has starred in the HBO Thriller “The Flight Attendant” for which she has received several nominations. In addition to that, her famous films include The PentHouse, The Wedding Ringer, Author Anonymous, and Cougar Club as well. For her outstanding works in Hollywood, she received a Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2014 while she also founded her own production company by the name of Yes, Norman Productions in 2017.
Demi Lovato
Most of you might know her as a singer but she was a very well-known television star in the 2000s. Lovato gained fame from the first television series she took part in known as Barney & Friends. It was an American Children’s Show that ran between 2002 and 2004. She also took part in the sitcom “Sonny with a Chance” which aired between 2009 and 2014. Her part on TV has been extended to other areas as well such as being the judge for the X-Factor Season 2 and Season 3.
However, singing seemed to be a more suitable option for Lovato rather than acting which is why she signed up with Hollywood Records and her music career took over her acting career. Her debut album, Don’t Forget, was released in 2008 and got the second spot on the Billboard 200 list. She has received several nominations for Grammy Awards while her songs have also been on the top positions on charts throughout.
Suggested Reading – Top Male Pop Stars of the 2000s
Zac Efron
The 2000s has been seen as a decade when many child stars entered the industry and got fame instantly. The case of Zac Efron is quite similar who began in the early 2000s and got his big break in 2006. In the musical television film, High School Musical trilogy, Efron played the role of Troy Bolton. This series was a major success and ran for over 2 years
In TV series, we have seen Efron in the form of guest roles for Firefly, ER, and The Guardian as well. He also played the role of Cameron Bale for 16 episodes in the series Summerland between 2004 and 2005. Surprisingly, at this young age, Efron has already racked up more than 20 awards while he was nominated for several others as well. Gold is the most recent film Efron has been working in.
Steve Carell
Steven John Carell was born in 1962 and has been a famous actor in television and Hollywood. Between 2005 and 2013, he played the role of Micheal Scott in “The Office”, one of the most grossing television sitcoms of all times. For his extraordinary performance in the show, he has been nominated for several awards and even got the Golden Globe Award for being the Best Actor for the same show.
In addition to that, he has been named “America’s Funniest Man” by Life Magazine. With the success of this sitcom, he shifted onto Hollywood movies such as Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Evan Almighty, Get Smart, and Date Night while he took part in several other films after 2010 as well. However, Carell joined television once again in 2016 where he became the co-creator of the comedy series Angie Tribeca. Further shows are also expected from him.
Courteney Cox
Most of us would have seen Courteney Cox in the famous TV sitcom Friends. She played the role of Monica Geller between 1994 and 2004 which is why she was one of the most popular stars of the 2000s decade. The show was a massive success which not only helped Cox gain fame and rise in the industry but she was also nominated for several awards of which she won one as well.
Her TV career isn’t just limited to Friends as she took part in a drama series called Dirt during 2007 and 2008 as Lucy Spiller. She also played the role of Jules Cobb in the sitcom Cougar Town which was aired from 2009 to 2015. Cox is also famous for so many films including Barnyard and Bedtime Stories both of which were released in the 2000s decade. Cox now owns a production company named Coquette Productions where she aims to release some of the best films of all time.
Jason Segel
Jason Jordan Segel was born in 1980 and has been an amazing actor, comedian, singer, and producer. The talented young man got his big break from the CBS sitcom “How I Met Your Mother” which aired for 9 years between 2005 and 2014. The role he played was of Marshall Erickson. Other television series where he has worked along with the director and producer include Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared.
Soon after he started to gain fame from How I Met Your Mother, Segel started to take part in several films including Knocked Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I Love You, Man, and others as well. In 2012, he was also named the Hasty Pudding Man of the Year. Throughout his career, Segel has been nominated for Best Actor for several films.
Suggested Reading – Top Pop Female Stars of the 2000s
Conclusion
From the above-mentioned list, we can see that some of the best television stars of the 2000s include Neil Patrick Harris, Josh Radnor, Kaley Cuoco, Dami Lovato, Jason Segel, Steve Carell, and Courteney Cox. These actors and actresses have been entertaining us with some of the best tv sitcoms while we expect many other films and sitcoms from them in the future.