The Best TV Performances of 2026 (So Far)

9 min readDid you see the Emmy Awards last month? It was a weird ceremony, complete with a really long and unfunny Taylor Swift cameo, but the awards rightly celebrated the best of the best TV of the past year. But the year isn’t over yet, and there’s still plenty more fantastic TV to recognize. That includes some of the best on-camera acting we’ve seen on the small screen.At the start of 2026, heavy hitters like The Pitt, Industry, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and the now-completed Hacks gave us some of the best damn TV we would see all year long. We were also treated to some new darlings we just had to go to bat for: Ponies, The Rise and Fall of Reggie Dinkins (maybe the most unhinged Daniel Radcliffe has been since Miracle Workers), and Rooster, which made us remember Steve Carell’s prowess as a television leading man.As the weather warmed up, we grew obsessed with Widow’s Bay (an instant favorite among Esquire’s entertainment editors), Furious, and Lanterns, the latter making us believe superheroes ain’t dead just yet. Now that it’s autumn, we can’t ignore the event series of the moment: Netflix’s East of Eden.A common thread among these very different shows was the standout talent attached to them: Noah Wyle, Matthew Rhys, Tatiana Maslany, Kyle Chandler, Tracy Morgan, and still far too many to name. Earlier, we spotlighted the best TV episodes of 2026 so far. Today? It's performances.Here are twenty of the best TV performances of 2026 so far.—Eric FranciscoMatthew Rhys, Widow’s BayApple TVRhys 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. It’s no wonder he won that Emmy.— Brady LangmannJean Smart, HacksCourtesy of HBO MaxThere’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 RosenbergHoon Lee, East of EdenNetflixThere was no doubt Florence Pugh would be great in East of Eden. But it’s veteran actor Hoon Lee who’s drummed up buzz in Zoe Kazan’s acclaimed Netflix adaptation of John Steinbeck’s epic. The Warrior and Devil May Cry star shines as Lee, a Chinese American servant to Adam (Christopher Abbott) who becomes the surrogate parent to his twin sons. Bearing wisdom as deep as the oceans, Lee is the undeniable heart of this timeless American epic. —E.F.Kyle Chandler, LanternsHBOIf Tony Stark was a pilot instead of a tech genius, he might be like Hal Jordan. That’s not a compliment. Far from his days on Friday Night Lights, a salt-and-peppered Kyle Chandler takes charge as the cocksure Hal Jordan, Earth’s first Green Lantern in James Gunn’s new DC Universe, who reluctantly takes in trainee John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) to investigate a murder in Nebraska. At first, he walks with the swagger of a man who’s done it all and seen it all before. But his antagonistic relationship with his pupil reveals a deeper story involving his insecurities, failings—and yes, his fears. This ain’t no Coach Taylor. This is a Green Lantern. —E.F.Lola Petticrew, FuriousSarah Shatz//HuluIt’s reductive to call the Hulu hit Furious “MeToo Silence of the Lambs.” But Lola Petticrew’s calculating Catharine Grace can turn your blood cold just as Hannibal Lecter did. In the acclaimed crime drama about an FBI agent (Emmy Rossum) pursuing a serial killer targeting male sexual abusers, Petticrew steals the show as a chameleon-like woman on a warpath who leaves behind bodies and carnage wherever she goes. We’re already inclined to side with Catharine from the start, but Petticrew’s mesmerizing presence has us rooting for the villain.—E.F.Pierce Brosnan, MobLandParamountPierce Brosnan returned to wreak havoc in another season of Guy Ritchie's MobLand, proving that you can always teach an old dog new tricks. The James Bond veteran takes on an even more rabid version of London mob boss Conrad Harrigan in season 2, acting alongside Helen Mirren and Tom Hardy in a crime series that never takes it foot off the gas. “There was a speech on day one of filming with Tom where [Conrad] has a speech saying, ‘If I’m bigger than you, stronger than you, I’ll eat you. Or I’ll fuck you. And then I’ll eat you,’” Brosnan told Esquire ahead of the season 2 premiere. “It’s just such a graphically beautiful, funny line.”—J.R.Haley Lu Richardson, PoniespeacockOne of the biggest TV crimes of the year was the cancellation of Ponies, because it means we won’t see more of Twila. Back in frosty January, we warmed up to Haley Lu Richardson in the Peacock spy comedy where she and Emilia Clarke played two widows taking over for their husbands in the CIA during the Cold War. Twila’s bouncy energy, jagged edges, and midwestern bluster made her stick out in Moscow in the best possible way. Das vedanya, Twila—we hardly knew ye.—E.F.Zendaya, EuphoriaEddy Chen/HBOIt'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© 2026 Netflix, Inc.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 PittWarrick PageThis 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 TroublesAllyson RiggsMargo 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 FranciscoPeter Claffey, A Knight of the Seven KingdomsSteffan HillWho 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, ParadiseAnne Marie Fox//HuluI 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 GuaranteedApple TVIn 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, RoosterApple TVFar 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 DinkinsNBCI 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, IndustrySimon Ridgway/HBOIndustry 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. LouisT ROWDENThe 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 BearFXIf 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 MadisonEmerson Miller /Paramount +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.Download Exclusive Digital IssuesWinter 2026Fall 2025Summer 2025