Courtesy of Netflix
Mo Amer
MO (NETFLIX)
Amer’s natural, seemingly effortless knack for connection long has been one of his clearest strengths, whether in his stand-up comedy or in his recurring role on Ramy. In Mo, he proves equally able to dig into the darker, sharper corners. His easy smiles and rambling jokes take on layers of anxiety and sorrow as the character wrestles with drug addiction, generational trauma and the everyday frustrations of trying to scrape by in a country that would prefer to forget he exists. As creator and real-life inspiration for Mo, Amer steeps the entire project in his own perspective and identity — but it’s his performance that ties the whole thing together as he embodies the vibrant, empathetic spirit of the show through his irresistible star turn. — ANGIE HAN
Ayo Edebiri
THE BEAR (HULU)
There’s no question that this is Jeremy Allen White’s show, with the Shameless veteran anchoring nearly every scene of the culinary chaos, nor would anybody argue that much of the dark comedy’s tension comes from Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s chronically misbehaving Richie. But the heart of The Bear, the reason the show isn’t entirely a gut-twisting nightmare, is Edebiri’s Sydney, the relative innocent thrust into this tumultuous world of hot beef and online orders. When she isn’t providing humor and empathy on The Bear, Edebiri has been a writer and scene-stealer on Dickinson and Big Mouth, plus she co-wrote “Private School,” one of several standout episodes in the most recent season of What We Do in the Shadows. It’s quickly becoming Edebiri’s world, and it’s a pleasure to live in it. — DANIEL FIENBERG
Paddy Considine
HOUSE OF THE DRAGON (HBO)
House of the Dragon‘s Viserys Targaryen is a character almost designed to be overshadowed. In a fantasy universe populated by megalomaniacal schemers, ruthless conquerors and the occasional stout hero, his most distinctive trait is his insipidness. Yet Considine ensures he is never boring by bringing Viserys to life with touches of sincerity and flashes of fire to go with his low-level misery. He served as an anchor among an ever-changing cast throughout the series’ first season, and though Viserys’ final plea for peace was always doomed, it’s a credit to Considine’s commanding screen presence that, for a brief moment, it felt almost within reach. Viserys may not be remembered within the realm as one of their stronger kings, as he himself muses in a moment of self-awareness. But for those watching at home, he’s a highlight — a tragically human-scale man in a castle built for dragons. — A.H.
Meghann Fahy
THE WHITE LOTUS (HBO)
With the first season of Mike White’s tropical-but-savage takedown of the rich and vapid, it was almost easier to note the actors who weren’t nominated for awards — sorry to the still worthy Brittany O’Grady (Paula) and Fred Hechinger (Quinn) — than the ones who were. Turn that spotlight for season two any way you like, but The Bold Type veteran Fahy is a worthy starting point as a seemingly mild-mannered wife to a philandering cad (the also great Theo James), whose pain and coping mechanisms are carefully exposed with admirable subtlety. Keep an eye on the never-better Aubrey Plaza, who has some great scenes with Fahy, and on Italian actresses Beatrice Grannó and Simona Tabasco as well. — D.F.
Claes Bang
BAD SISTERS (APPLE TV+)
As Bad Sisters‘ John Paul, Bang might just be the least likable character on television — a petty boor of a man whose only apparent joy in life comes from tormenting others. But any actor could deliver such nasty dialogue and provoke disgust. It’s Bang’s full-bodied work that transforms John Paul into a monster to make one’s skin crawl and one’s blood run cold: the cloying voice he deploys to manipulate his wife (the equally tremendous Anne-Marie Duff), the cruel amusement he registers when one of his insults lands a blow, the cat-that-ate-the-canary grin he spreads across his face as he watches his victims appeal to the conscience he does not have. To say Bang is nearly intolerable to watch here is no insult — to the contrary, it’s a testament to the effectiveness of his performance. — A.H.
Ben Whishaw
THIS IS GOING TO HURT (AMC+)
If Adam Kay’s adaptation of his memoir about the trials and tribulations of working obstetrics in a National Health Service hospital had aired on HBO or Netflix, we would be five months into people waxing rhapsodic about Whishaw’s unapologetically prickly lead performance. The show is a bleak, downward spiral for Whishaw’s Adam, but the once-and-future Paddington Bear makes him uncomfortably funny and fully relatable, forcing viewers to awkwardly embrace a mistake-prone character who never panders for likability. This seven-episode series should be an awards breakthrough for the little-noticed AMC+, with Whishaw and co-star Ambika Mod leading the way. — D.F.
Morfydd Clark
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER (AMAZON PRIME)
COURTESY OF AMAZON STUDIOS
Clark had her work cut out for her as Galadriel in The Rings of Power, and not only because her performance would be compared to Cate Blanchett’s ethereal turn in the film trilogy. The younger Galadriel is an aloof, purehearted hero undertaking the most epic of epic quests, more of a noble ideal than a relatable protagonist. In Clark’s hands, however, she evolves into something both more and less than the larger-than-life fantasy archetype she first appears to be. Her scenes with such co-stars as Charlie Vickers (Halbrand) and Lloyd Owen (Captain Elendil) crackle with chemistry and bit by bit complicate Galadriel’s stony facade with flickers of amusement, humility and heartbreak. On a show that did its best work balancing epic drama with intimate relationships and personal journeys, Clark’s performance emerged as its North Star. — A.H.
Zazie Beetz
ATLANTA (FX)
Beetz does have one Emmy nomination for her work as Van on this series, but the past two seasons, with their creatively meandering focus, have made it clear how utterly integral Beetz is to so many of the show’s best episodes and moments. Brandishing a wig, accent and stale baguette, the actress was the zany center of the season-three finale “Tarrare”; she incredulously grounded the Tyler Perry-tweaking season-four episode “Work Ethic!”; and, opposite series creator Donald Glover in “Snipe Hunt,” she helped sell one of the few poignant reminders that the acclaimed series is reaching its concluding crossroads. It isn’t that episodes focused on LaKeith Stanfield, Brian Tyree Henry and The Goofy Movie have been bad, but Beetz’s centrality has become a guarantee of excellence. — D.F.
This story first appeared in a November stand-alone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.