2 minute read
New York Tristate
LEE PACE ON “FOUNDATION”
DYLLÓN BURNSIDE AND BILLY PORTER ON “POSE”
How I Got My SAG Card:
Evan Peters
Lee Pace
“Foundation”
Pace is hubris personified as Brother Day, the cloned ruler of the ancient Galactic Empire on this Apple TV+ sci-fi series. Moving his body like it’s a holy relic, arms outstretched as though all are privileged to look upon him, the actor emanates unshakable confidence and menace. It’s a treat to watch Pace show the cracks forming in that veneer, proving that there are no gods among men.
Billy Porter
“Pose”
Everyone on this sequined and stunning series deserves accolades aplenty, but the performance that may most lodge itself in your heart is Porter’s Emmy-winning turn as Pray Tell. With countless friends and lovers dying of AIDS, he’s entrenched in sadness and unimaginable fear; yet he projects joy without ever coming off as saccharine. We’re finally mining the depths of this veteran theater actor’s abilities.
Justice Smith
“Generation”
“Generation” star Smith gives one of the liveliest performances currently to be found on the small screen. Leading the HBO Max drama’s pack of ne’er-do-well Gen Z-ers as queen bee Chester, he’s bold, confident, and a little damaged; he also wears his queerness on his sleeve—decked out in gender-bent fashions, no less. Chester gives Smith welcome opportunity to chew scenery and sends him on the kind of personalgrowth journey that we wish we could see more of on TV.
Jeremy Strong
“Succession”
“Succession” is a story of extremes, of people flying too
close to the sun and plummeting to unimaginable depths—often multiple times in a single episode. Its most psychologically broken player, the driven, hardheaded Kendall Roy, may also be its most relatable. That’s because the Emmy-winning Strong imbues this drug-addicted man-child with raw impotence underneath all his braggadocio.
Justin Theroux
“The Mosquito Coast”
Theroux turns Apple TV+’s “The Mosquito Coast” into a true family affair, starring on this adaption of his uncle Paul Theroux’s classic adventure novel. He plays Allie Fox, an idealistic inventor who uproots his family and moves to Latin America, in his mind freeing them from the United States’ industrial commercialism—until the government tracks him down, that is. Through it all, the actor does a fine spin on Indiana Jones, with charm, smarts, and brawn to spare.
Forest Whitaker
“Godfather of Harlem”
If you’re looking for a good old-fashioned gangster drama— gritty and violent yet smartly written and acted—Whitaker has got you covered on this hit Epix series. As the latest star to portray 1960s Harlem crime lord Bumpy Johnson, Whitaker serves more emotion and depth than you might expect from such a notorious crook; count on an actor of his caliber to surprise you at every turn.
Bradley Whitford
“The Handmaid’s Tale”
Leaning into the unnervingly eccentric portion of his career, Whitford continues to make his Emmy-winning turn as the duplicitous Commander Lawrence must-see TV. He maneuvers his performance on a dime, eliciting audience sympathy, loathing, and downright shivers. The reason the Season 4 finale’s twist is so immensely satisfying comes from the journey Whitford has taken us on—a karmic arc bending, finally, toward justice.
