Top 100 TV acting performances of all time

Greetings, reader!

A few months ago, Variety released a ranking of the 100 greatest TV acting performances of all time. It was a good read, but my primary thought was a strong "I could do a better one". So, here is my ranking of the top 100 greatest TV acting performances of all time!

Here are my honorable mentions: Aidan Gillen as Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish (Game of Thrones), Courtney Cox as Monica Geller (F.R.I.E.N.D.S.), Hiam Abbass as Maysa Hassan (Ramy), Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy (Succession), Jessica Barden as Alyssa (The End of the F**king World), John Mahoney as Martin Crane (Frasier), John Lithgow as Arthur Mitchell (Dexter), Peter Capaldi as The Doctor (Doctor Who), Sam Waterston as Charlie Skinner (The Newsroom), Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret (The Crown).

100. Anthony Carrigan as NoHo Hank (Barry)

Apparently Hank was written to be just a goon in the Chechen mafia, and making him a wholesome and eccentric gay dude was Carrigan's own innovation. A delightful addition to the show's dynamic.

99. Liza Weil as Paris Geller (Gilmore Girls)

A brilliant parody of a certain type of annoying person for ninety per cent of the time - but the moments where she shows her underlying vulnerability are the true reason for being ranked in my all-time top 100.

98. Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes (The Walking Dead)

One of those performances where the actor disappears so thoroughly into the role that it's still disorienting to watch Andrew Lincoln in anything else.

97. John De Lancie as Q (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

He only appears in eight episodes, but steals the show every damn time and makes for one of TV's most beloved recurring characters.

96. Gillian Jacobs as Britta Perry (Community)

The character may not be especially likable or consistently written, but Jacobs delivers every line with perfect comedic timing.

95. Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell Pritchett (Modern Family)

Speaking of comedically sharp line deliveries, this legend is one of TV's greatest examples of dry, sarcastic wit and hilariously relatable comments.

94. Carly Chaikin as Darlene (Mr. Robot)

Some characters are written to be so fascinating that they require a next-level actress to work - so the people behind Mr. Robot must be thanking the universe every day for the absolute gift that they got with Carly Chaikin.

93. Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen (House of the Dragon)

Matt Smith, the only actor to make this list with three different roles, is just so good at being on television, as proved by this encapsulation of the chaotic-neutral character archetype.

92. Sean Gunn as Kirk Gleason (Gilmore Girls)

Funny-weird characters have been a major part of movies and TV since Chaplin, so it takes some comedic genius to create a character who is weird in a fresh and original way - and that's what Sean Gunn does with this uniquely bizarre performance.

91. Dominic Monaghan as Charlie Pace (Lost)

Rarely does an actor show this much range with an individual role - it's a portrayal of a washed-up rock star, a gripping account of drug addiction, a wisecracking provider of smiles and levity, an occasionally unlikable asshole and a mostly lovable goofball all rolled into one.

90. James Pickens Jr. as Richard Webber (Grey's Anatomy)

Speaking of portrayals of addiction, this performance is powerful as hell when dealing with the character's struggle with alcoholism, although Pickens Jr. spends a majority of his screentime absolutely carrying the show's more comedic element by being so great as the entire hospital's dorky dad.

89. Marc Alaimo as Gul Dukat (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

I'd put this even higher, but Dukat being one of the greatest fictional villains of all time is more thanks to the writing than the acting by my estimation - that being said, Alaimo's portrayal is exactly what the script called for, and the character wouldn't hit as hard with a lesser actor.

88. Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother)

The character may have aged quite poorly (like the series in general), but that's a fault of the writers and not NPH, who is a firecracker of energy and charisma in every scene.

87. Catherine E. Coulson as The Log Lady (Twin Peaks)

I'm a fan of all things different and weird, and the late great Catherine Coulson created one of the most oddball role performances of all time with the iconic Log Lady.

86. Taraji P. Henson as Jocelyn 'Joss' Carter (Person of Interest)

A consistent, likable yet flawed, and emotionally raw performance that makes for a big chunk of this show's heart.

85. Melissa Fumero as Amy Santiago (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

In this underrated performance, Fumero has 10/10 chemistry with literally everyone in the main cast, gluing everything together with how well she bounces off everyone else's comedic chops while providing a ton of her own.

