Best TV Performances of 2021

When “Shrill” quietly ended this year, it also took one of TV’s most underrated performances with it. As Fran, the forthright roommate of Aidy Bryant’s lead character, Adefope consistently stole scenes with irresistible acting choices. In her hands, Fran was funny, warm, prickly and grounded all at once. It’s a shame we won’t get to see more of her in future, but hopefully plenty of people Stateside took notice of Adefope’s skill and won’t hesitate to spotlight her going forward. — Caroline Framke

Aduba’s shrink was unusually reactive, treating her sessions with her patients as a sort of two-sided talk therapy in which they might find a way to heal her. When one saw what she was dealing with during off-hours, her dangerous method began to make sense. This is a performer whose every new role has come to seem like an event, and “In Treatment” gave the full Aduba: Struggling to hold it together while every impulse threatened to give way to pain, or to impulse, or simply to exhaustion in the face of what she’s been trying to bear. — Daniel D’Addario

There are so many ways the role of chaotic hotel manager Armond could have sunk “The White Lotus” in a lesser actor’s hands. In Bartlett’s, however, it became exactly the kind of hilarious, devastating train wreck the script demanded, with some of Bartlett’s own specific flourishes making him distinct from most any other character on TV. No matter how low Armond sunk (or how high he got), Bartlett’s portrayal proved a finely honed, breathtaking bit of acting. — CF

Coolidge does a series of nested magic tricks with her performance in “The White Lotus.” First, she conjures an attitude of utter disaffection, making her privileged character Tanya McQuoid float above the action of the series. Then, ably assisted by Natasha Rothwell in a shrewd double act, Coolidge pushes out and through her character’s surface obliviousness to make us realize the emptiness and loss that haunts Tanya each day, the reasons she’s so utterly tuned out. Having shown us the real humanity within, Coolidge concludes her work — the high-watermark for a series characterized by strong acting across the board — by returning to her shell and abandoning the woman who helped her come into herself. Tanya, in the end, cannot escape herself. — DD

Of the many performers tasked with making the fictional musical world within “Schmigadoon!” feel real, DeBose emerged triumphant; her key musical number, a dazzling tap sequence, has the power to transport even skeptical viewers, for a moment, into sheer wonderment at her talent, timing, and élan. On a show that struggled to find its tone in an unsteady satire of and homage to old-school musicals, DeBose’s is a performance untouched by irony or winking. It’s simply the real thing. — DD

There’s no shortage of performance muscle in Hulu’s gritty, headline-based drama. But it’s Dever who provides the aching heart, and the sense of potential wasted. Her Betsy is a young queer woman who just wants to get out of town and find her future, before she’s set on a spiral of addiction. What Dever shows us of the aching, curious, ambitious human being Betsy was before makes every station of hell the character endures feel all the more potent. In all, Dever’s work reinforces the show’s baleful message about what a drug epidemic has hollowed out in this nation’s humanity. — DD

It’s hard to pick just one or two standouts from the “Girls5Eva” ensemble, which is packed with as many hilarious performances as one might expect from a show borne of “30 Rock” alums. If forced, though, the pair of Goldsberry and Pell is simply irresistible. As a diva in constant search of a stage, Goldsberry puts her Broadway experience and comic timing to expert use; as a typically pragmatic doctor unraveling after a divorce from her wife, Pell is simply irresistible in a role perfectly suited to her. — CF

There are few scenes this TV season that stick in my mind more than when “Rutherford Falls” lets Greyeyes claim the screen with a thrilling gravitas that briefly brings the comedy screeching to an urgent halt. In the role of self-made casino mogul Terry, Greyeyes layers his performance with steely resolve and a blunt delivery that makes every joke pop. There’s plenty to like about “Rutherford Falls,” but Greyeyes remains the main reason to keep tuning in. — CF

Having established his ability to play a magnetic rom-com lead on “The Good Place,” Harper got the acting showcase he deserves with the stellar second season of HBO Max’s “Love Life.” Stepping into the shoes of frustrated book editor Marcus, Harper gives a performance that not only runs the full gamut of human emotion but demonstrates just how well he can bring depth to most any scene handed to him. — CF

The big and loving heart of a charming and painfully emotional limited series, Howells emerged as a breakout star this year. As a young Welshman coming into his own in London at the very start of the AIDS crisis, Howells presents a wide-eyed sweetness that never grows saccharine. Instead, that lovely humanity provides a counterpoint to the cynicism of those who’d ignore stories like that of this character. Howells’s gentleness makes the tragedy of “It’s a Sin” tough to take; it also makes this series all the more urgent. — DD

Tasked with portraying one of the sweetest hearts on a show overflowing with them, Jimoh seized the opportunities that “Ted Lasso” Season 2 gave him to flesh out his character and make a case for himself as one of TV’s most compelling romantic leads. Endlessly charming, confident, and quietly heartbreaking when the moment calls for it, Jimoh turns in a performance (especially opposite the formidable Hannah Waddingham) that remains a standout. — CF

“Squid Game,” Netflix’s late-breaking smash hit of the season, could have been a fun enough time with lesser actors by virtue of its slick production value and escalating series of shocking moments. But with Lee as its earnest, beating heart, the series became something far more human and compelling. No matter if he was running from debt collectors, struggling through deadly games, or risking everything to protect his elderly new friend (played by the fantastic Oh Yeong-su), Lee anchored “Squid Game” like no other could. — CF

The bench of talent is so deep on “Succession” that every single castmember ends up making a case for themselves as the most valuable player in just about every scene. Macfadyen, however, consistently nails one of the show’s trickiest, strangest characters, imbuing hapless wannabe shark Tom Wambsgans with a vulnerability that’s impossible to ignore. Every scene he’s played in Season 3 has been an unforgettable one, usually because of the way Macfadyen delivers a line or raises a skeptical eyebrow. No one else on television is giving a performance anything like this one, which is a feat in and of itself. — CF

