This is the fifth category of the 2nd Annual AFT Television Awards to be announced, my personal choices for the best in television this past season. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them.
Honorable mention: Michael Paul Chan was fantastic on “The Closer” but he just isn’t prominent enough on the show for me to include him in the top ten.
Runners-up: Seth Gabel is mesmerizing in some of the “Dirty Sexy Money” episodes this season. Vincent Kartheiser is an excellent seedy underling on “Mad Men”. Glenn Fitzgerald is so amusing as an angry priest on “Dirty Sexy Money”. Naveen Andrews and Henry Ian Cusick are standouts among the large “Lost” ensemble.
The nominees:
G.W. Bailey is the most sarcastic, difficult lug but you can’t help but love him on “The Closer”. Michael Emerson plays Others leader Ben magnificently so that you have absolutely no idea whether he’s one of the good guys or one of the bad guys on “Lost”. Blair Underwood gives the performance of his career as a depressed pilot on “In Treatment”. Donald Sutherland commands the screen as one of the richest men in New York City on “Dirty Sexy Money”. John Slattery turns in a career-best performance as advertising firm partner Roger Sterling on “Mad Men”.