The 16 Breakthrough Performances of 2016
Whether veterans of the game or plucky young upstarts getting their first shot at showing the world what they can do, the year in TV was full of performances from actors and actresses that had us sitting up in attention and hungry for more. From a pair of star turns from a man we'd barely heard of to the return of one of our favorite TV characters ever, these 16 performances were bound by no single genre or network, gender or race. They simply shared one defining characteristic: They were fantastic.
These are the 16 breakthrough TV performances of 2016...
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us and The People v. O.J. Simpson
Remember when we barely knew who Sterling K. Brown was at the beginning of 2016? Now there's little chance we'll ever forget about him. How could we after his not one, but two star-making performances as Chris Darden in FX's The People v. O.J. Simpson and Randall Pearson in NBC's fall hit This Is Us? This was Brown's year and we're just so grateful to have been living during it.
Kelly Bishop, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life
Always a standout in Gilmore Girls' original run, Kelly Bishop had countless shining moments in Netflix's revival, tackling grief, comedy and everything in between. Can we put Bishop and Emily Gilmore in the TV hall of fame?
Donna Lynne Champlin, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
The heart of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Donna Lynne Champlin handles emotional moments and drama with equal ease. And that singing voice, especially while singing about having "dump cramps"? Forget about it. It's time the world recognize DLC's (that's what she'll be called for short when she's the huge star she deserves to be) talents.
Issa Rae, Insecure
Perhaps the freshest voice currently on TV, Issa Rae's performance as Issa in the HBO comedy was beyond real. You feel like you knew Issa or were Issa.
Riz Ahmed, The Night Of
The jury may still be out on whether or not Naz actually did it, but we remain arrested by Riz Ahmed's performance in HBO's binge-worthy mini-series. Watching the timid student transform into a hardened drug addict thanks to a broken justice system broke our hearts and kept us guessing all summer long.
Sarah Paulson, The People v. O.J. Simpson
To anyone who's been watching American Horror Story for the past six years, it's no real secret that Sarah Paulson is an acting force to be reckoned with. But the world (and the Academy) finally took notice thanks to a heartbreaking turn as Marcia Clark in The People v. O.J. Simpson, finally earning the actress a well-deserved Emmy and solidifying her status among TV's premiere talent.
Millie Bobby Brown, Stranger Things
While all of the preternaturally talented kids from Netflix's breakout summer hit are worthy of becoming household names, only one already is. The way that Millie Bobby Brown was able to take an insanely limited amount of dialogue and a ridiculous obsession with Eggos and turn it into one of the year's top Halloween costumes was almost as gifted as anything Eleven is capable of.
Nicole Byer, Loosely Exactly Nicole
Tapping into experiences from her early days in Hollywood, Nicole Byer delivered one of the year's most righteously hysterical performances in her semi-autobiographical cable series. MTV may have shuffled her show around its lineup, with a second season seeming less and less likely as the days go by, but for 10 hilarious episodes, the world was introduced to a comedy powerhouse who ought to have no trouble lining up her next gig.
Micah Fowler, Speechless and Noah Galvin, The Real O'Neals
ABC has always had a knack for finding excellent kids for their comedies, but they really hit it out of the park with these two this year. Watching Noah Galvin hilariously navigate Kenny's unique coming out experience on The Real O'Neals has been as tender and emotional as it as been hysterical, while Micah Fowler's portrayal of JJ Dimeo, a teen with cerebral palsy (an affliction Fowler shares with the character, though to a lesser extent), on Speechless has been a downright revelation. He hasn't said a word of dialogue, yet he's managed to deliver the new show's biggest laughs.
Desmin Borges, You're the Worst
After a second season that allowed Aya Cash to fully flex her acting muscle, You're the Worst turned to Desmin Borges in its third season, finally spotlighting the PTSD that's plagued Edgar since before we met him. Borges' work "Twenty-Two," the fifth episode of the season, proved that he's so much more than simply supporting actor material, deftly carrying an entire episode while making us feel the full weight of Edgar's affliction.
Thandie Newton, Westworld
In a series plagued by humans lacking any humanity, it was Thandie Newton's Maeve that we were championing most on HBO's latest sprawling epic. The seasoned vet finally found the role worthy of her talents, giving us someone to root for as the AI with newfound sentience.
Milo Ventimiglia, This Is Us
Milo Ventimiglia's work as Jack Pearson, This Is Us' dad with a heart of gold, has been the understated surprise of the year. Between that flash of booty in the premiere to the swoon-worthy push ups performed with a kid on his back, the moments we can't stop talking about on the NBC hit have all included the guy. Add in the return of Jess Mariano in Netflix's Gilmore Girls revival and Ventimiglia has had one hell of a year.
Claire Foy, The Crown
Many have taken on Queen Elizabeth, but has anybody actually carried a series as the monarch? Claire Foy had that task and she shouldered it expertly. She portrayed the very famous queen of England in a stately, yet vulnerable manner that made you feel for the woman under the crown.
Kylie Bunbury, Pitch
Arguably the fall season's greatest find, Kylie Bunbury's work on Pitch hit us like a fast ball right down the middle: No pretense, no tricks, just straight-up power. Whether it's another season of the ratings challenged Fox drama or a new project, we can't wait to see what Bunbury does when she steps up to the mound next.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Black Mirror
"San Junipero" pulled at all the heart strings, and it was all thanks to the performances, namely Gugu Mbatha-Raw's (seen here with her equally impressive co-star, Mackenzie Davis). The virtual reality-ish story hinged on viewers pulling for the characters and we just did that. Love you forever Kelly and Yorkie.