Martin is no stranger to performances in which his actorly vanity is undercut, a little or a lot. And here, he plays a washed-up TV actor who is perhaps a little too excited about his newfound fame as a true-crime podcaster. While his prickliness is certainly amusing, other pleasures he finds within the podcast keep viewers on the hook: In his bond with neighbors and recording partners played by Martin Short and Selena Gomez, Martin conjures warmth and unexpected tenderness. — DD

Technically, “Starstruck” is about an ordinary woman (Matafeo) who accidentally ends up sleeping with a handsome movie star (Nikesh Patel) whose charm proves too irresistible to ignore. And yet it’s Matafeo, who also created the series, whose charisma ends up burning up the screen with her effervescent performance. She makes it all too easy to understand why this celebrity, like this viewer, simply can’t get her off his mind. — CF

There is a world in which “The Underground Railroad” was simply a brutal adaptation of an equally brutal book, sacrificing character development for scenes meant to shock and awe. Instead, under the guidance of director Barry Jenkins, Mbedu brought such visceral humanity to her performance as runaway slave Cora that she imbued the series with a stunning, compassionate weight. Few could have taken on such a crucial role half as nimbly, and as such, Mbedu deserves far more credit than she’s currently received for the show’s overall success. — CF

Individually, Olsen and Hahn brought so many layers to their characters that millions couldn’t help but unpack them all week in and week out. Together, they proved such a compelling pair that their every interaction gave “WandaVision” new dimension (and earned Hahn her own spinoff, to boot). Both actors have been giving excellent performances in films and television for years, so it was a genuine joy to see them get as much attention and recognition as such a high-profile Marvel series afforded them this year. — CF

Rodriguez, whose talents had hardly been a secret throughout “Pose’s” run, was once again the show’s loudly beating heart in its final season. This performer’s gift may be her ability to conjure love onscreen. A show in which so many suffer so baroquely found in its leading lady a beatific presence to remind viewers that hope can be found in our relationships with one another. Rodriguez deserves a long future as a performer, with “Pose” the first of many career highlights. For now, it glitters in memory as a reminder of what talent like hers can illuminate. — DD

The year’s canniest double act, Smart and Einbinder traded barbs like old pros — or, rather, like an old pro with a lot to prove and a young tyro who’d rather not play the game at all. Smart, playing an aging comedy legend, and Einbinder, playing the nihilistic alt-comedy writer brought on to help her, share little in their performances but timing and a sense of rage. When turned against one another, fireworks ensued; in brief moments of working together, a sparking sense of potential felt even more thrilling. — DD

The not-so-secret-weapon of a comedy reboot that continues to punch above its weight, Totah remains startlingly adept at merging zippy, fast-paced comedy with the over-it tone of a bored, privileged high school zillion-heiress. As Lexi, Totah provides much of the show’s scheming and machinations, and does so with “Dynasty”-level aplomb. But the occasional reminders that Lexi is a kid — that she desires affirmation and affection as well as applause — only enhance the performance, and viewer appreciation for just how carefully Totah is able to calibrate her wit. — DD

Wilson’s vocal performance remains the guiding force through a series whose shifts through New York City, and the world beyond, might feel jittery without. That’s not to say he’s smooth: His carefully calibrated hesitations and moments of thought make clear when the show is taking on a logical leap, or when the topic is coming close to some raw nerve of emotion. In all, Wilson’s work in the audio booth — flaws, repetitions, and all — seem tailor-made for a show about a city, and a time, in which embracing our imperfections can seem like the only way to get through the day. — DD

Winfrey reasserted her status as the queen of a particular sort of television — one that exists, nowadays, only when she does it. In her interview with a pair determined to make a splash with their royal exit, Winfrey both sympathetically guided and intriguingly worked against them, ensuring that her reactions — as adept as at any point since the 1980s, and made for the age of the GIF — became what viewers would remember. She secured for Harry and Meghan public goodwill, and for herself the continued attention of a viewership starved for the brand of drama that accompanies Oprah at full power. — DD

Winslet was the story of “Easttown”: Mare, a weary detective who dreamed of someday feeling better, may be the best work this performer has ever done. But it was in Winslet’s final-episode duet with Nicholson that the show’s ticking time bomb detonated; Nicholson had been concealing, through the show’s run, a mixture of emotion that swayed through her finally and all at once. It made for a potent statement about healing: While Mare was working her way through that process, Nicholson’s Lori had only just begun, and her raw wound left an elegant finale with a feeling that the story would continue even after we’d stopped watching. — DD

As hard as it is to single out any single cast member of “The Other Two” — which also includes extremely sharp turns from Drew Tarver and Molly Shannon — Yorke just kept stealing the show. As burgeoning manager Brooke, Yorke finds so many smart ways to deliver her character’s oblivious, acidic instincts while keeping her reluctant vulnerability simmering right at the surface. The moments when she boils over, whether reluctantly or in a spectacular explosion of self-righteous fury, are series highlights. — CF

Transferring her Instagram act to television, Ziwe saw her vision bloom: Her performance, here, expanded as far as the corners of the screen, with her gleeful refusal to abide by comedy-world norms seeming to extend to the blissed-out colors and wildly glam costumes. But her shrewdness kept your eye focused on her no matter what else happened on the margins. Ziwe is a comic mercenary whose willingness to go anywhere for a punchline — with a perpetual amiability cloaking her killer instinct — will serve her show well as it continues to develop. — DD