I find myself thanking the TV gods every day that I am not an awards voter. There is simply so much great TV in the world right now —and even better actors giving trophy-worthy performances in them—that it’s downright criminal to choose only a handful to reward each year. Thankfully, I can just shout out an unlimited amount of performances worth paying attention to in the pages of Esquire.
In 2026 so far, The Pitt —and its top-to-bottom stacked call sheet—has already come and gone, along with Paradise and Industry , which both turned in series-best seasons. And the show-of-the-summer conversation is slowly ramping up, with Widow’s Bay and Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed leading the charge. (Apple TV? Save some glory for the other streamers.) All of them, of course, feature a ridiculous amount of talent: Noah Wyle, Matthew Rhys, Sterling K. Brown, Tatiana Malsany, and so many more.
Last week, we spotlighted the best TV episodes of the year so far. Today? It’s performances. Below, we’ve rounded up the best 15 turns of the year so far.—Brady Langmann
Matthew Rhys, Widow’s Bay
Rhys is really solidifying his place as an all-time TV actor, isn’t he? I’ll even say that his hilariously sweaty turn as Tom Loftis—the mayor of a cursed coastal town—is my favorite performance from the Welsh actor. (Sorry, fans of The Americans and Perry Mason .) It’s especially impressive, considering that this horror comedy asks Rhys to wear a million hats: Concerned father, stubborn leader, scaredy-cat. Rhys’s flawless New England accent is just icing on the cake.— B.L.
Jean Smart, Hacks
There’s a reason why Jean Smart took home the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series four of the last five years—i.e. every time that Hacks is on TV. Her character, legacy stand-up comedian Deborah Vance, is an absolute icon only rivaled by the actress herself. I’ve joked before that the Television Academy might as well rename the Emmy in Smart’s honor and hang her jersey in the rafters just so other comedians have a chance to win next year, but thanks to a fantastic fifth and final season of Hacks, it’s looking like a three-peat for Smart is (deservedly) inevitable.—Josh Rosenberg
Zendaya, Euphoria
It’s no secret that Euphoria ‘s third and likely final season has lost the plot. The show’s searing investigation of addiction has been replaced by a quite literally oversized plot following Cassie’s (Sydney Sweeney) journey to OnlyFans superstardom. Still, Zendaya won an Emmy for her turn as Rue. She’s still compelling to watch as her character navigates recovery and Euphoria ‘s striking vision of the American West. Also, when she’s not in a life-or-death scenario, Zendaya still mines comedy gold (see: episode 4’s fumbled interrogation) from Rue’s increasingly impossible situation.— B.L.
Charles Melton, Beef
You could really put all four of Beef season 2’s leads—Melton, Cailee Spaeny, Carey Mulligan, and Oscar Isaac—on this list. But if I’m choosing one, it’s Melton. As Austin, the doting boyfriend of Ashley (Spaeny), Melton initially presents a dumb, but kindhearted jock. The actor deftly morphs that impression into a brilliant character study, exploring childhood trauma, FOMO, and what leads us to the romantic partners we spend our lives with… or not. And, for the record: It’s not easy to pull off a convincingly tormented Graduate stare (see above), but Melton sells it with ease.— B.L.
Noah Wyle, The Pitt
This isn’t a ranked list, but if it was? Wyle would take the top spot. His Emmy-winning performance as Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch somehow leveled up season 2. Season 1 showed PTMC’s leader buckle under the weight of his trauma—mainly, running an ER during the pandemic and losing his mentor—and push it away long enough to care for the PittFest victims. In season 2, we see what it looks like when Robby can’t fight it anymore. Wyle plays the doctor’s reckoning with such anger, ache, and urgency that he’ll surely hoist the Emmy again this awards season.—B.L.
Elle Fanning, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Margo has money troubles, but Elle Fanning is pure gold. The lifelong actress has perfected her craft for over two decades, and all her work now shows in the acclaimed Apple TV series. As Margo, Fanning anchors audiences in a tragicomic tale of a brilliant college student whose life takes a turn after her professor gets her pregnant. In this glossy series where Fanning embodies the messiness of motherhood, Margo explores performative sexuality–ostensibly to survive at first, but lets herself be drawn to the power of storytelling that exists beyond the page.—Eric Francisco
Peter Claffey, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Who doesn’t love an underdog? In A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the latest Game of Thrones spinoff series, former rugby player Peter Claffey gave us one of the best underdog stories on TV. Better yet? The mountain of a man practically perfected his physical comedy chops right out of the gate. Claffey brought an earnestness to Ser Dunk that made us all swoon for a character with the heart of a champion and the brains of a bird. And if that isn’t good TV, then I don’t know what is.—J.R.