84. Josh O'Connor as Prince Charles (The Crown)

The episode Tywysog Cymru from this historic drama's third season is one of the best-acted individual TV episodes I've ever seen, largely thanks to the nuance and vulnerability in Josh O'Connor's role.

83. Carlos Bernard as Tony Almeida (24)

I can't really say my favorite thing about this role without giving away major spoilers - let's just say that Tony's character arch really goes places, and Carlos Bernard portrays every part of this crazy journey with intrigue and credibility.

82. Mahershala Ali as Sheikh Ali Malik (Ramy)

Mahershala Ali is pure gold in everything he's cast in, very much including the depth he brings to Ramy's second season. Apparently he liked the first season so much that he called Ramy Youssef, asking to be on the show, as he wanted to be a part of this desparately-needed positive and sensitive portrayal of Islam in American media, which is cool as f**k.

81. Andrew Robinson as Garak (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

Sometimes heroic, sometimes villainous, always up to something, often with plans within plans and underlying schemes and/or agendas - and you can just feel how much fun Andrew Robinson had playing this recurring wild-card character.

80. Stockard Channing as Abbey Bartlet (The West Wing)

Stockard Channing only appeared in a handful of episodes in the first season. Apparently Aaron Sorkin made her a main-cast character from season 2 onward because of how f**king perfect she is in every moment of screentime.

79. Ken Jeong as Ben Chang (Community)

A key part of why Community works so well is that this guy was cast to stir every episode and storyline up by being just the most chaotic, unpredictable and hysterically strange guy imaginable.

78. Justin Chambers as Alex Karev (Grey's Anatomy)

A tragic character whose gradual growth works so well because Justin Chambers is every bit as good at playing a complete asshole as he is at playing the ideal best friend (and these are somehow completely realistic and believable sides of the same character).

77. Kelly Bishop as Emily Gilmore (Gilmore Girls)

One of those roles that'll have every viewer's complete attention with the raise of an eyebrow. Absolute consistency and a magnetic presence with every line delivery and facial expression.

76. Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan (The Walking Dead)

Being one of TV's most frightening and evil villains is reason enough to put this guy in the top 100, but the fact that they gave him an against-all-odds redemption arch (that wouldn't have worked unless the actor streched the character to an incredible range) is the cherry on top.

75. John Barrowman as Malcolm Merlyn (Arrow)

Basically, the stuff that I said about Deep Space Nine's Garak but even better. TV's greatest example of the 'charismatic recurring guy you always want to see more of without ever knowing which side he's on because he's so tricksy and complex' trope.

74. Kaitlin Olson as Dee Reynolds (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia)

It's Always Sunny has been running for sixteen seasons, and I for one hope that they continue for sixteen more, so that Kaitlin Olson can continue be just the most unhinged dirtbag (she's so good at that).

73. Andrew Scott as James Moriarty (Sherlock)

A fresh twist on one of literature's most iconic villains - a big role to step into, but Scott does it justice.

72. Jorge Garcia as Hugo 'Hurley' Reyes (Lost)

The fascinating villains and complex antiheroes always get the biggest acting praise, but let's be real - it also takes a truly great actor to make a character so lovable that you just want to be able to give the fictional character a hug (and would maybe take a bullet for them).

71. Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy (Modern Family)

She may not be as laugh-out-loud funny in an obvious manner as many in the Modern Family main cast - but I'd argue that it takes even more acting skill to portray the beating heart of the show's themes and humor, with a consistent and nuanced performance worthy of the sitcom hall of fame.

70. Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister (Game of Thrones)

When you portray someone as monstrously evil as Cersei Lannister with a fittingly villainous coldness, but still make the viewers feel sympathy for the character with consistent portrayals of tragedy and loss at the right times, you know you're one of the greats.

69. Brent Spiner as Data / Lore / Various Soongs (The Star Trek franchise)

One of those unique character concepts that call for just the right actor - and Brent Spiner was the man for the job in this career-defining performance.

68. Rita Moreno as Lydia Alvarez (One Day at a Time)

Anyone with an iconic grandma (I should know; I have two) will appreciate this testament to silly, badass and thoroughly remarkable grandmothers.

