Top 20 Outstanding TV Performances of the Last Decade
#20: Antony Starr
“The Boys” (2019-) New Zealand actor Antony Starr first hooked America as the complicated lead on “Banshee.” Still, he’s best known for a very different anti-hero on Amazon’s “The Boys.” Homelander appears to be the most valiant superhero in the industry. In truth, that brand is the only thing preventing the psychopath from going completely mad with power and trauma. This crude riff on Superman’s psychology might have felt too gimmicky if not for Starr. He seamlessly underlines the stature of an idol with a ferocity that is both tragic and terrifying. Showered with praise himself, Starr keeps pushing the boundaries of dramatically complex portrayals in superhero properties. He’s already defined Homelander as one of the most iconic villains in contemporary television.
#19: Anya Taylor-Joy
“The Queen's Gambit” (2020) By 2020, Anya Taylor-Joy was poised to become one of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood. It was ironically a Netflix miniseries that made her one of the most respected. “The Queen's Gambit” follows chess prodigy Beth Harmon, as she grows up with celebrity, trauma, and substance dependency. The role itself is a strategic play between thoughtful composure and painful alienation. Taylor-Joy executes this with her usual grace while maneuvering Beth’s maturing emotional depth. “The Queen’s Gambit” became a critical and pop cultural phenomenon, especially for its lead actress. She was a favorite for 2020’s award season, winning a Golden Globe and a SAG Award. While Taylor-Joy has always favored bold films, this series formally made her a household name.
#18: Ayo Edebiri
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“The Bear” (2022-) “The Bear” perfectly blends the comedic and dramatic flavors of restaurant politics. Jeremy Allen White surely represents the tragedy of ambition in this stressful industry. But Ayo Edebiri is the heart of the ensemble as Sydney Adamu. The young chef joins a rundown Chicago sandwich shop to learn from the culinary genius who inherited it. As he struggles to convert the establishment to fine dining, Sydney learns all about the artistry and pain in her passion. Her breakout actress’ control as a nervous protegée becoming a master won much of “The Bear’s” acclaim. As the crucial ingredient who makes the stressful viewing worthwhile, Edebiri has already served up a promising and prolific career.
#17: Brian Tyree Henry
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“Atlanta” (2016-22) Despite his glowing presence on Broadway, Brian Tyree Henry was mostly a quiet force on TV. His big break came when “Atlanta” revealed his tremendous range even in that quietness. Henry stars as rapper Alfred “Paper Boi” Miles, whose rise to stardom leads his entourage’s surreal misadventures. His stoic charisma makes him the ideal straight man for such an outrageous satire. As it becomes more than that, Henry’s depth reminds everyone of the strain of urban life and celebrity. This natural magnetism turned Paper Boi into an icon. It also earned Henry a wide range of major roles across formats and genres. His own superstardom goes back to holding “Atlanta” down as its cool voice of reason.
#16: Julia Garner
“Ozark” (2017-22) Julia Garner rose to prominence in vulnerable roles on heavy shows. While she was technically the heart of “Ozark,” Ruth Langmore was hardly vulnerable. As the bright and brash criminal stumbles into the expansion of a cartel into the Osage River, she becomes a major player. Ruth’s moral compromise leads to one of the show’s richest character arcs. Garner definitely gives the most intense performance. Her thick swagger and accent consistently command viewers’ attention, while her anger and heartbreak help put the show’s bold drama into perspective. Garner’s performance was singled out for accolades, including three Emmy wins. Ruth was just the beginning of an edgier new phase in her breakout career.
#15: Darren Criss
“American Crime Story” (2016-) FX’s true crime anthology is known for humanizing notorious figures. “The People vs. O. J. Simpson” even admirably restored the reputation of attorney Marcia Clark through Sarah Paulson’s rousing performance. The boldest performance, however, was Darren Criss as Andrew Cunanan. “The Assassination of Gianni Versace” reverse engineers the spree killer’s story from his murder of the titular fashion designer. Criss portrays Cunanan with incredible empathy and menace that command every one of his chilling scenes. “The Assassination of Gianni Versace” showed a whole new side of the comedic actor, winning him an Emmy. Criss’s performance may even raise the standard for depicting the charisma and tragedy that turn egos into monsters.
#14: Bella Ramsey
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“The Last of Us” (2023-) After a commanding 2016 debut on “Game of Thrones,” Bella Ramsey became an overnight sensation. That renown would be secured when they returned to HBO for “The Last of Us.” The post-apocalyptic epic follows young Ellie’s journey across a chaotic world as a potential cure for a zombie virus. The great Pedro Pascal gives a formidable performance as Joel Miller, Ellie’s weathered escort-turned-father figure. But Ramsey is a true revelation for balancing Ellie’s youthful energy and cynical grief. It's a painful, powerful coming-of-age to show off the actor’s range and maturity. Ramsey was the critical standout in a video game adaptation praised for its revolutionary success. It also formally spread a rising British star into a global phenomenon.
