I must say, this year has been a veritable feast for television enthusiasts, with so many talented individuals gracing our screens with their captivating performances. Among the many standouts, one name that truly resonates with me is Hoa Xuande. Born in Australia to Vietnamese parents, Xuande’s journey to the limelight is as compelling as any script he has brought to life.
The challenge of crafting a list of the best performances of the year never lies in thinking of people who deserve to be on it. It’s always, always in agonizing over which ones to include in the limited slots we have.
To maintain variety and share our appreciation for a wide range of shows, we’ve limited our selections here to those not featured in our personal top 10 lists or favorite episodes, as well as restricting ourselves to only one actor per show. This doesn’t mean we don’t acknowledge the talent of Andrew Scott on “Ripley”, Jessica Gunning on “Baby Reindeer”, or the outstanding performances from the casts of “Shogun”, “Somebody Somewhere”, “My Brilliant Friend”. On the contrary, we highly value their skills. However, during this past year, the level of excellence in television has been incredibly high, and we want to celebrate as many deserving shows as possible.
…However, it’s important to acknowledge that there were exceptional performers we couldn’t include due to limited space. With sincere regrets, let us share some, though certainly not all, outstanding performances from the year 2024 that we particularly admired.
Chloe Guidry, in the series “Under the Bridge” on Hulu, was the standout among a talented adult cast (Lily Gladstone, Riley Keough, Archie Panjabi to name a few). However, it was the younger actors who truly left an impact. Among them, Guidry’s portrayal of Josephine was particularly captivating as she embodied the show’s wounded core.
Discovering Manny Jacinto’s Versatility in “The Acolyte
In a truly gratifying turn of events, it’s delightful when a seasoned character actor like Stephen McKinley Henderson, known to many as “that guy,” is given substantial roles that make viewers exclaim his name in appreciation. This year, Henderson, who has earned acclaim on stage and been a recurring part of Alex Garland’s ensemble, shines in Netflix’s A Man on the Inside. As Calbert, a man with a love for backgammon and baseball, he serves as the moral compass in Mike Schur’s comic mystery. Particularly noteworthy is “From Russian Hill With Love,” an emotionally resonant half-hour episode that focuses on male bonding between Henderson and Ted Danson, where their characters leisurely explore San Francisco together. Just days after A Man on the Inside premiered, Henderson once again impressed as Isiah, a Philadelphia fixer, opposite the charismatic Colman Domingo in Netflix’s The Madness. It seems that every year should be Stephen McKinley Henderson’s year, but 2024 was undoubtedly his shining moment. — DANIEL FIENBERG
Marcello Hernandez on Saturday Night Live: A while back, when key members like Aidy Bryant, Pete Davidson, and Kate McKinnon departed from Saturday Night Live, there was widespread concern about the show’s capacity to replenish its talent pool. Fast forward to now, and the Season 50 cast is brimming with rising stars, such as Sarah Silverman and Andrew Dismukes. However, no one has experienced a surge quite like Hernandez, who joined in the Season 48 group as the youngest and only Latino member at the time. On the show, he’s brought endearing puppy-dog enthusiasm and bilingual panache to his regular sketches while also making a name for himself offscreen as a promoter for brands like T-Mobile and Major League Baseball. But what truly secured his place was his leading role in several “Domingo” sketches this autumn, one of the show’s first characters to gain popularity through TikTok – D.F.
Kathryn Hunter, Black Doves
In the final season of Netflix’s “Girls5Eva,” Richard Kind expresses that moderate success, rather than stardom, brings genuine happiness: “I’ve spent the last 40 years finding the ideal blend between always being busy and never being disturbed in a deli.” Despite his character on the show being a fictionalized version of himself, his real-life career seems remarkably similar. In 2024, there was hardly anyone enjoying themselves more than Kind, whether he was portraying the quirky sidekick to John Mulaney in Netflix’s “Everybody’s in L.A.,” or playing the friendly eyepatch-wearing neighbor on Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building,” or appearing in any of a dozen other projects. He was simply delightful to watch, thanks to his versatile sense of humor and his refusal to deliver even the smallest and most absurd roles halfheartedly. We can’t help but notice that at the pace Kind is winning over TV viewers across the board, it might not be much longer before he’s being disturbed in delis again. — A.H.
Title Role: Cristin Milioti, The Penguin
On Hulu, “Natasha Rothwell’s How to Die Alone” is an airport-set comedy-drama, brimming with self-discovery and romantic elements. The show boasts a comedic ensemble that you’ll want to spend seasons with, thanks to their instant humor. Natasha Rothwell, known for her roles in “Insecure” and “The White Lotus,” shines as the central figure. Her screen presence is captivating from the very start, a testament to her charisma.
In this review, author A.H. emphasizes that the survival drama “Penelope,” starring Megan Stott, thrives on its lead performance due to its minimalistic approach with no flashbacks or subplots. Stott’s acting skills are highlighted as captivating enough to make watching her learn basic survival skills engaging, such as starting a fire, building a shelter, and foraging for food.
Hoa Xuande, portraying the enigmatic Captain, was the leading actor in HBO’s adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s novel, “The Sympathizer.” The role is intricate: A North Vietnamese spy within the South Vietnamese army who has relocated to the U.S., the Captain juggles allegiances, displaying humor, rigidity, and an unpredictable nature that makes him hard to comprehend or trust on a simple level. Without Xuande’s compelling performance, “The Sympathizer” wouldn’t have been possible, let alone as thought-provoking and occasionally captivating as it turned out to be. Predictably, all the awards recognition for the series went to Robert Downey Jr., who delivered an impressive yet overly dramatic five-part portrayal. Despite its excellence, this performance sometimes disrupts the equilibrium of the limited series, leaving Xuande to admirably and consistently reestablish balance. — D.F.
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2024-12-23 17:55