Name one of your favorite actors in a tv series

I had (and still have) serious hots for Callum Blue in Dead Like Me. His character was quirky and interesting -and hot as fuck.

Lisa Kudrow as Valerie Cherish in The Comeback.

Thread closed.

Anthony Hale, VEEP

Kieran Culkin, SUCCESSION

Aden Young in the criminally overlooked RECTIFY

I liked John Slattery and his dry wit in Mad Men.

Matthew Rhys in The Americans

David McCallum. The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

Jean Smart, "Hacks"

R2 Agreed. Lisa Kudrow was amazing in The Comeback.

Hugh Laurie as House. Perfection.

James Spader, Boston Legal.

Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black

SFU was the source of a lot of great acting, but I think the character of Brenda Chenowith, and the performance by Rachel Griffiths, is near the top of any TV series for me. Sadly Griffiths has not lived up to the greatness of her Rhonda (Muriel's Wedding) and Brenda performances since, but that doesn't diminish them in mind.

Donna Mills - Abby - Knots Landing

Laura Dern in Enlightened.

Andre Braugher, from Homicide: Life on the Street and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

Yesterday marked 20 years since the death of Jerry Orbach, who was perfectly cast as Detective Lennie Briscoe on Law & Order.

Josh Charles in Sports Night and The Good Wife.

Randolph Mantooth in "Emergency!." And David Duchovny in The X-Files.

Elizabeth Hubbard .. Lucinda Walsh ...ATWT

Delta Burke in Designing Women

Barbara Bel Geddes.. Miss Ellie

Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Veep.

Jon Hamm.

I don't care how much you cunts hate him. He was perfection as Don Draper.

Rupert Friend, "Homeland"

Glenn Howerton in It's Always Sunny.

Keri Russell in The Americans

David Morse in "Hack"

R7 Speaking of "The Americans," Alison Wright as Martha was brilliant.

Why she hasn't become a bigger star is mind boggling to me.

[quote] Lisa Kudrow was amazing in The Comeback.

Good for her.

Bonnie Franklin, "One Day at a Time."

No one suffered through a 36th birthday quite like she did.

Richard Hatch in Battlestar Galactica

My affection for William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy grows as the years pass.

Have to agree with OP - Peter Krause was quite the specimen in 6FU. I'm finishing up watching the series (on season 5) and he has so many wonderful attributes (visually) and his acting as Nate has not diminished since the series debute in 2001. His more recent effort (9-1-1) is not nearly as noteworthy but he still looks good and has a kind of 'daddy' vibe due going on due to his aging and extra weight.

An honorable mention goes to Frances Conroy as Ruth Fisher - her placid demeanor is occasionally broken when she looses it and explodes out of frustration.

[quote] Barbara Bel Geddes.. Miss Ellie

A family member would not watch the show because the Miss Ellie character would frequently hold her coffee cup in both hands, propped up with both elbows on the table.

Martha was a great character, r30. I felt really bad for her when she had to flee the country and go to Cuba. She was just a regular person who wanted to fall in love.

R37 They sent poor Martha off to Russia, not Cuba.

And you're right - she was just a plain girl who fell in love with Philip, completely unaware he was using her to get intel. By the time she figured out what was happening, it was too late for her.

Would love a sequel in which Martha runs into Philip in Moscow.

R39 Her storyline ended somewhat optimistically.

The last episode she appeared in she was sitting on a park bench in Moscow talking to Frank Langella. She was looking at children playing in the park, and Langella implied he was going to help her adopt a child.

I like to think Martha had a happy ending as a mother to a young child.

R39 I think it's implied Philip and Elizabeth threw themselves off that ledge in their last scene in Moscow.

R41 Really? I didn't get that impression at all.

It felt to me like they were happy to finally be home, but conflicted about leaving their children behind.

Beatrice Arthur

Speaking of Sopranos OP, Uncle Jun. Most of the characters on Soprnaos are fully fleshed and realized but uncle jun is pure comedy often unintentionally. He is like the Italian-American version of my own uncle.

R40 I was wrong. It wasn't Frank Langella she was with in the park.

Pat Priest

Peggy from Mad Men too.

R45 Yes, it was the translator who was helping her learn Russian.

Alison Wright is just brilliant in this scene. She conveyed so much emotion without uttering a single word.

Not that one with Elaine Stritch.

They'd just left their children, left the life they'd built, arrived in a country they'd not been to in how ever many years and felt disillusioned with their organisation. They both ask to get out of the car and go stand on a ledge overlooking Moscow (holding hands if my memory serves). That's the last we see of them. They jumped.

R50 I'll have to rewatch it. I didn't get the sense they ended their lives at all.

Bryan Cranston - "Breaking Bad"

Really, almost all of the cast of "Sopranos". I really miss the days of good TV!

Michael C. Hall and Matthew St. Patrick in 6 Feet Under.

R50 I don't think they jumped.

Philip says it feels strange to be back in Russia, and in Russian, Elizabeth says, "We'll get used to it."

The scene ends with them not holding hands, looking out at the city they once knew but are now unfamiliar with. I think it implies that they're reinventing themselves, like they had to do when they came to America, which is why Elizabeth says "we'll get used to it," offering hope for them.

