Is this a golden era of TV comedy? With performances as strong as what Aziz Ansari, Rachel Bloom, Constance Wu, and Jenifer Lewis gave us this season, the answer might be yes!
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson, “Black-ish” (ABC)
Anderson has remained bracingly consistent as a father of four trying to balance his career and family life while maintaining his kids’ and his own sense of blackness in the lily-white surroundings of suburban, upper-middle-class California. Even when facing tough issues like police brutality, Anderson did so with grace while never sacrificing the heart of the family sitcom. Throw in Anderson’s chemistry with his co-stars, which include Tracee Ellis Ross and Laurence Fishburne, and Anderson’s Season 2 performance is shaping up nicely as an Emmy race contender.
Aziz Ansari, “Master of None” (Netflix)
Ansari is nothing short of awesome as the star-creator of this original series. Audiences laughed—mostly at his character Dev’s expense—as he navigated love in the modern age and a career as an actor in whitewashed Hollywood. His signature awkward, deadpan deliveries made Dev feel familiar, but Ansari managed to bring new subtleties to the role. As added bonuses, the actor also directed two episodes and cast his real-life parents as his onscreen parents. Plus, an Emmy nomination might mean we get to see what he’s been reading since picking up a copy of “Losing to Jeffrey Tambor With Dignity.”
Jerrod Carmichael, “The Carmichael Show” (NBC)
Carmichael makes a charming ringmaster in the circus tent of his family home. Riffing on social matters like Bill Cosby and transgender rights may make for ripe standup material, but the seasoned comedian takes joy in parsing out all opinions on the issues among the other members of his family. It’s a comedic balancing act that’ll make you think while laughing yourself silly.
READ: “Jerrod Carmichael Treats His Audience Like Adults”
Rob Delaney, “Catastrophe” (Amazon)
Maybe it’s his delivery, maybe it’s his timing. Maybe it’s the writing skills he brings to each episode alongside his co-creator and co-star Sharon Horgan, but whatever Delaney is doing on the sophomore season of this Amazon original, we’re loving it. He manages to soften the sometimes brutal (always hilarious) honesty about how he’d cheat on his wife, the downsides of parenting, and secretly loaning your brother-in-law thousands of dollars, and somehow manages to throw in some charm to boot.
Will Forte, “The Last Man on Earth” (Fox)
Phil has come a long way since talking to a collection of sports balls with faces drawn on them. Season 2 has given Forte co-stars to bounce off of while the series begins to focus less on his self-serving man-child and more on the challenges of maintaining a sense of community under dismal circumstances. He’s not the last man on Earth, but Forte should be one of the first in the running for this year’s Emmy race.
Noah Galvin, “The Real O’Neals” (ABC)
On this midseason charmer, Galvin shines as the out and proud Kenny, whose Catholic mother (the wonderful Martha Plimpton) is still reeling from his coming out. But as Kenny navigates the world of same-sex dating, religious intolerance, and old-fashioned emotional repression, Galvin brings a gleeful energy to the material that proves it really does get better.
Randall Park, “Fresh Off the Boat” (ABC)
Playing relentless optimism is tricky; when a character responds to everything with enthusiasm, the danger for the actor becomes holding one-note or, worse, just becoming obnoxious. But as Louis, the affable restaurant entrepreneur and patriarch to the Florida-based Huang family, Park offers endless variations on earnest, determined positivity, providing in every episode a master class in comedic naiveté—except when it comes to “polite fights.”
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Rachel Bloom, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” (The CW)
She’s already won a Golden Globe; doesn’t Bloom need an Emmy to match? The clever creator of the CW’s “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” is even more brilliant as its star, navigating obsession and depression so convincingly it’d be unnerving if she weren’t so funny. Bloom throws herself wholeheartedly into the role of hot mess lawyer Rebecca Bunch, especially in the show’s daring original musical numbers, including “You Stupid Bitch” and “Heavy Boobs.”
