BENJAMONSTER AWARDS 2021: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited/Anthology Series

Today's award is Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited/Anthology Series!

Check out the nominees and winner from 2020!

This year's nominees are...

DAVEED DIGGS as Frederick Douglass in The Good Lord Bird (Showtime)

BRENDAN GLEESON as Donald Trump in The Comey Rule (Showtime)

WILLIAM JACKSON HARPER as Royal in The Underground Railroad (Amazon)

RANDALL PARK as Jimmy Woo in WandaVision (Disney+)

EVAN PETERS as Colin Zabel in Mare of Easttown (HBO)

DONALD SUTHERLAND as Franklin Reinhardt in The Undoing (HBO)

And the Winner Is...

BRENDAN GLEESON

The Comey Rule (Showtime)

I was mixed overall on The Comey Rule but I found Brendan Gleeson's performance as Donald Trump to be revelatory. After years of the tired and terrible impression by Alec Baldwin on Saturday Night Live and Trump himself saturating our TV at the time, it seemed unlikely that someone playing him could really figure out something new. But Gleeson did. It wasn't so much about being a straight impression, other people have probably been more accurate with mannerisms and things like that. But Gleeson really got into the psyche of the 45th president. It felt simultaneously more pathetic and more dangerous than a lazy impression like Baldwin's. Gleeson really elevated every scene he was in of The Comey Rule and made me wish that the series had a little bit of a different focus that could have put Gleeson front and center. Maybe someday.

Thoughts on the Rest of the Nominees:

There was a wide range of performances in this category. Daveed Diggs brought tons of charisma to a heightened performance of Frederick Douglass in The Good Lord Bird. Evan Peters played a different and more down to earth role than he usually does in Mare of Easttown and had a surprising amount of chemistry with Kate Winslet. Donald Sutherland is always a pro and wasn't given a ton to do in The Undoing but made the most of the scenes he was given as he pretty much always does. William Jackson Harper became an integral part of The Underground Railroad in the second half of the season and immediately made the story more interesting. Finally, Randall Park kept the non-sitcom scenes of WandaVision afloat with some solid humor and personality.

Tomorrow: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series!