Michael C Hall in Dexter.

John Hurt in 'I, Claudius'.

That's fucking ridiculous, r50. Elizabeth said "we'll get used to it" because they will. They are cut-throat survivors and would never commit suicide just because they moved back to miserable Russia. If the show up picked up ten years later they would probably be extremely wealthy.

The late Michael K. Williams as Omar Jones in "The Wire" - the greatest depiction of a gay male character in the history of television. And an honourable mention to the character of Bebe Glazer who made regular appreances on "Frasier" as a ruthless and sociopathic talent agent - brilliantly hilarious.

Ben Linus from Lost. The greatest villain ever. Guy could read a bitch to filth like it was nothing, sometimes just a glance.

Jessica Walter - Lucille Bluth - Arrested Development.

It is funny that this thread includes a GIF of her but she hasn't been mentioned.

Always wished I had started watching The Americans while it was still in production - at the time I had an anti-FX bias. I suppose I could stream all 6 seasons somewhere.

I'm watching Keri Russell now in The Diplomat, and am impressed. I know she was a Mickey Mouse Club veteran, and had a couple teen TV series. Did she just pick up all her training as an actor on the job?

R57 I'm not the only one to have interpreted that ending in this way. I think they jumped. You think they became extremely wealthy. Neither of us have any actual proof about either theory. We're just imagining things.

R14 I have not seen Rachel G in anything that came close to her performance as Brenda.

Mary McDonnell as President Laura Roslin in "Battlestar Galactica." Roslin was a great character that was superbly well-acted by McDonnell.

Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathryn Janeway in Voyager.

Not certain about her career range, but Edie Falco certainly owned the role of Carmela Soprano. I remember listening to the DVD audio commentary from Peter Bogdonovich discussing a few of the episodes he had directed, saying Falco was one of the few actors he had ever felt intimidated by, simply because she was so good, and brought something new to every take.

Robert Picardo as "The Doctor" on Voyager

r66 thanks for the reminder.

Edie Falco in "Nurse Jackie"! Stellar performance by her.

Patricia Wettig, Thirtysomething

Kelly Bishop as Emily Gilmore

Julia Duffy on Newhart

Jane Krakowski on 30 Rock

Despite multiple nominations, neither ever won an Emmy for Supporting Actress in a Comedy. They should have.

Bridget Everett in Somebody Somewhere

Gemma Jones in Duchess of Duke Street

Sara Weisman as the malevolent Carolyn in A Place to Call Home

R21, a breathtaking and exquisite choice.

Matthew Rhys, Brothers & Sisters

R58, you couldn’t Google the actress’ name? Harriet Harris played Bebe Glaser.

Vivian Vance, I Love Lucy

Vera Farmiga, Bates Motel.

R61 I really only knew Keri Russell from her portrayal as the sweet and innocent "Felicity" from the late '90s.

I was blown away by her portrayal of Elizabeth in "The Americans." Here was little Felicity, murdering people in cold blood, breaking their bones, and stuffing them into suitcases. It was shocking!

[quote] It is funny that this thread includes a GIF of her but she hasn't been mentioned.

I posted that gif as an homage to Walter. I guess it was too subtle.

Diana Millay, Dark Shadows.

Everyone talks about Barnabas, Angelique, and Quentin, but you don't hear as much about Laura. Glamorous, quiet, and extremely creepy.

Valerie Harper as Rhoda

The wonderful Bev Archer as Iola Lucille Boylen in "Mama's Family."

R78 She was quite a revelation as Elizabeth Jennings, although Felicity was relentless in pursuing her goals in her own way.

Interestingly, JJ Abrams got the idea for Alias when he wondered “What if Felicity was a college student AND a spy?”

Leslie Grossman, Mary Cherry in Popular. With Delta Burke as her mother.

Leslie is a criminally underused comedic actress.

Susan Howard as Donna on Dallas. Joel Gretsch in anything he's done.

R84 Leslie Grossman plays the same character in every show she's in.

Every time I see her name in the credits of a show, I groan. If it wasn't for Ryan Murphy, she'd barely work.

Jean Stapleton, "All in the Family." I loved that Edith was secretly the wisest character on the show.

Jon Hamm in Mad Men. Rarely does a role get so perfectly cast.

Is it more of a reflection on DL, or on the acting profession, or on the human species, that seemingly 80% of the chosen favorites are female?

Okay, just on a base physical level, I love watching and listening to Theo James in whatever series he appears, which fortunately seems to be several recently. And aside from being eye candy, find him to be a convincingly good actor in those roles.

Most recent favorite: Linda Cardellini in NO GOOD DEED (even better than Kudrow).

Um, no one was good in No Good Deed.

Mireille Enos in The Killing. I loved that show.

Chloe Sevingy in Big Love. She’s iffy in other roles, but was perfect as Nicki.

The same can be said about January Jones on Mad Men.

My husband Billy Campbell on the underrated Once and Again. Sexiest TV dad.

Zendaya as Rue Bennett in Euphoria.

Topher Grace as Eric Forman on That '70s Show.