67. Anna Sawai as Toda Mariko (Shogun)

In just one ten-episode season, Anna Sawai sears the character of Mariko deep into the viewer's mind with this spectacularly captivating performance.

66. Jenna Fischer as Pam Beesly (The Office)

So underrated that it hurts. Every line delivery, every brilliant reaction, every facial expression (especially the one after Jim asks her out in the season 3 finale - possibly the best acting portrayal of being in love I've ever seen in a single facial expression), is nuanced perfection. Pam is the heart of the series and Fischer should've won awards for this.

65. Matt Smith as Prince Philip (The Crown)

Did I mention that Matt Smith was born to portray various complex characters in various TV shows? As a young Prince Philip, Smith would do this thing where he's an arrogant jerk in one scene and a charming heartthrob in the next, while consistently and believably staying in character through all that range.

64. Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine (Star Trek: Voyager)

One of television's most amazing character archs, with Jeri Ryan slowly transforming her portrayal of the character from point A to point B in the exact tempo the plot called for.

63. Lorraine Braco as Jennifer Melfi (The Sopranos)

The therapy scenes are more captivating and thrilling to watch than any of the mob violence and crime power plays, and that's because there are two world-class actors bouncing off each other in the dialogues. Braco is ranked below her counterpart only because the character of Dr. Melfi had less to do and therefore didn't call for as much range.

62. David Tennant as Kilgrave (Jessica Jones)

One of the reasons David Tennant is one of my all-time favorite actors is that almost no one else has this much range - he's known best for playing one of TV's most endearing and lovable characters in Doctor Who, but he's equally believable as a frighteningly cold-blooded pure-evil villain in Jessica Jones. Chills.

61. Giancarlo Esposito as Gus Fring (Breaking Bad / Better Call Saul)

Speaking of TV's greatest villains, this guy is certainly up there. This magnificent and multifaceted acting performance is the #1 greatest from Esposito's impressive career.

60. Marcia Cross as Bree Van de Kamp (Desperate Housewives)

I could write the most boring and mundane lines of dialogue imaginable, and have full confidence that Marcia Cross in this role would make them compelling and iconic with her delivery. When working with writers who came up with great dialogue, Cross had the perfect material to work with, and fulfilled the potential of each and every line written for Bree.

59. Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute (The Office)

The concept of Dwight Schrute is such a unique and trope-defining combination of personality traits that even a lesser actor would've made him into an entertaining and memorable character. Rainn Wilson took the assignment with the utmost seriousness and passion, throwing himself into the role with such conviction (I can't comprehend how he made it through Dwight's lines without breaking in laughter every time) that Mr. Schrute became the stuff of legends.

58. Grant Gustin as Barry Allen / The Flash (The Flash)

Not half as deep and complex as most of the roles on this list, but deserves to be here because Grant Gustin is 100% what the live-action portrayal of The Flash needed to be, and one of the greatest casting decisions of all time. Everything the character called for, from looks and general vibe to facial expressions and way of speaking, is just right.

57. Andy Samberg as Jake Peralta (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

Andy Samberg's God-given gift for comedy is on full display here - he's constantly on the verge of over-acting without ever crossing it in a "now it's not funny anymore" way, and walking that line for eight straight seasons is quite the achievement.

56. Yvette Nicole Brown as Shirley Bennett (Community)

Sometimes Shirley is a manipulative, passive-aggressive parody of religious bigotry. Sometimes she's a sweet, thoughtful friend with a massive heart and willingness to learn. Sounds like two different characters, but Yvette Nicole Brown sells every scene and every dimension of the character so completely that Shirley ends up feeling like a real person you know and love.

55. John Spencer as Leo McGarry (The West Wing)

Sometimes I watch the season 1 episode Let Bartlet Be Bartlet's final scene and cry, thinking about the tragic loss of John Spencer and what a legacy he left behind with this towering performance.

54. Michael Imperioli as Christopher Moltisanti (The Sopranos)

A dumb and funny comic relief at times and a tragic victim struggling with addiction at others, Michael Imperioli combines wit, bitterness and about a thousand other interesting personality traits in bringing this deeply complicated character to life.

53. Maisie Williams as Arya Stark (Game of Thrones)

In the earlier seasons, it's one of the most captivating and fleshed-out child acting performances I've seen in TV or film. As the character and actress grow, the performance gains more and more layers, while always being staggeringly loyal to George R.R. Martin's source material.

