As I stated in my introductory post to this special TV week on Film Actually, the times they are a changin'. You don't need to look further than this list of Outstanding Performances of the 2014-2015 TV season to understand what I mean. The division between TV actors and movie stars no longer exists. As you'll notice below, many top film actors are venturing to the small screen for better roles (especially the women). In fact, over in the GoldDerby forums, there's even a debate going on as to whether this year's Oscar nominees could stand a chance against the Emmy hopefuls. 20 years ago, that probably would have been a laughable proposition.
So as we await the announcement of this year's Emmy nominees, there's no doubt that the art of acting is flourishing on television. Here are just 10 of the great thespians who did extraordinary work this season, among many others.
- Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Honorable Woman
- Queen Latifah, Bessie
- David Oyelowo, Nightingale
- Kate Mulgrew, Orange is the New Black
- Lorraine Toussaint, Orange is the New Black
- Uzo Aduba, Orange is the New Black
- Taylor Schilling, Orange is the New Black
- Claire Danes, Homeland
- Jon Hamm, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
- Claire Foy, Wolf Hall
Honorable Mention: Stephen Rea, The Honorable Woman (Best Supporting Actor in Limited Series/TV Movie)
