Originally, the story was going to be: choose ten actors, ten shows, ten movies, ten everything. Only, for my first assignment of choosing my favorite television performances, choosing even a dozen felt too limiting. So we're breaking format, and at least as far as performances are concerned, the selections are unranked, sorted in alphabetical order.
Below I've listed the fifteen actors (as well as two ensembles, in which I couldn't single out a sole performer) whose work impressed me the most this year, who gave performances that I'm arbitrarily ruling as "the best." I've tried to inject some variety in exactly how these performances function, but naturally, the end result is a dramatic-heavy list mostly restricted to my favorite overall programs of the year. And of course, by only choosing fifteen, there are several excellent performances I had to leave off the list, not to mention the many I have yet to see (I'm behind on Boardwalk Empire; its star Michael K. Williams has ranked before and given what I've heard would probably rank again this year).
Scroll down below for the list (again, in alphabetical order, not ranked).
Matt Bomer in The Normal Heart
Ryan
Murphy’s flat handling of The Normal
Heart prevented the source material’s substantial power from properly
translating to the screen. Not only that, but in a cast of top-notch talent
including Mark Ruffalo, Julia Roberts and Joe Mantello, it was White Collar pretty-boy Matt Bomer who captured the uncompromising devastation and raw empathy that the telefilm was
otherwise lacking. Much has been made of this performance simply for the
dramatic weight loss associated with it, but no actor wrecked me on television
this year quite like Bomer did; his meritorious work should be credited more
for a profound emotional commitment than an admittedly-jarring physical
transformation.
Peter Dinklage in Game of Thrones
Peter
Dinklage has long been one of the best actors on Game of Thrones, and has more than earned the Emmy and Golden Globe
awards now on his mantle. But this was a special season for Tyrion Lannister,
and Dinklage more than rose to the occasion. Dinklage is so caustically funny, overtly
vulnerable and unconventionally heroic in this role, and, uneven as this season
of GoT may have been, Dinklage had
more opportunities than ever to demonstrate his astonishing range. This season
alone, he gave us an all-time great courtroom speech, found a way to be both
wry and empathetic at an icky wedding, and ended the season by landing one of
the year’s most triumphant moments. As characters come and go on HBO’s massive
hit, here’s to hoping that its greatest strength is in it for the long haul.
Ann Dowd in The Leftovers
I’ll
use this space to mention the fantastic work also done by Amy Brenneman,
Christopher Eccleston and (especially) Carrie Coon in this ambitious HBO
freshman. But when compiling this list and mulling over The Leftovers, I kept coming back to Ms. Ann Dowd, whose turn as a
charismatic cult leader is so expressive, so frightening and so singular that
to not name it among my favorite performances of the year would be a flat-out
lie. Maybe it’s that Dowd is doing terrific work as a completely
different character on Showtime’s Masters
of Sex, but her two-hander with Justin Theroux in “Cairo” left arguably the
most lasting impression of any actor – not to mention a crackling diner scene
with Amy Brenneman, or the fact that the vast majority of this performance is
completely wordless. It’s no easy task to create such a definable
character in total silence, but from beginning to end, Dowd was simply
mesmerizing.
Maggie Gyllenhaal in The Honorable Woman
Regardless
of medium, this ranks among the year’s very best performances. I’ve always liked
Gyllenhaal, whose work has ranged from supremely bizarre (Secretary) to affectionately warm (Crazy Heart and Stranger Than
Fiction) to, sometimes, impressively powerful (Sherrybaby). But that she had this in her totally took me by
surprise. I’ll grant that writer-director Hugo Blick handed her one of the year’s
best-written characters – her Nessa Stein could be sexy or stoic, volatile or
collected, totally in-control or way-over-her-head – but there’s a lot of depth
and complexity to her, and Gyllenhaal balanced it with grace and personality to
spare. Her peerless British accent allowed her to disappear into the role, but
from there she could simultaneously exude confidence and fear, love and anger,
excitement and unending anxiousness. It was an embodiment, the kind of
performance that earns serious Oscar buzz and a lot of critical kudos. Instead,
she was in a tiny Sundance miniseries that didn’t get much attention, but her
work and the production as a whole soared in both ambition and quality.