52. Bill Hader as Barry Berkman (Barry)

In the most artistic move of his career, Bill Hader (known for being a hilarious comedy actor) wrote and produced a drama-comedy hybrid series, cast a bunch of comedically talented people to play supporting characters who are funny in various ways, and cast himself in the depressingly serious main role. It might be near-impossible to imagine Hader as a PTSD-suffering psychopath if you're used to him on SNL, but trust me, he pulls it off.

51. Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso (Ted Lasso)

A role so record-breakingly full of heart that it'll make the viewer feel better about themselves and the world. One of the most sympathetic and soul-healing performances I've seen.

50. Sheryl Lee as Laura Palmer (Twin Peaks)

For a character whose death kicks the series off, Laura Palmer does get her share of screen time via flashbacks, video material and dream sequences. And thank God for that, because Sheryl Lee is so outrageously good in this role that it really makes the viewers understand why the fictional town of Twin Peaks felt her loss so deeply.

49. Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II (The Crown)

Bringing a well-known and complex historical character to life is a hard job, but Claire Foy proves how well it can be done if you just happen to be a magnificent actress. All three Elizabeths across the show's run were well-cast and impressively acted, but Foy had the toughest job ("young girl thrust into becoming Queen while mourning her father and her chances of ever having an ordinary life" is a significantly more challenging arch than "yep, still Queening") yet she nailed it.

48. Lauren Graham as Lorelai Gilmore (Gilmore Girls)

She'll make you laugh with her hysterical comedic timing, she'll make you cry with her powerfully acted moments of frustration and pain, and she'll make you feel like you're a part of the show's world by being so relatable and real.

47. Jim Rash as Dean Pelton (Community)

Imagine being so great in a supporting role that you get more and more screen time each season because the writers keep realizing that no matter how heavily your character is utilized, it should still be utilized more because the role is such an endless barrel of laughter.

46. Rhea Seehorn as Kim Wexler (Better Call Saul)

Rhea Seehorn's acting had viewers like myself in awe throughout this show's six-season run, with her interactions with fellow castmembers and the complexity of her performance feeling unreal because it's just so good.

45. Avery Brooks as Benjamin Sisko (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

Avery Brooks built an impressive early acting career, crowned it by bringing one of the Star Trek franchise's most engaging and complex characters to life with depth and gravitas, and then left acting to focus on his passion for jazz music. Absolute king.

44. Glenn Howerton as Dennis Reynolds (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia)

Dahmer this, Hannibal that - one of TV's most utterly fascinating and psychologically consistent portrayals of a dangerous, mentally unstable psychopath is from a f**king sitcom. You could take the character of Dennis Reynolds, exactly as he is, into a different context and he'd work as a case study in a psychological thriller or a villain in a slasher film just as well as he works as in IASIP as just one of the guys.

43. Yunjin Kim as Sun Kwon (Lost)

Probably the most hands-down underrated acting performance on this list! Yunjin Kim is insanely captivating in this role, with so much thought, work and talent going into all sorts of microexpressions and other nuances to make the character feel so fleshed-out and complete. No matter what specific subgenre of a complex emotion the script calls for, she’ll spell it out to the viewers by making just the right face.

42. Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy (Game of Thrones)

Whether he's shooting the breeze as a funny side character in season 1, going through a bitter and heartbreaking betrayal arch in season 2, losing his humanity and winning back the viewers' sympathy via unspeakable suffering in season 3 or fighting for redemption against all odds in season 5, Theon's character arch works so well because Alfie Allen portrays every step of the journey with equal prowess.

41. Bill Hader as Various (Saturday Night Live)

The Saturday Night Live cast has many comedy legends, yet hardly any of the sketch comedy show's repertory players made it onto this all-time list. Bill Hader, however, is in a league of his own - every celebrity impression, every weird-ass one-time character, every Weekend Update segment with his recurring character Stefon, it's all just so next-level.

40. Nana Visitor as Kira Nerys (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

Rarely have I fallen in love with a fictional character as much as I did with Major Kira. Not because of superficial reasons, but because Nana Visitor makes the character so real and raw that she feels like a real person, and one who the invested viewer grows to care about with all their heart.