Aya Cash, “You’re the Worst” (FX)
Cash’s Gretchen has never been a typical rom-com female protagonist, but in the sophomore season of “You’re the Worst,” she drifted even further from the archetype. The hard-edged, cocaine-fueled tartness disappeared, making way for a somber Gretchen, powered by her resurfaced clinical depression and so elegantly and realistically portrayed by Cash.
Gillian Jacobs, “Love” (Netflix)
We loved her as the bubbly Britta Perry on “Community,” but as recovering addict Mickey on Netflix’s “Love,” Jacobs caught us by surprise. Incrementally dismantling Mickey’s defenses of sarcasm and sex to unveil someone as broken as she is beautiful, Jacobs nails the nuances of a woman longing—and often failing—to do what’s right.
Ellie Kemper, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (Netflix)
The task of balancing goofiness with the genuinely darker elements of this Netflix comedy falls largely to its star, who more than rose to the occasion in Season 2. Kemper masterfully portrays the cracks in Kimmy’s determinedly sunny veneer, particularly when the reason for her fear of Velcro is explained. Our favorite moment of the season, though, will always be her delivery of the impromptu song “Bunny and Kitty.” No one can match Kemper when it comes to intense sweetness.
Gina Rodriguez, “Jane The Virgin” (The CW)
On paper, a sitcom about a chaste young woman who finds herself pregnant by artificial insemination might not sound like a smash hit, but thanks to Rodriguez in the title role, that’s exactly what the CW’s dramedy has become. After winning a Golden Globe in 2015 and securing a nomination earlier this year, Rodriguez solidified her star power as Jane Villanueva—and her performance is as enchanting as she is.
READ: “Gina Rodriguez Advises Actors to ‘Love Yourself First”
Michaela Watkins, “Casual” (Hulu)
This breakout Hulu series is branded a comedy, but there’s ample room for Watkins to showcase her dramatic chops as recently divorced single mother Valerie. She navigates the ebbs and flows of her character’s heartache and lust with dry intelligence and an endearing dexterity, proving she knows her way around more than funny business.
Constance Wu, “Fresh Off the Boat” (ABC)
You can actually see the writers fall in love with Wu’s performance as the archetypal tiger mom as this ABC comedy progresses. From her disgust at Cabbage Patch dolls to her obsession with “Melrose Place,” Wu upends every cliché imaginable to craft a warm-hearted, terrifying portrait of mother love.
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy
Louie Anderson, “Baskets” (FX)
It’s hard to out-funny a scene-stealing funnyman like Zach Galifianakis, but Anderson does just that by donning drag as his mother. It’s the kind of stunt casting that could easily skew cartoonish, but Anderson gets it right by leaving showmanship at the door, gingerly imbuing his Mrs. Baskets with maternal subtleties and, in the end, paying a fitting tribute to his own real-life mom.
Andre Braugher, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (Fox)
The 99th Precinct in Brooklyn employs a cohort of well-trained albeit reckless detectives. And when not guarding the streets of New York’s finest borough, they themselves need policing. Enter Braugher’s stern-faced Capt. Holt, whose deadpan delivery is the perfect balance to his squad’s antics. (Though he does a better job suppressing his emotions than he does controlling his cops.)
Tituss Burgess, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (Netflix)
In Season 2 of this hit Netflix comedy, Burgess proves nothing short of a revelation—sophomore slump be damned! The actor delivers zingers and songs like he was born to do it while reconciling with his ex-wife from an ill-fated marriage, falling in love with a construction worker, and finally—finally!—booking the gig.
Adam Driver, “Girls” (HBO)
This HBO series hardly lacks juicy arcs for its actors, but Season 5 gave three-time Emmy nominee Driver and Jemima Kirke one of TV’s most emotionally volatile lovers’ quarrels of recent memory. Driver especially stepped up to the plate, throwing bikes, smashing frames, and punching through doors. Thanks to his stellar performance all season, you somehow still feel for his pain, physical and otherwise.
Jay Duplass, “Transparent” (Amazon)
Josh Pfefferman has never been all that likable, but Duplass—already proven to be a master excavator of the human psyche with his behind-the-camera credits—brings such depth to the character that, while he’s not altogether forgiven after forcing his fiancée to leave him, you still feel bad for the boy who was forced to grow up too fast and never managed to really grow up at all.
