BENJAMONSTER AWARDS 2023: Outstanding Guest Actor or Actress in a Drama Series

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

Past Awards in This Category: 2022   2021   2020

This year's nominees are...

MURRAY BARTLETT as Frank in The Last of Us (HBO)

JAMES CROMWELL as Ewan Roy in Succession (HBO)

NICK OFFERMAN as Bill in The Last of Us (HBO)

NICO PARKER as Sarah Miller in The Last of Us (HBO)

STORM REID as Riley Abel in The Last of Us (HBO)

ANNA TORV as Tess Servopoulos in The Last of Us (HBO)

HARRIET WALTER as Lady Caroline Collingwood in Succession (HBO)

And the Winner Is...

NICK OFFERMAN

The Last of Us (HBO)

Before there was Succession's third episode, there was the third episode of The Last of Us as a potential contender for Episode of the Year. The episode deviated from the game it was adapted from and drastically from the first two episodes we had watched to tell a beautiful, slow-burning love story in a post-apocalyptic world. Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett brought so much humanity to their roles but it was Offerman in particular who shined. Of course there were glimpses of the Ron Swanson-type character that has been his bread and butter, but we've never seen it through such a dramatic and emotional lens. It was a long episode, but it was still only one episode, and yet I felt more invested in his character than I've felt over entire seasons of other characters. It was a testament to the writing and Bartlett too, but Offerman was the standout.

Thoughts on the Rest of the Nominees:

This category was mostly filled with characters from The Last of Us with a sprinkle of Succession. Of course, I already mentioned Bartlett. He may not have moved me quite as much as Offerman but he deserves a big piece of credit for the brilliance of the "Long, Long Time" episode. Elsewhere in The Last of Us, Nico Parker was a major character in the first episode with a heartbreaking ending and she was very effective in carrying that episode. Anna Torv had some standout moments early in the season while Storm Reid had instant chemistry with Bella Ramsay in her episode. As for the Succession actors, both James Cromwell and Harriet Walter returned with a vengeance. Cromwell delivered an incredible eulogy scene while Walter had a very prominent presence in the spectacular series finale.

Tomorrow: Outstanding Guest Actor or Actress in a Comedy Series!