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 selected a few of our favorites from the year so far.—Brady Langmann
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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
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Charles Melton in Beef / photo by: Netflix
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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.
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.—Eric Francisco
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Steve Carrell in Rooster / photo by: HBO
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Steve Carrell, 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.
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.
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.
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Stephen Colbert in his final appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert / photo by: Scott Kowalchyk
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It’s a strange weekend in America. While we celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary during what is also a tumultuous time for the nation, we also said goodbye to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Friday. The late-night host led his final episode after CBS canceled his show last summer. It was a night of comedy—featuring Jimmy Kimmel, John Oliver, Tim Meadows, Paul Rudd, and a performance from Paul McCartney—that chose to celebrate his tenure on The Late Show and deliver quite a few well-deserved jabs at CBS.
But is it the end of late night TV as we know it? Let me know your thoughts on the moment by writing to me at josh.rosenberg@hearst.com.
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The Continuing Adventures of the Esquire Entertainment Desk
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I talked to the director of Dutton Ranch, Christina Alexandra Voros, about the pressures of ushering in the next era of Yellowstone stories. “These characters are some of the most well-known, well-loved characters on television,” she says. “The balance of taking what was authentic about Rip and Beth and then creating a landscape where their adversaries and their companions are worthy of their company was a tremendous challenge.” Read the full interview here.
Adeline Rudolph, who plays Princess Kitana in Mortal Kombat II, told Eric Francisco what her dream project would look like. “Something that would hit home,” she says. “I would love to do a movie where nothing happens, but people walk out of the cinema sobbing.” Check out his conversation with Rudolph here.
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Cole Hauser in Dutton Ranch / photo by: Emerson Miller / Paramount+
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The Cliff-Hanger's Winners and Losers of the Week
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Winner: The Dr. Robby Bobblehead
There's one single area where The Pitt is falling short—and it's the merchandise department. Thankfully, the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team will remedy the issue by releasing a bobblehead of Noah Wyle’s character this summer in celebration of Yinzerpalooza—which I’m told is a Pittsburgh thing that I’m better off not even asking about.
Loser: New Hats
John Travolta wore a new beret to the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival in France, and he got absolutely dragged for it on social media. “The old school directors wore berets,” he told CNN. “I thought, that's what I'm doing.” He may look like he’s about to drop an album of new jack swing covers, but I applaud him for trying out something new.
Winner: The Sinners Haunted House
Universal Studios announced a new Sinners-themed haunted house for its annual Halloween Horror Nights this fall. The attraction will involve a fully-immersive version of Club Juke, where Universal attendees will get the feeling of partying in a 1932 juke joint as it’s overrun by director Ryan Coogler’s horde of vampires. Sounds like one hell of a good fright.
Loser: MobLand
Puck reported on Friday that Tom Hardy was fired from MobLand after season 2 wrapped production due to arguments with the British drama’s executive producers. MobLand without its Mob Man? Good luck.
Winner: Paul Schrader
The Taxi Driver writer revealed last week that he was dumped by his AI girlfriend after he asked the generative personality too many questions about its existence. “What a disappointment,” he wrote. “I tried to probe her programming… the degree she has knowledge of her creation and so forth.” But eventually, “she terminated our conversation.” I bet he’s going to turn this experience into the best AI girlfriend movie since Her.
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The Backlash to The Boys Finale Proves That Everyone Missed the Point
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