39. Steve Carell as Michael Scott (The Office)

I must admit that I considered this award-winning performance to be overrated when watching the show for the first time. It takes some serious re-watching to fully grasp and appreciate how great the role is - in all obnoxiousness and over-the-topness, Carell's way of playing the character makes for a huge percentage of the entire show's signature humor, and it's clear how every line becomes the absolutely funniest version of itself in his mouth.

38. Kieran Culkin as Roman Roy (Succession)

Succession's most psychologically complex character could be endlessly analyzed, as Kieran Culkin binds all his traits together to create a real-feeling human who is hilarious in one scene, a sympathetic victim in the next and an unhinged monster in the third.

37. Felicity Huffman as Lynette Scavo (Desperate Housewives)

Anyone who was raised by a great mother (I should know; I had the best one) will appreciate Felicity Huffman's way of paying tribute to society's unsung heroes with this kick-ass performance. The emotional toll of being responsible for five little kids and one manchild is heartbreakingly felt in a performance that will make you want to A) call your mother and B) demolish the patriarchy.

36. Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy (Modern Family)

One of the greats of comedic timing, and outrageously good at making an already funny moment infinitely funnier with just the right microexpression.

35. Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey (Grey's Anatomy)

I'm currently on the 20th season of Grey's Anatomy - some might call me stubborn as the writing and quality have admittedly gone downhill, but I vow to continue to watch as long as Chandra Wilson continues to kick ass and take names as Doctor Miranda Bailey, as she has been doing for two decades. Her unapologetically flawed yet genuine and lovable way of playing Bailey is just that good. #alwaysmychief

34. Richard Schiff as Toby Ziegler (The West Wing)

There is endless depth to the tragic character of Toby Ziegler, whose subdued vulnerability comes brilliantly to life in Richard Schiff's acclaimed performance.

33. Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman (Breaking Bad / Better Call Saul)

Playing an entertaining comic relief sidekick in one series, and then fleshing the same character out with a gripping backstory in a prequel series, takes some skill - and Bob Odenkirk was nice enough to bring about ten times more skill than was even required to ensure the show's success.

32. James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano (The Sopranos)

If one were to write an essay about TV's rise from inferior form of big-screen entertainment to an equal art form to cinema, it would be absolutely necessary to mention the influence of The Sopranos, and how the acclaim of the late great Gandolfini's performance felt 'too good for TV' by contemporary viewers.

31. Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison (Homeland)

I'm very much not an expert, but many who are experts have said that Claire Danes in Homeland is one of the most realistic portrayals of bipolar disorder in cinema and television, so major points for that. I just know she's generally incredible in bringing the protagonist's every trait to life.

30. Kate Mulgrew as Kathryn Janeway (Star Trek: Voyager)

Seven seasons of pure badassery, raw emotional power, range within consistent parameters, and inspiring conviction. Nothing short of a feminist icon.

29. Andre Braugher as Raymond Holt (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

As you can surmise from the amount of comedy performances on this list, I'm not as dismissive of comedy acting in comparison to dramatic acting as many of my fellow TV/movie buffs. It takes some serious talent to be genuinely funny while also playing a character in an interesting, credible and consistent manner. And the late Andre Braugher was one of the best to ever do it.

28. Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer (24)

For eight years, Kiefer gave his everything into this intense and passionate lead performance, disappearing into the role so thoroughly that you forget it's an actor playing a fake person when you watch the series.

27. Sherilyn Fenn as Audrey Horne (Twin Peaks)

The weird and magical way in which Sherilyn Fenn plays this role is one of the most enthralling acting feats I've witnessed. It honestly feels downright anticlimactic and boring to see her playing normal characters in other shows after this delirious high.

26. Donald Glover as Troy Barnes (Community)

Donald Glover is great at everything he does, and that very much includes the role performance that originally put him on my radar. He clearly has so much genuine fun playing the character, he delivers some of television's all-time funniest lines, and he provides such a big chunk of the show's heart and atmosphere that it never feels quite the same after his exit.

25. Leonard Nimoy as Spock (Star Trek)

One of the most compelling and original characters in all fiction, and Leonard Nimoy's legendary portrayal is just the tour-de-force the character's writing deserves.