Sterling K. Brown, Paradise
I will never stop talking about Sterling K. Brown in Black Panther. With just six minutes of screentime, Brown tells a rich story about a wayward brother who betrays his family for what he believes is a nobler cause. Xavier in Paradise is a much different character, but the multi-time Emmy Award winner imbues in them both a unique brand of masculinity, grace, and fatherhood. In Paradise season 2, Brown flexes his leading-man chops, with the second episode a standout as he plays opposite Shailene Woodley. No spoilers here if you haven’t caught up, but season 3 will be a fascinating one for Xavier and the people around him.—E.F.
Tatiana Maslany, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed
In Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, which hits Apple TV this week, a divorced mother crushes on a camboy, only to have said crush suddenly intertwine her in a twisty murder-mystery. As said divorcee, Maslany delivers a powerhouse performance that wildly swerves from heartbreaking, to joyous, to just plain holy shit in the span of a single episode. After breaking out on Orphan Black —and her Marvel detour in She-Hulk—it’s great to see Maslany at the center of a show that plays to her talents again.— B.L.
Steve Carell, Rooster
Far removed from his days as Michael Scott in The Office, Steve Carell has found his TV groove again in Rooster. In the Bill Lawrence series for HBO, Carell plays a sixty-something best-selling author with a new job teaching at a Boston university. Refreshingly less obnoxious than his mid-level Dunder Mifflin manager, Carrell’s inherent nervous energy comes across more endearing—maybe even attractive—than off-putting. We’ll gladly enroll for another semester if Carell can keep up this level of charm.—E.F.
Tracy Morgan, The Rise and Fall of Reggie Dinkins
I am a shameless cheap date for The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins. Like Tracy Morgan’s titular lead, I am a proud alumni of Rutgers University. (R-U! Rah! Rah!) But all the references to New Brunswick would feel hollow if not for Morgan’s uncanny superpower to play the worst person in the room and still make you root for their happiness. Though Morgan may not be so outside his comfort zone here—there are times his “Tracy Jordan” from 30 Rock and Reggie Dinkins are nearly identical—it’s an archetype so few could pull off, and Morgan is the MVP of doing just that.—E.F.
Ken Leung, Industry
Industry may have done Eric Tao dirty in season 4, but Ken Leung’s performance as the disgraced investment banker turned the show’s latest unbelievable twist into can’t-look-away TV. I won’t spoil what awful deed the writers cooked up for his character’s (likely) final appearance this go-around. All I’ll say is that I’ll never forget the haunted look on Leung’s face when his character learns about it at the exact same moment that we do. When a performance can send shivers down my spine without even saying a word, that’s talent.—J.R.
Linda Cardellini, DTF St. Louis
The way Linda Cardellini tells Jason Bateman to “snag it” while gesturing to the beer between her thighs lives rent-free in my head. In DTF St. Louis, Cardellini strikes a balance between stressed-out mother in the limbo of a ho-hum routine and extra-marital mistress down to roleplay in motels. All the while, she puts up an iron fence against the police investigating her husband’s murder. Her ruthless resolve makes Cardellini just a bit frightening too, and since DTF St. Louis I’ve wanted nothing more than to see Cardellini in a horror movie. As the villain.—E.F.
Jon Bernthal, The Bear
If you thought Jon Bernthal bringing actual depth to The Punisher was impressive, wait until you see what he does with Mikey Berzatto on the surprise episode of The Bear. The actor turns in one of the most versatile performances of the year in the culinary drama’s hour-long flashback, as he mines even deeper into his character’s psyche leading up to his eventual suicide. Throughout Mikey’s rollercoaster of highs and lows, Bernthal crafts an impressive and honest portrait of a man crying out for help.—J.R.
Michelle Pfeiffer, The Madison
2026 is a banner year for the former Tequila Sunrise star. Pfeiffer not only appears in Apple TV’s Margo’s Got Money Troubles, but she also leads the latest Taylor Sheridan original series for Paramount, The Madison—which was just renewed for two more seasons. The series stars Pfeiffer as a grieving widow who learns to connect with her late husband’s memories after she moves from the busy Big Apple to the river valleys of Montana. It’s an emotional series that demands a lot from its leading star, and Pfeiffer proves that crying your heart out on screen repeatedly requires a pro’s nuanced touch.—J.R.
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