#13: Billy Porter
“Pose” (2018-21) Billy Porter has always commanded the spotlight throughout his career on stage and screen. But FX’s groundbreaking “Pose” flexes the greatest, most personal performance of that career. Pray Tell is initially the life of the party as a veteran announcer for ball competitions during New York’s AIDS crisis. As he comes to face his community’s and his own mortality, he becomes the soul of the tragedy. In a groundbreaking ensemble of talent, Porter’s Emmy-winning performance stood out. Besides the devastating emotional depth, his extravagant charm announced a pop culture titan. He has since become a prominent media personality for his versatile talent, style, and activism. Of course, Porter bears all of that and more on “Pose.”
#12: Elisabeth Moss
“The Handmaid's Tale” (2017-) “Queen of Peak TV” Elisabeth Moss is particularly praised for her intense handling of feminist drama. Few other talents can properly handle Hulu's adaptation of the defining work in feminist dystopia. “The Handmaid’s Tale” explores a radical theocratic regime through June Osborne, a breeding servant who becomes a symbol of resistance. Her struggle is hard to watch, to say the least. It's even harder to resist Moss' heartbreaking yet resilient commitment through all the horror. She carries the complexity of trauma and rebellion as much as the show’s tension. Her performance is widely considered one of the deepest and most important of contemporary television. As “The Handmaid's Tale” grows more ominous in uncertain times, Moss has herself become a major symbol.
#11: Regina King
“Watchmen” (2019) Regina King has proven to be a charismatic force across all genres. For all the subversion in the “Watchmen” brand, HBO’s TV spinoff confirmed the actress as a classic genre hero. The series follows Angela Abar’s investigation of a high-stakes conspiracy as the masked police detective Sister Night. The journey is filled with suspense that King carries with as much mental fortitude as physical. All the while, she nails Abar’s dramatic disillusionment with her peers and her lineage. The versatile performance was a hit, scoring a number of awards that historically alienated action. That includes King's record-breaking fourth Emmy win. Though HBO’s “Watchmen” was a miniseries, it promptly made both Sister Night and King superhero idols.
#10: Jeffrey Dean Morgan
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“The Walking Dead” (2010-22) Fans of “The Walking Dead” couldn't wait to see one of the comic’s biggest villains on the AMC show. Intense character actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan was nothing less than ideal casting for Negan. The leader of a marauder group entered the zombie drama in 2016, with wisecracking swagger and sadism. The terrifying Morgan immediately won acclaim and accolades as one of TV’s breakout baddies. But as Negan gradually came to grapple with the pain he caused, he became “The Walking Dead’s” most complicated antihero. Morgan portrays his redemption arc with great vulnerability, but not without that same volatile menace. As he continues to captivate on “The Walking Dead: Dead City,” Negan may be the defining role of his career.
#9: Phoebe Waller-Bridge
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“Fleabag” (2016-19) Rising actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge made a splash on stage with a one-woman play. When the BBC adapted it for TV, she really made waves. “Fleabag” follows a millennial Londoner’s day-to-day struggle with her dysfunctional family and personal insecurity. In addition to writing every episode, Waller-Bridge gives a revelatory lead performance. She doesn’t miss a beat in her brilliantly absurd comedy, especially through the fourth wall. At the same time, she has the emotional force to sell the tragedy in Fleabag’s anxieties. This intimate character study was a critical sensation, winning Waller-Bridge BAFTAs for both writing and acting. The second series also won her two Golden Globes and three Emmys. “Fleabag” not only announced Waller-Bridge’s mastery at writing deep dramedy, but at portraying it.
#8: Rachel Brosnahan
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“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (2017-23) At the height of her come-up in drama, Rachel Brosnahan fully claimed the spotlight with a comedy masterpiece. Granted, it isn’t much of a laughing matter when 1950s housewife Midge Maisel is left by her cheating husband. But from this tragedy, a stand-up comedy star is born. Brosnahan clearly has the emotional range for those hard parts in Mrs. Maisel’s professional and personal growth. Otherwise, not many comedic headliners could keep up with her snappy wit and stage presence. “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” was her big break as a dynamic headliner in her own right. Brosnahan gave her all in defining one of modern TV’s richest underdog stories, and has left a growing fanbase in any genre of tears.
