BENJAMONSTER AWARDS 2026: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited/Anthology Series

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

Past Awards in This Category: 2025   2024   2023   2022   2021   2020

This year's nominees are...














JAMIE BELL as Niall in Half Man (HBO)
MICHAEL CHERNUS as John Wayne Gacy in Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy (Peacock)
RICHARD GADD as Ruben in Half Man (HBO)
OSCAR ISAAC as Joshua Martin in Beef (Netflix)
MATTHEW MACFADYEN as Charles Guiteau in Death by Lightning (Netflix)
MICHAEL SHANNON as James Garfield in Death by Lightning (Netflix)

And the Winner Is...
JAMIE BELL
Half Man (HBO)
Half Man was a real grim watch. It didn't work for me on all levels but the performances of the leads was very powerful. None more-so than Jamie Bell, who was such an interesting character. On first glance, he seems like the far more sympathetic character but as you get to know his character better, you see how flawed he is and how much he is to blame for the doomed course the two main characters set themselves on. Bell played the outwardly naive and innocent but inside deeply problematic role very well and his persona was perfect to offset the intensity of Richard Gadd's Ruben. I was glad Half Man was only six episodes but I was very impressed by Bell.

Thoughts on the Rest of the Nominees:
There were a couple two hander shows represented here. Joining Bell was his co-star Richard Gadd in a very different role from Baby Reindeer. Gadd was incredibly intense and scary at times but also sort of the inverse of Bell's character. Another two-hander was Michael Shannon and Matthew Macfadyen in Death by Lightning. Shannon brought a warm gravitas to a mostly unknown president while Macfadyen delighted in the unhinged portrayal of Charles Guiteau. Elsewhere, I thought Oscar Isaac had some very strong moments in Beef even if he didn't have the acclaim of some of his co-stars and Michael Chernus was deeply unsettling as serial killer John Wayne Gacy in the underrated Peacock series.

Tomorrow: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

EPISODE GUIDES: That 70s Show Season Three

Image
THAT 70s SHOW: SEASON THREE 2000-2001 25 episodes Season 3 of  That 70s Show  graded out almost as strong as Season 2. Like every season, there are some duds but there are also some of my favorite episodes of the entire series. One thing this show does better than the previous season is they don't twiddle their thumbs as long with some of the major arcs of the series. On the other side, there are just a few episodes that feel completely like throwaway episodes. Still, this season is prime  That 70s Show. Starring Topher Grace as Eric Forman  (25 episodes) Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhart  (25 episodes) Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso  (25 episodes) Danny Masterson as Steven Hyde  (25 episodes) Laura Prepon as Donna Pinciotti  (25 episodes) Wilmer Valderrama as Fez  (25 episodes) Debra Jo Rupp as Kitty Forman  (25 episodes) Kurtwood Smith as Red Forman  (25 episodes) Don Stark as Bob Pinciotti  (14 episodes) Tanya Roberts as Midge ...
Read more

TOP 10 TUESDAY: Top 10 Modern Family Characters

Image
This week for my Top 10 Tuesday, I am counting down the Top 10 characters from the Emmy winning hit Modern Family ! 10. FRANK DUNPHY It was inspired casting to bring the late, great Fred Willard on board as Phil Dunphy's father, Frank. Ty Burrell's dopiness as Phil really seemed like it could have been inspired by Willard's brand of comedy. Frank wasn't in a ton of episodes but he makes the list over some actual series regulars because he never stopped being funny and always elevated any scene he was in. It was one of Willard's final recurring roles and he was the most memorable of the many Modern Family characters who turned up once in awhile. 9. LUKE DUNPHY I struggled with what to do about Luke, Manny and Alex for this list. All three became so insufferable by the end of the series, I was left with a really bad taste in my mouth. But Luke ultimately made the list because he was the best as a young child and then the "least bad" among the three I mention...
Read more

DECADE IN REVIEW: The Best Comedies of the 2010s

Image
During the month of December, I will be looking back at the decade that was the 2010s on TV. I will be sharing my favorite sitcoms, dramas, the best episodes, the best performances and the worst shows of the decade. To be eligible for this list, a show had to air the majority of its episodes in the 2010s. However, for the rankings and determination, all episodes were taken into account, including ones that may have aired before 2010. I will also preface that there are comedies that have aired this decade that I haven't watched yet so this is the best of what I have watched. To be fair, that preface is more true for dramas. There's not a ton of unwatched comedies sitting in my Netflix or Amazon watchlist. So here are my Top 10 comedies of the 2010s! Close Calls:  Master of None (Netflix) - An inconsistent but occasionally fascinating commentary on many life issues done so with innovative storytelling. The Good Place (NBC) - A show that aims high with a fascinating premis...
Read more