BENJAMONSTER AWARDS 2026: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

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

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

This year's nominees are... 














ADAM BRODY as Noah Roklov in Nobody Wants This (Netflix)
STEVE CARELL as Greg Russo in Rooster (HBO)
COLMAN DOMINGO as Danny in The Four Seasons (Netflix)
DAN LEVY as Nicky in Big Mistakes (Netflix)
MATTHEW RHYS as Tom Loftis in Widow's Bay (Apple TV)
SETH ROGEN as Will in Platonic (Apple TV)
JASON SEGEL as Jimmy Laird in Shrinking (Apple TV)

And the Winner Is...
STEVE CARELL
Rooster (HBO)
Steve Carell has won for Lead Actor in a Drama Series (for The Morning Show in 2020), Lead Actor in a Limited/Anthology Series (for The Patient in 2023) and now for Rooster this year. Watch out if he does a Drama in 2029! I wasn't completely enamored with Rooster but it's a show I wouldn't have liked at all if it wasn't for Carell. Carell has a mixed track record when it comes to picking projects but he's never anything less than spectacular in them. In Rooster, he brings his usual mix of energy and charm to a role that's also tinged with sadness, always a trademark for Carell performances. Whether with his on-screen daughter, colleagues, students or even ex-wife, he was a great centerpiece for a show that I have high hopes will improve a lot in its second season.

Thoughts on the Rest of the Nominees:
Much as I love Steve Carell, this was not one of the stronger categories. I wasn't the biggest fan of Colman Domingo on the first season of The Four Seasons, but something about his performance just landed much better the second time around. Although he's often a similar character, Seth Rogen had some really funny moments in the second season of Platonic. Matthew Rhys finally got to be a bit less stoic and a bit more goofy in Widow's Bay and proved to be very adept at it. Jason Segel is surrounded by even stronger performers in Shrinking but he's a great lead character who pulls it all together. Adam Brody continues to be very charming in Nobody Wants This. And finally, Dan Levy did his great Dan Levy bits for Big Mistakes, which was an uneven show with some great performances.

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

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