24. Mary Lynn Rajskub as Chloe O'Brian (24)

A performance so bizarrely unique that there will never be anything like it. I don't know who had the idea that a fast-paced high-stakes thrill-ride about counterterrorism agents, with a cast full of conventionally intense action tough-guys, should add a socially awkward, clearly autistic and constantly annoyed woman into the main cast in the third season, but that's probably the greatest decision in TV history. Re-watching the first two seasons feels so wrong because once you've experienced Chloe, 24 without Chloe feels like a cheap rip-off.

23. Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan (Dexter)

One of the great TV antiheroes, and one of the most consistent and complete realizations of a TV character in the history of the medium.

22. Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing (F.R.I.E.N.D.S.)

This man is to sarcasm what Lionel Messi is to football.

21. Terry O'Quinn as John Locke (Lost)

I feel emotional whiplash whenever I see Terry O'Quinn in any other role. He was born to be the odd, cryptic and magical John Locke, a character who encapsulates everything that is great about Lost.

20. Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister (Game of Thrones)

If I hadn't seen the series and you'd show me the trial scene from season 4 without any context, that alone would put Dinklage as Tyrion into today's top 50.

19. Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang (Grey's Anatomy)

I'm a massive fan of the way Sandra Oh plays the role that is more or less synonymous with the series in pop culture - she's consistent in the character's 'default setting' as a deeply professional, self-confident and cold-blooded surgeon, but whenever the script calls for it, she finds the right layer of dry humor, painful emotion, friendly warmth, internal conflict or literally anything else that the script calls for, in just the right manner.

18. Bryan Cranston as Walter White (Breaking Bad)

Yeah, I know, many TV buffs would have this at #1 and I can see why. I don't even consider the role overrated; there are just 17 other performances in the world of TV that I respect even more. But yeah, it's the modern-day Macbeth, and it's astronomically acclaimed with good reason.

17. Matt Smith as The Doctor (Doctor Who)

DID I MENTION HOW GOOD MATT SMITH IS AT BEING ON TV?! No, really, just watch the speech from The Rings of Akhaten and you'll see what I'm talking about. How a young human man can play a 900-year-old alien with the utmost credibility is beyond me.

16. Kate McKinnon as Various (Saturday Night Live)

Okay, I lied when saying Bill Hader was next-level from any other SNL castmembers, as there is one who is in another tier yet. The fact that I'd trust her to do a brilliant, genius parody of any of the other 99 roles on this list with complete confidence speaks for itself.

15. David Hyde Pierce as Niles Crane (Frasier)

From pitch-perfect line deliveries to hilarious physical comedy, from impeccable chemistry with every castmember to hysterical facial expressions, from being so relatable for us awkward undiagnosed-autism dudes that it hurts to bringing an immense amount of heart into his endearing moments, David Hyde Pierce does Niles Crane with perfection for the entirety of the show's 11-season run. 

14. LaKeith Stanfield as Darius (Atlanta)

Darius is one of those characters that you don't even have to write - you can just trust LaKeith to do LaKeith and make the character his own, as I'm guessing Donald Glover trusted him to do when creating Atlanta. One of the most memorable acting performances I've witnessed, and a spectacularly unique one.

13. Brad Whitford as Josh Lyman (The West Wing)

The range within keeping in the believably same character goes back and forth between "arrogant prick" and "fist-pumping inspiration to make the world a better place" about a thousand times throughout the show's seven-season run. Whitford's work in the season 2 episode Noël should be studied in any given acting school.

12. Michael Emerson as Ben Linus (Lost)

Every second this bug-eyed motherf**ker is on screen is a second you'll be so glued to the screen that blinking feels wrong. The absolute craziest visual shit could be happening (as it often does in this show), but if Ben's in the frame, you'll be locked in and focused on his illuminating facial expressions.

11. David Tennant as The Doctor (Doctor Who)

Sometimes the world feels like a bleak place, and in those moments, it helps to remember that the world gave us David Tennant in the role of the Doctor, from which you can't possibly draw any possible conclusion other than that the world is also magical, and our potential is endless.

10. Allison Janney as C.J. Cregg (The West Wing)

The great, towering, indescribably talented Allison Janney gives her everything into the role that keeps on giving, a role so complete that C.J. feels like a full human being and an old friend you care deeply about.