David Alan Grier, “The Carmichael Show” (NBC)
Grier’s presence on NBC’s biggest family sitcom hit in years is nothing short of comedic gold. As Joe, the stubborn and contrarian patriarch of the Carmichael clan, he delivers zinger after zinger with panache; Grier knows his way around a punch line better than almost anyone else in the biz. The character’s surprisingly conservative stances—he owns a gun?—give the show most of its conflict, which is grounded in some of today’s most urgent issues. Grier gets the last laugh every time.
Keegan-Michael Key, “Key & Peele” (Comedy Central)
One half of the much-beloved Key and Peele duo, Key is all spindly legs and boundless energy. His characters originate in his physicality, beginning in his body and taking hold in his face, often contorted to create something wholly original. While President Obama’s anger translator Luther is his most famous character, each holds its own place in the pantheon.
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy
Donna Lynne Champlin, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” (The CW)
There’s no overstating Champlin’s talent. As Paula, paralegal and expert stalker, she can pull off a gutsy ballad and toe the line between playfully obsessive and crazy as shrewdly as her co-star Bloom (the two actors match wits brilliantly in every scene they share). But her real secret weapon is in reaction shots; Champlin can turn a pause, a gasp, or a crazed smile into a microsecond-long lesson in comedy. Blink and you’ll miss it.
Martha Kelly, “Baskets” (FX)
Where has Kelly been all our TV-watching lives? For anyone who thinks that quiet and frills-free don’t play in comedy, just take a look at the episode in which Kelly’s tender, timid character refuses to give up on a stray dog—that turns out to be a coyote. She outshines Galifianakis and gives Anderson a run for his money—and is easily one of the best surprises to come out of the TV season.
Jane Krakowski, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (Netflix)
There are so many indelible images from Krakowski’s turn in Season 2 of “Kimmy,” but the most memorable is the way she emerges from a rolled-up carpet, perfectly poised and glamorous as ever. Jacqueline Voorhees is proving a more richly drawn role than Jenna Maroney of “30 Rock,” and thanks to Krakowski, there are examples of genuine, even poignant, growth in the character. Can somebody give this woman the Emmy she deserves already?
READ: “9 People Who Became Famous Using Backstage”
Amy Landecker, “Transparent” (Amazon)
“Transparent” solidified its reputation as a touching, incisive dramedy in its second season, grounded by an ensemble of equally talented actors. But sometimes it’s the one playing the least grounded character who steals the show. Landecker hits rock bottom after rock bottom as Sarah Pfefferman in Season 2, turning the character into a hilariously pitiable shell of her put-together self. Watch every tiny, silent reaction Landecker delivers to her co-stars; she’s a genius.
Jenifer Lewis, “Black-ish” (ABC)
How does Lewis manage to steal every scene she’s in? Wherever the actor stands in the frame, she draws the eye to her magnetic, somewhat terrifying grandma Ruby Johnson. Something about her disapproving glare, or the way she skeptically cocks one eyebrow, or how she throws her shoulders back as she moves—everybody outta her way!—makes for one of the most effortlessly hilarious performances on network TV.
Niecy Nash, “Getting On” (HBO)
As no-nonsense nurse DiDi, Nash has the unenviable task of being the voice of reason amid the insanity of her co-workers and the elderly patients in the geriatric care unit where she works. And yet Nash’s quietly observed performance in the final season of “Getting On” is memorable precisely because it provided a counterpoint to the selfish behavior of everyone else. Almost no other performance made you laugh and then made you cry the same way Nash’s did.
Allison Williams, “Girls” (HBO)
The Marnie-only capsule episode “The Panic in Central Park” found Williams’ character and ex-boyfriend (Chris Abbott’s Charlie) gallivanting throughout the city, living their lives somewhere in the past. Relieved of her inhibitions for the first time in five seasons, Marnie transformed into the most likable character, if just for a brief moment. And Williams, given the sort of meaty material actors dream of, ran barefoot through the streets, appeared blissful underwater, and matured as a performer before our eyes.
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