Top 10 Big Screen Performances by Small Screen Actors

8.

James Gandolfini

Where the Wild Things Are (2009)

I am not normally one to consider voice work to be actual performances, but this one is impossible to deny. James Gandolfini, who is still Tony Soprano to basically everyone, shows his true acting talent in this fantasy-adventure by Spike Jonze. His character had the most emotional scenes, even though he was not even human. His characterization and heartbreaking humanity are what made Carol one of the best characters of 2009. Oftentimes, voice work just is a vehicle for actors to phone it in and collect a paycheck, but this movie is different. This is the best performance I have seen from Gandolfini.