Lisa Kudrow in The Comeback
It’s
the most indelible original creation on this list. The Comeback is so funny, and its satire so biting, that it’s common to
give the brilliance of Lisa Kudrow at its center the short shrift. The series
is, rightly, commonly described as one that grants the viewer no reprieve. But
just as it’s true for Valerie Cherish, the camera is always on Kudrow,
and her duty is to sell a character that is at once deluded, vulnerable and
completely hilarious. I urge you to watch the third episode of the series’
second season, a pitch-black foray into the industry’s gender politics, and to
observe Kudrow closely. Every reaction, every vocal inflection, every glance at
the camera – there’s not an actor on a continuing series right now with such a
confident, layered and specific grip on a character. The Comeback is always as good as it is because Kudrow sells every
painfully-awkward frame with gusto.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Veep
Veep
keeps getting better, and so does Julia Louis-Dreyfus in a role that has
quickly evolved into her career-definer. Writer Armando Iannucci throws insults
and jokes at his cast that are intimidatingly thick, intricate and profane –
and while each actor handles the material remarkably well, it’s Louis-Dreyfus
that juggles the most as the sitcom’s center. Not only does she tap into Selina
Meyer’s rage, exhaustion and hunger for power with riotous commitment, but she’s
able to underscore a sneaky intelligence that adds crucial depth to her character.
Most essentially, Louis-Dreyfus is the funniest part of television’s funniest
ensemble, anchoring Veep with an
effortless comedic edge. It remains the best comic performance on the small screen.
Matthew McConaughey in True Detective
True Detective
aired way back in January – since, Matthew McConaughey unsurprisingly won an
Oscar and very-surprisingly lost an Emmy – and yet McConaughey’s unforgettable conception
of Rust Cohle withstood a full-year of flashy new content to remain one of
2014’s most memorable and impressive performances. Rust fittingly emerged as a
social media sensation, what with his elongated ramblings about the “flat
circle” of time and fallibility of the human condition. But without the actor’s
commitment, True Detective would feel
blatantly pretentious and thin (and even so, it barely escaped on that front).
McConaughey was handed paragraphs of isolated dialogue to work with, and
transformed them into a gripping expression of one man’s contention with his
masculinity and his sheer existence. He, along with an excellent Woody
Harrelson, managed to simultaneously fascinate and entertain.
Frances McDormand in Olive Kitteridge
If
I had to name my favorite performance of the year, this would be it. I could
repeat what made it so special, but instead, I’ll direct you to my full
review, which isn’t exactly short on praise for the Oscar (and hopefully,
soon to be Emmy) winner.
Elisabeth Moss in Mad Men
Mad Men
has steadily been one of the best-acted series on television for seven years
now, and Elisabeth Moss always seems to find ways to stand out in the ensemble.
This year, with Jon Hamm’s Don Draper tidying marital and parental affairs, and
greats like Christina Hendricks and Vincent Kartheiser in the background more
than usual, it was a big season for Moss’ Peggy Olson, and goodness did she
rise to the occasion. I won’t lament the sad reality that neither she nor Hamm
have won an Emmy for their towering work here, but it’s worth noting that she
wasn’t even nominated for her best season of work to date. She’s transformed
Peggy from a meek secretary into a trailblazing copywriter with meticulous
detail and a grand humanistic touch over seven seasons; this year, when Moss
was tasked to deliver Peggy’s first big advertising pitch, she came at it hard
and fast, expressing a well of emotion while absolutely rocking the
presentation. To watch her in that moment, seven years in the making, was the
very definition of sublime.
Niecy Nash in Getting On
This
is one of those performances that’s too easy to overlook, not only because it’s
on a sadly under-the-radar series but also when considering the bigger and
broader (and similarly excellent) work coming from her co-leads, Laurie Metcalf
and Alex Borstein. Yet when I watch Getting
On, Niecy Nash’s turn as a world-weary nurse just amazes me. Realism is a
quality employed by many actors on this list, but Nash’s portrayal of Nurse
Didi is so grounded and recognizable that, coupled with the series’ vérité style,
it can edge scarily close to real life. It’s especially strange considering
Nash’s resume – in-your-face characters in Reno
911! and The Soul Man, among
others – and especially impressive considering how funny she can be
while retaining Didi’s dignity and general exasperation. It’s the very opposite
of a flashy performance, and that’s exactly what makes it so special.
