Posted on:I watch a lot of TV, some might say too much, and to them I say there’s no such thing. Can you have too much joy? Too much laughter? Too much drama? Too many TV boyfriends? I think not. There has been so much goodness on TV this year and there couldn’t possibly be room enough in the crowded awards field for all of the amazing performances I’ve seen. I mean, I love Peter Dinklage, Tina Fey, Jim Parsons, and the whole cast of Modern Family just as much as any other dedicated furniture spud, but their nominations are a forgone conclusion. Why not give some love to the people on my TV who aren’t going to show up at the Emmy podium this year? So, without further ado, I bring you 2011′s Best Actors That Won’t Get Nominated for an Emmy, in no particular order. Also, there will be spoilers, sorry.
Ryan Hurst as Harry “Opie” Winston on Sons of Anarchy for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama
I am admittedly predisposed to love all things Hurst, but man oh man, is he breaking my heart this season. He’s gotten married, been betrayed by his wife, his best friend is trying to skip town and to top it all off, his poor dad got gunned down, destroying his trust in the club and dredging up his feelings about Donna. It’s been a tough year for “Ope.” While his current hair is a regrettable choice, he’s all heart and raw emotions under that scraggly beard.
Jon Beranthal as Shane on The Walking Dead for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama
I think we’re all well aware of my feelings for Shane based on my weekly TWD recaps. What all that vitriol really means is that Beranthal has been knocking it out of the park. You can’t be a bad actor and get me that invested in hating a character.
Adam Pally as Max, Damon Wayans, Jr. as Brad and Casey Wilson as Penny on Happy Endings for Best Actor/Actress in a Comedy
Take away any one of these characters, and Happy Endings would still be an alright show. Take all of them away and it would have gone the way of Whitney, oh wait, that hasn’t been cancelled yet? Get on it NBC. What’s more, they turn traditional sitcom stereotypes on end. Pally’s Max is gay, but he’s a football-watching, beer-swilling, slovenly gay next door, there isn’t a hint stereotypical flamboyance about him. In Brad, Wayans is a married, straight, black man who’s almost stereotypically gay, as he loves pampering himself, fashion, twirling, and his hot wife. And in this sitch, Penny is the perpetually single best friend, the Monica who always screws things up with guys, but Wilson plays it with such optimism and humor that you just know this really will be the Year of Penny, 2. Wayans also gets a special nod for his one episode of work on the New Girl. I’d really like to have seen where Coach went.
Max Greenfield as Schmidt on New Girl for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy
I know there’s been some recent Zooey Deschanel backlash on the internet, I don’t get it, but to each their own. Let me reassure everyone that The New Girl isn’t all about Zooey, everyone on the show shines equally, but my favorite is Schmidt. Why? Schmidt happens, that’s why. I hope we get to create tiny memories with him for a long, long time.
Naya Rivera as Santana Lopez on Glee for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy
Sure it’s uneven, but this season, Rivera has really shone on Glee. She’s got a hard candy coating and a soft inner core. It’s just a bonus that she’s got a great voice and is so stinking pretty. Santana’s coming out storyline has tied together what has been Glee’s best season yet. Let’s hope Ryan Murphy develops yet another TV show so he keeps his paws off of it even more next year, it can only be good for the cast.
Gabriel Mann as Nolan Ross on Revenge for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama
Revenge is one of those shows that I’m scared will nose dive in a second season, like The OC or Desperate Housewives. But right now, it’s pretty much my favorite guilty pleasure. Nolan Ross is a big reason why. The Bieber-haired, sexually ambiguous, smarmy, brilliant billionaire is always willing to help out protagonist Emily Thorne, because her dad believed in him before he had anything. There also seems to be a bizarre and disturbing undercurrent of Nolan fans out there who like to make videos, I find that outstanding.
Josh Gates as Host on Destination Truth for Best Host in a Reality – Reality Competition Program
Looking for cryptozoological creatures? Look no further because this show is where it’s at and Josh Gates is pretty much why. Host, photographer, monster hunter, author, my reality TV boyfriend, there’s pretty much nothing he can’t do. He seems to realize that what he’s doing is ridiculous and isn’t afraid to make a joke at his own expense, excitedly yell about stuff, or run screaming from loud noises. Also, he sounds a little like Kermit the Frog and who doesn’t love that? Besides, Probst and Keoghan have won so many Emmys, they’ve built vacation homes out of them. *Only watch the first 10 seconds or so of that 2nd video. It’s a fan “remix”, but it makes me laugh.
Nina Dobrev as Elena Gilbert & Katherine Pierce on The Vampire Diaries for Best Actress & Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Girl's got skills.
Girlfriend plays two polar-opposite characters at a time with her hands tied behind her back. One is a sweet girl scout, the other is pretty much a homicidal anarchist. I’d like to see The Good Wife pull that off. But more than that, you can see the difference between the characters in every movement she makes and the subtle changes in her face. Where Elena is pinched and worried, Katherine is smirking and sensual, Elena pouts and Katherine flirts. It’s in the set of her mouth and the arch of her eyebrow that these doppelgangers are doppel-different. Even the subtleties of Katherine pretending to be Elena are outstanding, you can see an animal being contained under the simper she’s affecting. Too bad she’s putting in all this work on a silly, teen, vampire drama on the CW, if she was on HBO, she might have a chance at recognition.
Jamie Fowler as Adelaide on American Horror Story for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama
Yes, this show is weird and undeniably a little off the rails, story-wise, but Adelaide was its heart. By turns bitchy, sweet, flirty and creepy, Fowler took the character of a girl with Down’s Syndrome and made sure she wasn’t a stereotype. Playing opposite Jessica Lange has got to be tough for any actor, and she was never over-shadowed. In a show where it’s easy to go over the top, play it crazy and chew scenery like a champ, Adelaide felt real and nuanced and I’m certainly going to miss her.
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