Welcome to the 2023 SiftPop.com Sifties!
This year, the SiftPop writers came together to nominate five actors for Best Television Performance. Unlike the Emmys and other major awards shows, we didn’t differentiate between lead and supporting performances or between actors and actresses. This is simply a countdown of the five best performances that we collectively saw!
For four seasons, Jeremy Strong showed up every day and gave the performance of a lifetime as Kendall Roy on Succession. His performance in Season One was already an all-timer, but somehow, he just managed to get better with each subsequent season, culminating in a fourth season that sees Kendall pushed to his absolute limit as a character, and, presumably, Strong as a performer. As a non-obnoxious method actor, Strong lived and breathed the character of Kendall, and that absolutely comes through in his performance, starting with him looking at the stakes of his job with as much gravity as Kendall sees running his dad’s company — that is to say, they’re both life-and-death. To have that much commitment from an actor is one thing, but to have that commitment manifest itself as the performance for the ages that Strong gives is another, and we’re all better off for it.
In a show like The Bear that is oozing with talented performers, it’s shocking to see one of the standouts in Season Two be someone people couldn’t stand in Season One. Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Richie is a giant pain for Carmy, as cousins can be. However, the growth he exhibits through Season Two is enough to change anyone’s mind. Looking for a renewed sense of purpose, Richie’s new mantra of, “every second counts” pushes him to embrace a new role within the restaurant, while also showcasing some of the talent he has for people. The episode where he is front and center, “Forks,” is a deeply moving chapter in season that helps the audience understand the character as a person and as a worker. At the end of the season, when the episode opens, it’s no surprise that Richie helps bring order to chaos when Carmy needs it the most. It’s a far cry from where he was during Season One, as someone who is grieving and lost. Throughout Season Two, Richie keeps proving all naysayers wrong, and allows us to root for someone who is one of the most remarkable turnarounds for a character in modern television history.
In Season One of Succession Kieran Culkin’s Roman Roy is mostly a goofball. He obviously has some screws loose, but he never takes anything seriously, and is constantly joking around with his siblings and the employees of Waystar-Royco. But as the show goes on, more and more depth is added for Roman — we’re given hints at what might have caused those screws to be loose, but even without a full, direct answer, more nuance is added to the character, and therefore, the performance. So making it all the way to Season Four, with the intensely emotional events that transpire, you go back and forth with how you feel about Roman. In “Connor’s Wedding,” you feel more sympathy for him (and the rest of the Roys, for that matter) than you thought possible. Then in “America Decides,” you despise each and every one of his actions and realize just how despicable he is. But then in “Church and State,” you’re back to feeling for him on a human level. That Culkin can play all those notes is amazing — his performance throughout all four seasons is singular and special.
Jeremy Allen White just has those intense, hurt eyes that are perfect for playing a character like Carmy Berzatto. His family doesn’t really seem to like him, and he was thrust into a situation at The Beef that he didn’t really want to be in after his brother’s death. But underneath his loud, angry, mean, and downright hurtful outbursts, you really can’t help but feel for the guy. He’s been through a lot (who hasn’t?), and is just doing his best. It’s just that his best isn’t really that great to the people around him. So watching as he endures derision from his family, goes to therapy, talks it out with the people in his life, you begin to empathize with his journey. You right with him through the moderately high highs and the very low lows. All of this is a credit to White’s performance, so much of it in the eyes. He makes Carmy earn that empathy, even when he’s being a total jerk to the people who love him and are just doing their best as well. Because both you and they know he’s more than that, all thanks to the performance.
Taking on the mantle of one of the most iconic video game characters of recent memory must be daunting. Bella Ramsey not only did that with Ellie in The Last of Us, but knocked it out of the park. In addition to the challenges of taking on the role, the role itself requires a lot. An infectious likability and loyalty to Joel (Pedro Pascal) (buoyed by a love of cheap puns), all balanced by a darker side and a deep fear of abandonment. Someone hardened enough to survive a post-apocalyptic world with dangers around every corner, but still with a naivety of someone that hasn’t seen the world outside of the quarantine zone she’s called home. Need more proof? Just look at the powerhouse performance in the two episodes they’re asked to carry, and the emotional gut punch they deliver. It’s one of the most complex asks of an actor of any age this past year, and deservedly ranks among the best of the year.
Make sure to check out the previous 2023 Sifties winner!
And don’t forget to check back tomorrow for the winner of Best Television Show!