In the ever-growing list of “Best Of’s,” MSN has chosen their pick for the 10 best actors currently working on television today. 4 out of the 10 are connected to genre-related shows.
Here they are in alphabetical order — see if you agree with MSN.
- Creed Bratton (The Office)
- Jack Coleman (Heroes)
- Michael Emerson (Lost)
- Robert Knepper (Prison Break)
- Hugh Laurie (House, M.D.)
- Nicolas Lea (Kyle XY)
- James Morrison (24)
- Julianne Nicholson (Law & Order: Criminal Intent)
- CCH Pounder (The Shield)
- Chandra Wilson (Grey’s Anatomy)
Not that I don’t love Nicholas Lea. Because I do. He’s why I started watching Kyle XY. But I don’t think I get why he’s on this list. I mean, he does a fine job, but his character isn’t that central, or wasn’t up until very recently, giving him little to do. So… Best of? Based on what?
I dunno. I think the guy doing Connor on Painkiller Jane has had more interesting material for a best of list lately.
I’ve always considered Lea one of the better actors on TV going all the way back to his stint on the X-Files yeah –he deserves to be there in my opinion. But, I can also appreciate where you are coming from. There are others who could have filled that slot, e.g. Michael Hogan of Battlestar Galactica, or SG-1’s Amanda Tapping.
Looks to me like a list of random actors/actresses from some random person’s list of favorite shows. Yeah, I’m sure they are all wonderful at what they do, but who says they’re the best and why? Is this a new panel of judges trying to replace the outmoded Emmies/Academy/whatever, or just a guy? Maybe I should make a list of “The 10 Best Actors to Make a Cameo Appearance”, do you think I could sell it?
Hey Bumbles – send your list to MSN — hell, they may bite. 🙂
Bumbles, one of my friends asked me who I thought should be on a 10 best list… and I actually did find it really difficult to NOT make a list that was “people I like on shows I like”.
I dunno if you can sell lists, but there’s no harm in trying!
Good choices. Especially Nicholas Lea (whom I’ve been a major fan of for a while) and Michael Emerson (whom I’m becoming a fan of).
I don’t think the writer was basing his list on the quality of material or importance of the character to the show, when he was choosing actors. He was choosing people he thought did a great job with what he or she was given. It’s easy to get attention when your character is central to everything or is handed juicy material to work with. What makes Nick Lea, and I assume the other nine actors on the list, exceptional is he managed to outshine more central characters purely with his acting ability! The writers don’t *have* to write him stellar material…he takes what he’s given and makes it shine! The point of this article was to give deserved praise to wonderful actors who are often overlooked in favor of the types of actors mentioned in previous comments…actors whose characters are center stage or who are in the middle of major storylines.
where’s david tennant??
Hugh Laurie is THE best actor currently on TV. No one could pull off the stuff he has on House with such amazing believability.