Henry Ian Cusick, "Desmond Hume," Lost
Zach Gilford, "Matt Saracen," Friday Night Lights
Jared Harris, "Lane Pryce," Mad Men
Allan Hyde, "Godric," True Blood
Michael O'Neill, "Gary Clark," Grey's Anatomy
Guest Actor in a Drama may be the category most subject to egregious category fraud. Beach, Cusick, Gilford and Harris all had enough screentime that they could legitimately be seen as "supporting," regardless of their contractual billing. Reassigning performers to different categories, however, is not the project at hand. Beach was the most likeable I've ever seen him in his role on Big Love, and made me wish that the show's writers had elected to focus more attention on the casino rather than Bill's implausible run for state Senate. I'm not ultimately convinced that Desmond really did know what was going on after his electromagnetic event in "Happily Ever After," but Cusick at least made me believe that Desmond believed that he knew what was going on. In my opinion, he was the highlight of the alternate reality as Desmond assumed the role of lost soul matchmaker. Gilford has rightly gotten attention (and at least one Facebook campaign) for his work in the FNL episode "The Son," where Matt deals with the death of his father. He and the FNL writers set a new high-water mark for the show's original character departure arcs with Matt's fourth season storyline. Harris did superlative work as Putnam, Powell and Lowe's middle man installed in Sterling Cooper to streamline and clean house, infusing Pryce with a spectacularly dry British humor while showing how painfully aware he always is of his place within the business' hierarchy. One mark of a great guest actor is an ability to sell a deep relationship with a series regular, which Hyde did so well with Alexander Skarsgard on True Blood. (Not really germane to the discussion at hand, but both Harris and Hyde returning in their roles this summer is terribly exciting.) O'Neill anchored one of the most emotionally resonant arcs of the best Grey's season in years - the hospital shooting spree in the season finale wouldn't have worked nearly as well if O'Neill hadn't made Clark's grief so palpable in his previous appearances.
Honorable Mentions: Naveen Andrews, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit; Alan Dale, Mark Pellegrino, Lost; Robert Morse, Chelcie Ross, Mad Men
I wouldn't be surprised to see: Adam Arkin, Sons of Anarchy; Alan Cumming, The Good Wife; Ted Danson, Damages; Gregory Itzin, 24; James Earl Jones, House; John Lithgow, Dexter
No comments:
Post a Comment