Best actors in a Television series
by steelnutz | created - 07 Sep 2013 | updated - 14 Nov 2014 | Public
1. James Gandolfini
Actor | The Sopranos
James Gandolfini was born in Westwood, New Jersey, to Santa (Penna), a high school lunchlady, and James Joseph Gandolfini, Sr., a bricklayer and head school janitor. His parents were both of Italian origin. Gandolfini began acting in the New York theater. His Broadway debut was in the 1992 revival ...
James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano, because he was so concincing with his acting and appearance, and he did such a great job that you felt like you actually knew the guy personally.
2. Peter Krause
Actor | Six Feet Under
Peter William Krause was born on August 12, 1965, in Alexandria, Minnesota. Both his parents were teachers, and he has a sister and brother. He was raised in Roseville, Minnesota. He graduated in 1987 from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota, with a degree in English literature. In ...
Another actor from an HBO series, it is not HBO. This guy gets the number 2 spot on my list, because I can relate to what his character endured with brain surgery and his brain injury after experiencing something similar to what he did in my mid-20's. Nate Fisher Jr. my favorite character from Six Feet Under
3. Bryan Cranston
Actor | Breaking Bad
Bryan Lee Cranston was born on March 7, 1956 in Hollywood, California, to Audrey Peggy Sell, a radio actress, and Joe Cranston, an actor and former amateur boxer. His maternal grandparents were German, and his father was of Irish, German, and Austrian-Jewish ancestry. He was raised in the Canoga ...
Every Sunday night his portrayal of Walter White, everybody's favorite terminally ill chemistry teacher turned drug Kingpin never ever ever disappoints. Never!
4. Michael Kenneth Williams
Actor | The Wire
Emmy-nominated actor and producer Michael Kenneth Williams was one of his generation's most respected and acclaimed talents. By bringing complicated and charismatic characters to life--often with surprising tenderness--Williams established himself as a gifted and versatile performer with a unique ...
whether it be the Wire, The Road, or Boardwalk Empire, Michael K. Williams always puts on a great performance
5. Lennie James
Actor | The Walking Dead
Lennie James was born in Nottingham to Trinidadian parents, and grew up in South London. His mother, Phyllis Mary James, died when he was 12. Lennie and his older brother went into a council children's home. When he was 16 he was fostered with a social worker who had two older children, and they ...
6. Dominic West
Actor | The Wire
Dominic West was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England as Dominic Gerard Francis Eagleton West. He is an actor and producer, known for The Wire (2002), Chicago (2002), 300 (2006), The Affair (2014) and The Forgotten (2004). He has been married to Catherine Fitzgerald since June 26, 2010. They have ...
Dominic West is everybody's favorite Baltimore PD deputy to hate
7. Andrew Lincoln
Actor | The Walking Dead
Andrew Lincoln is a British actor. Lincoln spent his early childhood in Hull, Yorkshire before his family relocated to Bath, Somerset when he was age 10. He was educated at Beechen Cliff School in Bath, and then the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. His father is a civil engineer...
8. Chad L. Coleman
Actor | The Wire
Delivered a fantastic performance of a reformed street 'hitter' on the HBO show 'The Wire' from Series 3 to Series 5 with varied screen time. The character reflected the possibility of reformed criminals into positive characters of society; as with Coleman's character starting a boxing gym for the ...
9. Wood Harris
Actor | Remember the Titans
Harris was born Sherwin David Harris in Chicago, Illinois, to John and Mattie Harris. However, he works under his nickname, "Wood". Attended New York University Graduate Acting Program at the Tisch School. Has performed in many films and various stage productions including plays by August Wilson, ...
10. Idris Elba
Actor | Beasts of No Nation
An only child, Idrissa Akuna Elba was born and raised in London, England. His father, Winston, is from Sierra Leone and worked at Ford Dagenham; his mother, Eve, is from Ghana and had a clerical duty. Idris attended school in Canning Town, where he first became involved in acting, before he dropped...
11. J.D. Williams
Actor | Pootie Tang
J.D. Williams was born on May 22, 1978 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. He is an actor, known for Pootie Tang (2001), The Kill Point (2007) and Oz (1997).
JD Williams AKA Preston "Bodie" Broadus, one of my favorite characters from the Wire, I was fuming after they had him gunned down on the wire
12. Tony Sirico
Actor | The Sopranos
Tony Sirico was born in New York City on July 29, 1942 to a family of Italian descent. He grew up in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of East Flatbush and Bensonhurst. His brother, Father Robert Sirico, is a Catholic priest and co-founder of the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty. The ...
