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BENJAMONSTER AWARDS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Today's award is Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series!

Check out past results from 2020 and 2021!

This year's nominees are...

ANTHONY ANDERSON as Andre Johnson in Black-ish (ABC)











IAIN ARMITAGE as Sheldon Cooper in Young Sheldon (CBS)















BILL HADER as Barry Berkman in Barry (HBO)













NICHOLAS HOULT as Peter III of Russia in The Great (Hulu)













STEVE MARTIN as Charles-Haden Savage in Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)













DANNY MCBRIDE as Jesse Gemstone in The Righteous Gemstones (HBO)













KAYVAN NOVAK as Nandor the Relentless in What We Do in the Shadows (FX)











JASON SUDEIKIS as Ted Lasso in Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)











DREW TARVER as Cary Dubek in The Other Two (HBO)











And the Winner Is...
JASON SUDEIKIS
Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)
We have our first repeat winner in the comedy category with one of the best new sitcom characters in recent years. I think the weird little backlash that Ted Lasso experienced during its second season was pretty ridiculous and unfounded. Ted Lasso the character, as played expertly by Jason Sudeikis, was even better in the second season. He still had his instantly quotable motivational thoughts and his corny dad jokes but the show also explored much more of a range of the character that was only hinted at in Season One. Sudeikis was up to the challenge as he resisted therapy from the team counselor before finally giving in once his anxiety and panic attacks got to the best of him. That sounds pretty heavy for a comedy series but it never felt too heavy because of Sudeikis' unflappable charm. He has found the role of a lifetime with this character.

Thoughts on the Rest of the Nominees:
The biggest threat to Sudeikis should be no surprise. It was his SNL friend Bill Hader as a character completely different from Ted Lasso. Hader has proven he's a lot more than a comedian with his performance over three seasons of Barry. A much older SNL actor was in the mix too as Steve Martin brought his usual goofiness and charm to Only Murders in the Building. Among non-SNL actors are returning nominees Anthony Anderson and Iain Armitage. Anderson continued to be the best part of Black-ish in its final season while Armitage is shouldering more and more of Young Sheldon and doing it well. Nicholas Hoult is a laugh riot on The Great with a perfect way of playing a perpetually childish monarch while Danny McBride became an even funnier character in Season Two of The Righteous Gemstones. Kayvan Novak has hilarious deliveries on What We Do in the Shadows and was part of many of the funniest moments of the season. Finally, Drew Tarver does great work as the often pathetic yet very funny Cary in The Other Two and he was part of one of the most cringy comedy moments of the season (when he tried to crash a friends' dinner as a "celebrity").

Tomorrow: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited/Anthology Series!
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