BENJAMONSTER AWARDS: Outstanding Guest Actor or Actress in a Drama Series

Today's award is for Outstanding Guest Actor or Actress in a Drama Series!

The nominees are:

CLANCY BROWN as Lyndon B. Johnson in The Crown (Netflix)

COLM FEORE as Wernher von Braun in For All Mankind (Apple TV+)

JUDD HIRSCH as Abe in God Friended Me (CBS)

CHERRY JONES as Nan Pierce in Succession (HBO)

VINCENT KARTHEISER as Steve Getz in Law & Order: SVU (NBC)

PHYLICIA RASHAD as Carol Clarke in This is Us (NBC)

MARTIN SHORT as Dick Lundry in The Morning Show (Apple TV+)

And the Winner Is...
PHYLICIA RASHAD
This is Us (NBC)
Phylicia Rashad returned to This is Us this past season for her second appearance and reaffirmed what I already knew from her first appearance: casting Rashad as Beth's mother was one of the most inspired casting choices of the last decade. It's easy to see similarities between Rashad and Susan Kelechi Watson's Beth. Both are very headstrong and opinionated but Rashad's Carol has more hardened views on everything. In her second appearance, the show built up her tense relationship with Randall but also how she ultimately respects him. This episode wasn't completely centered on Beth/Carol like Rashad's first appearance was but Rashad is just so strong in the role and I hope she comes back for more.

Thoughts on the Rest of the Nominees:
Just as with the comedy guest category, there are several legends on the list in addition to Rashad. I love seeing Judd Hirsch in anything and he still seems very sharp. He was at the center of the best episode in a disappointing season of God Friended Me. Martin Short was somewhat restrained for him in an interesting role on The Morning Show. Among the "non legends" but still solid performances, Cherry Jones was a formidable foe for Brian Cox on Succession. Colm Feore was stoic and interesting as the well known Nazi turned US scientist Wernher von Braun in For All Mankind and Clancy Brown had a great rapport with Helena Bonham Carter while playing Lyndon Johnson on The Crown. Finally, Vincent Kartheiser was creepy and smarmy in a two episode guest arc on Law & Order: SVU.

Tomorrow: Outstanding Writing of a Limited/Anthology Series!