#7: Rami Malek
“Mr. Robot” (2015-19) The genre-bending thriller “Mr. Robot” was a sensation among its moderate viewership. But there was no overlooking the performance that made character actor Rami Malek a megastar. The series follows Elliot Alderson’s recruitment into a hacker group conspiracy to dismantle American plutocracy. Along the way, he struggles with love, addiction, trauma, and hallucinations. Elliot’s story has a little bit of everything. And Malek tells it with profound intensity and emotion. At the center of a groundbreaking exploration of antiheroism and mental illness, he cracked the code to a dedicated fanbase. Never mind a variety of high-profile Hollywood projects. While “Mr. Robot’s” may have a mostly cult following, it booted up a great leading man.
#6: Carrie Coon
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“The Leftovers” (2014-17) “The Leftovers” is considered one of the great hidden TV gems of its era. The dramatic and philosophical implications of millions of humans’ sudden disappearance are a lot for the show to bear. Carrie Coon carries the bulk of that in the role of Nora Durst. The unknown actress dominated the drama in her portrayal of pain and adaptiveness in a grief counselor who lost her entire family. As Nora gradually became the head of the series, as well as its accolades, Coon became a widely talked-about talent. Many of “The Leftovers’s” loyal viewers consider it one of the defining performances of the 2010s. But Coon’s breakout career has since proven that it was no fluke.
#5: Zendaya
“Euphoria” (2019-) The multitalented Zendaya was expected to grow out of her Disney brand. No one expected a breakthrough as shocking as “Euphoria,” an HBO drama that explores the darkest corners of teen culture. Rue Bennett heads the ensemble with her struggles with depression and substance abuse after her father’s death. Such a brutally challenging role demands mature emotional range. Zendaya delivers, but with a spirit that carries the show’s maverick youthful flair. That just makes the painfully realistic crashes even more devastating. This two-time Emmy-winning performance helped propel Zendaya as a major star and talent. Now, the former Disney idol is being bombarded with coveted roles. Still, Rue affirms the mature nature of “Euphoria” in the best way.
#4: Bill Hader
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“Barry” (2018-23) As beloved as comedian Bill Hader is, his dramatic chops have usually gone underappreciated. Everyone came to recognize his layered talent as the star and co-creator of HBO’s “Barry.” There's certainly room for awkward humor in hitman Barry Berkman trying to change careers after infiltrating an acting class. Hader mostly drives that surreal premise with his trademark absurdism. But when the laughter ends, Barry’s unhinged skill is as horrifying as his remorse is heartbreaking. Hader loses himself in what becomes one of the most compromising character studies in recent memory. Sure, he commanded a whole cast of great, dynamic performances. Hader’s acting, along with his writing and direction, remains a masterclass in merging comedy with tragedy.
#3: Jennifer Coolidge
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“The White Lotus” (2021-) Comedy fans have long loved Jennifer Coolidge in outrageous supporting roles. While Coolidge has the most outrageous character on HBO’s “The White Lotus,” she highlights the acclaimed dramedy’s all-star cast. Tanya McQuoid is introduced visiting a luxurious Hawaiian resort to spread her mother’s ashes and deal with a mid-life crisis. As the whiny heiress struggles for stability, you either love her or love to hate her. Either way, Coolidge brings genuine humanity to a wildly absurd character. This emotive performance embodies the tragic satire of wealth and earned Coolidge a wealth of awards. Tanya was so popular that, even though “The White Lotus” is an anthology, she returned to steal the second season. She also launched a veteran character actress as an Emmy-winning superstar.
#2: Jeremy Strong
“Succession” (2018-23) A top-notch cast was the saving grace for the Roy dynasty’s toxic exploits. The always-commanding Brian Cox particularly kept audiences hooked on the brutal Logan. Kieran Culkin’s snarky charisma achieved new prestige with provocateur Roman. The true revelation, of course, was Jeremy Strong as heir apparent Kendall Roy. The revered character actor drove “Succession” as a recovering addict climbing to the head of a scandalous media conglomerate. As Ken sacrifices all relations and principles to achieve that goal, Strong dominates cutthroat politics and tragedy at the center of the drama. One of the decade’s most acclaimed shows announced him as a capable leading man. With every major award to his name, Strong has a brighter career ahead of him than Kendall.
#1: Bob Odenkirk
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“Better Call Saul” (2015-22) Bob Odenkirk was already the comedy standout on one of TV’s greatest dramas. Audiences fell in love with Saul Goodman on “Breaking Bad”, but were truly riveted by Jimmy McGill on his spin-off. “Better Call Saul” chronicles his rise from a sleazy lawyer into a slick gangland counselor by another name. The evolution of Odenkirk’s fast-talking charisma is epic enough. And as he powers through every ethical and existential crisis, viewers don’t just recognize Saul’s criminal mastery. They witness one of the most profound character arcs ever acted on television. The esteem that the comedic actor gained with “Breaking Bad” exploded with “Better Call Saul.” Of course, Odenkirk’s is usually the closing argument on any TV performance.
