AFT Awards: Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series

This is the ninth category of the 4th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television this past season. This year, semi-finalists are included to recognize more of the impressive work being done on television today. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them.

Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series

Last year’s nominees: Patrick Fischler, Richard Hatch, Alessandro Juliani, John de Lancie, Stephen Root

Emmy nominees: Dylan Baker, Beau Bridges, Alan Cumming, Ted Danson, Gregory Itzin, John Lithgow, Robert Morse

Semi-finalists: Erick Avari (Human Target), Dylan Baker (The Good Wife), Craig Bierko (The Good Wife), Keith Carradine (Dexter), Kim Coates (Human Target), Alan Cumming (The Good Wife), Henry Ian Cusick (Lost), Alan Dale (Lost), M.C. Gainey (Justified), Lennie James (Human Target), Sean Maher (Human Target), William Mapother (Human Target), Dominic Monaghan (Lost), Mark Moses (Mad Men), Chris Mulkey (Human Target), Timothy Omundson (Human Target), Mark Pellegrino (Lost), Henry Rollins (Sons of Anarchy), Chelcie Ross (Mad Men), Kevin Weisman (Human Target)

Finalists: David Costabile (Breaking Bad) displayed a mesmerizing calm and desperate need for approval as Walt’s new lab assistant. Len Cariou (Damages) crafted a tragic portrait of a Madoff-like man desperate to leave his family with something. Dominic Chianese (Damages) played against type as a fully mentally-present money man and was just as compelling as Uncle Junior. Jared Harris (Mad Men) was by far the best part of the British invasion of Sterling Cooper. Raymond J. Barry (Justified) played the world’s worst father who straddled the line between good and bad in an extraordinarily gripping manner.

The nominees:

Allan Hyde (True Blood) was heartbreaking and, more importantly, actually believable as a centuries-old vampire ready to leave his life behind. John Lithgow (Dexter) was a perfect match for Dexter as a family man with a dark secret life. Adam Arkin (Sons of Anarchy) was intimidating and fearsome without ever raising his voice or showing his hand as the most severe threat to SAMCRO yet. Walton Goggins (Justified) played a character just as morally ambiguous as Shane Vendrell, and was a fantastic nemesis for Raylan.

The winner:

James Callis (Flash Forward) showed up midway through the season and immediately stole the show with his eccentric, disturbed key piece of the puzzle.

Next up: Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series