Tony Sirico AKA Pauly Walnuts from the Soprano crew had the most quotable lines in the entire series
13. Steven Van Zandt
Actor | The Sopranos
Steven Van Zandt (né Lento; born November 22, 1950), also known as Little Steven or Miami Steve, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, producer, actor, activist and author. He is best known as a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, in which he plays guitar and mandolin. He is also ...
Steve Van Zandt AKA Silvio Dante from the Soprano Crew also had quotable lines that were very comparable to Paul Walnuts. Over actor at times yes, but his timing was perfect with some of the one liners he unleashed in the Bada Bing Strip Club
14. Isiah Whitlock Jr.
Actor | Da 5 Bloods
Isiah Whitlock Jr. was born on September 13, 1954 in South Bend, Indiana, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Da 5 Bloods (2020), Cedar Rapids (2011) and BlacKkKlansman (2018).
If you know him from the Wire or 25th Hour then you know for the way that he pronounces *beep* like, *beep* Great actor, the first thing I ever saw him in was Goodfellas when he gave Henry Hill a couple of Valiums
15. Timothy Olyphant
Actor | Justified
From Timothy Olyphant's first screen appearances, such as his two-minute bit in The First Wives Club (1996), to "Nicko", whose presence at times dwarfed the island in A Perfect Getaway (2009), he has been a force to be reckoned with.
Born in Hawaii, Timothy David Olyphant was raised in Modesto, ...
Timothy Olyphant AKA 'Raylan Givens" the modern day cowboy in Justified
16. Walton Goggins
Actor | Justified
Walton Goggins is an actor of considerable versatility and acclaim who has delivered provocative performances in a multitude of feature films and television series. He won a Critics' Choice Award for his performance in the HBO comedy series "Vice Principals" and landed an Emmy nomination for his ...
Walton Goggins AKA Boyd Crowder from Justified and Shane Vendrell. If you have seen him in either you know just how awesome this guy is
17. Steve Buscemi
Actor | Fargo
Steve Buscemi was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Dorothy (Wilson), a restaurant hostess, and John Buscemi, a sanitation worker. He is of Italian (father) and English, Dutch, and Irish (mother) descent. He became interested in acting during his last year of high school. After graduating, he moved to...
Steve Buscemi AKA Nucky Thompson in Boardwalk Empire and Anthony Blundetto from the Sopranos, Donny from the Big Lebowski. This guy will forever be Donny to me
18. Seth Gilliam
Actor | The Walking Dead
Seth Gilliam was born on November 5, 1968 in New York, USA. He is an actor, known for The Walking Dead (2010), The Wire (2002) and Courage Under Fire (1996). He has been married to Leah C. Gardiner since August 24, 2005. They have one child.
Sergeant Ellis Carver from the Wire and officer Clayton Hughes from Oz. Another awesome actor from an HBO series
19. Dominic West
Actor | The Wire
Dominic West was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England as Dominic Gerard Francis Eagleton West. He is an actor and producer, known for The Wire (2002), Chicago (2002), 300 (2006), The Affair (2014) and The Forgotten (2004). He has been married to Catherine Fitzgerald since June 26, 2010. They have ...
20. Idris Elba
Actor | Beasts of No Nation
An only child, Idrissa Akuna Elba was born and raised in London, England. His father, Winston, is from Sierra Leone and worked at Ford Dagenham; his mother, Eve, is from Ghana and had a clerical duty. Idris attended school in Canning Town, where he first became involved in acting, before he dropped...
21. Jimmy Smits
Actor | Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
Jimmy L. Smits is an American actor. He is best known for playing attorney Victor Sifuentes on the 1980s-1990s legal drama L.A. Law, NYPD Detective Bobby Simone on the 1990s-2000s police drama NYPD Blue, Matt Santos on the political drama The West Wing, and for appearing in Switch (1991), My Family...
22. Danny Trejo
Actor | Machete
Danny Trejo was born Dan Trejo in Echo Park, Los Angeles, to Alice (Rivera) and Dan Trejo, a construction worker. A child drug addict and criminal, Trejo was in and out of jail for 11 years. While serving time in San Quentin, he won the lightweight and welterweight boxing titles. Imprisoned for ...
23. Steve Buscemi
Actor | Fargo
Steve Buscemi was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Dorothy (Wilson), a restaurant hostess, and John Buscemi, a sanitation worker. He is of Italian (father) and English, Dutch, and Irish (mother) descent. He became interested in acting during his last year of high school. After graduating, he moved to...
24. Billy Bob Thornton
Actor | Sling Blade
Billy Bob Thornton was born on August 4, 1955 in Hot Springs, Arkansas, to Virginia Roberta (Faulkner), a psychic, and William Raymond (Billy Ray) Thornton, an educator, high school history teacher, and basketball coach (now deceased). He is the older brother of James Donald (Jimmy Don) (born in ...
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