Matthew Rhys in The Americans
The Americans
is about Russian spies in Reagan-era America living out a sham marriage, and yet
the remarkability and singularity of Matthew Rhys’ work as Philip Jennings is
rooted in the ordinary. Rhys cuts deep as a family man trying to make his
marriage work, be a good father to his children, and carve out an individual identity
that reflects who he is and what he actually believes. The genius of the series
is internalized by its leading man: in a show about how to parent and partner
and be truthful even as your life is an elaborate lie, Rhys’ Americanized
family man is left to wrestle with how to truly meet those aims while staying
true to his cause, his faith. It’s a performance of glorious contradiction,
deep emotion, fundamental decency and – when he gets to don disguises and
disappear into different characters – tremendous fun.
Michael Sheen in Masters of Sex
Dr.
William Masters’ reputation for severe volatility is in no way tarnished by
Michael Sheen’s admirably unlikable performance as the eponymous sex
researcher. Partnered with a never-better Lizzy Caplan, Sheen covers a lot
of emotional terrain as a man battling a severe crisis of masculinity even as
his work tears down the very stereotypes he’s struggling to let go of. Sheen
can take the character to some pretty dark places, as in stunningly nasty tirades
against his mother (played by the aforementioned Ann Dowd) or brother
(Christian Borle), and his uncompromising viciousness is often tough to take.
But Sheen is so striking in this role, ably conveying a fragility around the
bubbling, uncontrollable emotions that grace the screen on an episodic basis. It
remains one of the finer continuing dramatic turns on television.
Jeffrey Tambor in Transparent
Jeffrey
Tambor is always good, but Jill Soloway’s masterful Transparent revealed an actor of unprecedented talent and
courage. Tambor takes on the role of Maura, a transgender parent who, after
decades of hiding, has decided to finally come out to her children. The series’
brilliance lies in its close examination of the damaging consequences of keeping secrets – and Tambor beautifully integrates those ideas into his
performance. Maura is cautious and afraid of being herself, regretful of past
mistakes that came with hiding, and easily excitable by the ability to finally
share who she really is with the world. Tambor immerses himself in this woman
with breathtaking levels of precision and delicacy, and perfectly conveys her
pain, her spirit and her ongoing struggle to just be.
Billy Bob Thornton in Fargo
I
liked everyone in Fargo, and I’m
already kicking myself for not including Allison Tolman or Martin Freeman here.
But I like my lists to have variety, and while most performances on this list
range from grounded to heartbreaking to dramatic, watching Billy Bob
Thornton’s work as Lorne Malvo week-in and week-out was just pure joy. Thornton’s
take on the sadistic Malvo was occasionally frightening, but more often than
not, the Coen Brothers veteran injected such a peculiar, unsettling energy that
to laugh and take it as good fun often felt like the only appropriate response.
Like McConaughey’s Rust Cohle, Malvo is very much a creation of its portrayer,
and to watch Thornton have this much fun and command the screen with such virtuosity
made for one of the year’s most involving viewing experiences.
Lorraine Toussaint in Orange Is the New Black
The thing about the
past season of Orange Is the New Black:
everyone was great, but regardless of who else was in a scene, if the
great Lorraine Toussaint’s Vee was present, that’s who your eyes were on. Jenji
Kohan often favors a light, comedic touch, but the second Toussaint entered
frame, a shaky uneasiness penetrated the tone. It’s the kind of power that
Glenn Close had on Damages, or James
Gandolfini boasted on The Sopranos –
only, they were their series’ leads. The levity and gravitas that Toussaint imbued
rendered her a magnetic presence, an especially difficult task given the series’
huge ensemble. It was a richly villainous performance that could sometimes turn
tenderly maternal, a character shading only a master like Toussaint could
really sell. Ultimately, Vee was a juicy character very much worthy of her
gargantuan talent.
...and some love to the uniformly magnificent ensembles of Rectify and Shameless