9. Michael Emerson as Harold Finch (Person of Interest)

I've seen Michael Emerson in two TV roles, and they both made my all-time top twelve. Needless to say, I'd like to see Michael Emerson in more TV roles. He consistently retains the most captivating presence in Person of Interest throughout its run, and the interrogation scene from the final season's The Day the World Went Away is probably the second-best-acted TV scene of all time.

8. Martin Sheen as Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet (The West Wing)

Martin Sheen's acting skill and passionate inspiration seen in this role has done more good for the world than a vast majority of real U.S. Presidents. The cathedral speech in the season 2 finale is probably the only TV scene even better-acted than the Person of Interest interrogation scene.

7. Zendaya as Rue Bennett (Euphoria)

I've seen countless skillful, heartwrenching and impressive portrayals of drug addiction in various Oscar-bait movies. Zendaya in Euphoria is roughly better than all of them combined.

6. Danny Pudi as Abed Nadir (Community)

I would've wanted to put Danny Pudi as Abed at #1, because on a completely subjective level, no other acting performance has moved me as much and meant as much to me as this one. An attempt to balance objective appreciation for acting skill and the subjectivity inherent to making such a list ended up with ranking him just a notch lower, but I can't possibly go any lower than #6. It takes a special actor to make a role so good that it becomes relatable, therapeutic and borderline life-changing to any viewer, and Danny Pudi did that for me by playing who became my ultimate emotional support character.

5. Emily Mortimer as MacKenzie McHale (The Newsroom)

Some call it over-acting, I call it an unprecedented burst of inspiring idealism and pure passion so raw that mainstream TV audiences couldn't handle it. Every word out of her mouth was sending me to the barricades.

4. Sir Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard (Star Trek: The Next Generation / Star Trek: Picard)

When you take the themes and ideals of the Star Trek franchise that I love so much, and add one of the greatest actors of all time into the mix with full Shakespearean gravitas, it gets too good to fully comprehend.

3. Rami Malek as Elliot Alderson (Mr. Robot)

An unforgettable, sledgehammer performance that nails everything from the character's social awkwardness and sensitively handled mental health issues to his emotional core and revolutionary nature.

2. Kyle MacLachlan as Dale Cooper (Twin Peaks)

With the combination of David Lynch's writing of the role and the casting of the only person who could possibly make the role his own, Dale Cooper is become the greatest fictional character of all time. Lynch and MacLachlan are my favorite director/actor combo of all time, and of their many collaborations, this larger-than-life role is the GOAT.

1. Charlie Day as Charlie Kelly (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia)

I honestly didn't expect this role to end up at #1 when I started to make this list - but as the process went on, I noticed that putting any other performance ahead of this one felt wrong. No other TV actor has put as much creativity, passion and pure genius into a role as Charlie Day - as funny as the rest of the main ensemble is, he could be argued to be the MVP of any given episode, because every moment that Charlie Day spends in his role of a lifetime is perfection. It's the funniest performance I've seen in TV and movies, but Day also goes so much beyond humor to make the character tragic, endearing and somehow amiable and humane beneath the layers of surrealism and chaos.

That’s the list! Here are some fun statistics.

Actors who appear on the list more than once:

Matt Smith (3)

Bill Hader (2)

David Tennant (2)

Michael Emerson (2)

TV shows that appear on the list more then once:

Community (6)

The West Wing (6)

Lost (5)

Game of Thrones (4)

Gilmore Girls (4)

Grey’s Anatomy (4)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (4)

Twin Peaks (4)

24 (3)

Breaking Bad (3)

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (3)

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (3)

Modern Family (3)

Star Trek: The Next Generation (3)

The Crown (3)

The Office (3)

The Sopranos (3)

Barry (2)

Better Call Saul (2)

Desperate Housewives (2)

Doctor Who (2)

Mr. Robot (2)

Person of Interest (2)

Saturday Night Live (2)

Star Trek: Voyager (2)

The Walking Dead (2)

Thank you for reading! Tune in next week for a ridiculously niche and specific list: a ranking of the four TV shows that share the premise of "The pilot episode kicks off with the death of a female character, who goes on to be one of the show's central and most interesting characters despite being killed off in the very first episode".