[quote] Um, no one was good in No Good Deed

I enjoyed comparing which actor was aging least well, among several who could not disguise it. I think the winner would have to be Dennis Leary, he was scary to look at, for reasons unintended.

Sally Struthers in Still Standing

Phoebe Waller-Bridge in Fleabag.

I so wish there would be another season, but I don’t know how you’d top season 2. I just watched it for the 4th time.

Fun fact I just learned about Billy Campbell: he was the original choice for Commander Will Riker on Star Trek: Next Gen. He would have gotten it if he'd had a better reading at this final audition, which he royally fucked up and gave the worst read of his life. He actually didn't want the job enough because he'd be tied down to one job/one shooting location and because of this, he couldn't muster up any excitement during his read. Frakes was kind of just there because they wanted two actors to read for the President and he totally blew it.

David Hyde Pierce in Frasier.

LOL R102 I just came to post Peri Gilpin as Roz.

Kurtwood Smith as Red Forman on 'That '70s Show.' My favorite TV dad.

Susan Lucci, Devious Maids

Andrea Martin, Difficult People

Amy a Sedaris, Strangers with Candy

Keri Russell in "The Diplomat."

Jonathan Bailey, "Fellow Travelers."

Martin Mull in Roseanne.

Jonathan Bailey, "Bridgerton."

Colin Firth did the wet shirt look first in "Pride and Prejudice."

Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg in The Avengers.

Natalie Shafer as Mrs. Thurston Howell III (Lovie). In., gilligans island . And her clothes were always so stylish for a woman of he4 age

"I'll have a hard bald egg!"

Jeanne Tripplehorn in "Big Love."

Diana Rigg in The Avengers is da bomb. (an expression I'm not advised to use)

Michael C Hall – Dexter

Superb.

Michael C Hall - Six Feet Under

Superb

Actually, that entire cast was superb. Every one of them.

I co-sign Andre Braugher in Homicide, and add

Kevin Tighe, Emergency!

Robert Fuller, Laramie

Aldis Hodge, Leverage

Don Knotts, The Andy Griffith Show

Sorry, couldn't do just one....

I wanna say the guy who was engaged to GaGa. Never watched his show, but I definitely would if they put him in something good.

Except for the fake derwood, everybody in Bewitched. That's a pretty rare thing.

Randy Harrison in " Queer as Folk," just for his bare ass.

I recently watched the first episode of the original British QAF, in which the sweetest young Charlie Hunnum gets his naked bum eaten on camera by Little Finger from GoT.

John Banner in Hogan's Heroes.

The actress who played Marilyn in Northern Exposure, she was perfect.

Valerie Cherish for the win!!! Also love Dale Cooper, Coach Taylor, Angela Chase, Pacey Witter, Jr Ewing, Amanda Woodward

Steve Landesberg as Dietrich in "Barney Miller."

I think I might re-watch The Wire. It's been a very long time.

Matt Bomer - White Collar

Juliana Moore in anything

Goldie Hawn in anything

Julia Louis Dreyfus in anything

Annette Benning in anything

Glenn Close in anything

Sarah Lancashire in Happy Valley

Louie Anderson in Baskets

Jennifer Lopez in nothing

Pamela Adlon in Better Things

Matt Berry in What We Do In the Shadows—best male comedy performance of the decade.

James Garner, “The Rockford Files.”

Being 75 I have way too many "favorite" actors from over the years! Those I WOULD NEVER MISS include:

Gardner McKay (Adam Troy), Robert Conrad (James West), David McCallum (Ilya Kuryakin), Guy Williams (Zorro), Tom Selleck (Thomas Magnum), James Franciscus (Mr. Novak), Robert Stack (Elliott Ness), Michael Burns (Barnaby West), Jack Lord (Steve McGarrett), etc.!

UK actors = Peter Firth (Harry Pearce), Peter Capaldi (Malcolm Tucker), Roger Allam (Fred Thursday), Shaun Evans (Endeavour Morse), Tom Hollander (Rev), David Suchet (Poirot), and more.

But were I FORCED to choose ONLY ONE actor for my desert island, I would take the brilliant, the pitch-perfect, the inimitable JERRY ORBACH as Det. Lennie Briscoe in the OG "Law and Order"!

"I have ties older than you."

Aubrey Plaza, White Lotus, season 2.

Glenn Close in Damages

[quote] Glenn Close in anything

Anything? Really?

Even in her "I can smell your nappy pussy" movie?

My favorite changes from time to time. Right now I am lusting after the Lincoln Lawyer with Manuel Garcia Rulfo. He is a hottie.

Joan Collins as Alexis Carrington Colby Dexter. She saved the show and was the embodiment of the character. She gave wooden Liinda Evans life and that is a feat unto itself!

[quote]My favorite changes from time to time. Right now I am lusting after the Lincoln Lawyer with Manuel Garcia Rulfo. He is a hottie.

He looks as if he'd be a tremendous fuck.

Binge-watching the show and adding Raúl Esparza, "Law & Order SVU's" Mr. Barba, to my list.

these actors are my favorites

Lindsay Wagnor in the six million doallar woman.

r148 The Bionic Woman....