Top Ten Tuesday: Greatest Acting Performances In TV History

Last week, we ranked the top acting performances in movie history, so this week, we are doing the same thing for television. [Note: to avoid spoilers about potential deaths/absences, series dates are for the entire show’s run if it’s not an anthology]

 

10. Idris Elba as Stringer Bell | The Wire (2002-2008)

In the HBO classic with several stone-cold killers and criminals, Idris Elba’s portrayal as Avon Barksdale’s right-hand man was as good as it gets. Stringer Bell wanted to carry himself as a legitimate businessman, but he was still respected and feared by those who were under him in the criminal world thanks to Elba’s top-notch acting.

 

 

9. Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister | Game of Thrones (2011-Present)

There are three Game of Thrones actors on this list, and many others were deserving, including but not limited to Aidan Gillen (Littlefinger), Emilia Clarke (Daenerys), Lena Headey (Cersei), Michelle Fairley (Catelyn), and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime). As for Dinklage, he is the only American actor to be a recurring main character in GoT, and he’s an easy fan-favorite with the depth he brings to Tyrion.

 

 

8. Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes | Sherlock (2010-Present)

Like is true with all these roles, it’s difficult to imagine anyone else playing Sherlock Holmes in the hit BBC series. With a seamless blend of arrogance and rare human emotion, Benedict Cumberbatch is superb as the fast-talking, genius detective at the center of every scene in Sherlock.

 

 

7. Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon | Game of Thrones (2011-Present)

By all accounts, Jack Gleeson is a tremendous person in real life, so for him to capture the evilness of Joffrey Baratheon is a testament to his skills as an actor. Joffrey’s cockiness and faux confidence is always clear based on Gleeson’s facial expressions, and his sometimes funny, sometimes wicked lines are delivered to perfection.

 

 

6. Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy | Game of Thrones (2011-Present)

He might not get the award recognition that others do, but Alfie Allen has shown more range than anyone for his role as Theon Greyjoy in Game of Thrones, and he’s done it alongside much of the all-time great cast. Allen has basically played a few different roles because of what Theon has gone through since the show began, and he’s knocked it all out of the park.

 

 

5. Matthew McConaughey as Rust Cohle | True Detective (2014)

The fact that True Detective is an anthology series just goes to show how great Matthew McConaughey was in the role of Rust Cohle, as he makes the top five with just one season to work with. McConaughey played the detective in both the present day and the past, displaying his brilliance and complexity whether it was through simple conversation or thrilling action.

 

 

4. Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman | Breaking Bad (2008-2013)

Breaking Bad had amazing performances throughout, but Aaron Paul shared the screen with Bryan Cranston as his meth-making partner for five seasons and never took a backseat. Jesse was very emotional and had a lot go wrong in his life, and Paul made the heartbreaking drama seem real at every turn.

 

 

3. Charlie Hunnam as Jax Teller | Sons of Anarchy (2008-2014)

Considering how deep Charlie Hunnam went into the role of Jax Teller—including not driving a car for seven years and wearing plaid shirts almost all the time—it’s not surprising that he was able to bring so much emotion to the screen. The craziest part about his performance might be that he sounds about as American as it gets, but has a heavy, unique English accent in real life.

 

 

2. James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano | The Sorpanos (1999-2007)

It could certainly be argued that Gandolfini should claim the top spot for his role as the New Jersey mob boss. He played angry, depressed, loving, happy, and everything in between, and nailed things as little as eating leftover ziti or as big as having a panic attack. James Gandolfini was Tony Soprano.

 

 

1. Bryan Cranston as Walter White | Breaking Bad (2008-2013)

There are many words that could describe Bryan Cranston’s portrayal of Walter White over five seasons, but the best is probably “chilling.” Cranston was intimidating, desperate, cold-hearted, ambitious, and more rolled into one iconic character, and for all the bad things he was and did, the vast majority of viewers were still probably pulling for him in the show’s final run, and that was in large part due to Cranston’s ability to perfectly play the character.