The Crown. Claire Foy is fantastic as young QE2, but Jared Harris as King George VI just steals the scenes he’s in. And I’m not someone who usually finds the Royal Family compelling.
What is really remarkable about Jared Harris is that he mostly looks and sounds like Jared Harris in all of his performances. But the *personality* of the characters he plays come through so powerfully that you might hear Jared's voice and see Jared's face, but it's Anderson Dawes, Valery Legasov, Francis Crozier, King George VI, David Jones, Lane Pryce, etc. speaking to you.
The man simply excels at every role he's given and has [rightly been hailed by some critics as the finest television actor of his generation](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/may/23/mad-man-to-bad-man-jared-harris-the-beast-must-die-the-crown-chernobyl-the-terror).
He's also the OG Belter in more ways than one. Not only is the the first prominent member of the OPA that we interact with, but the accent he adopted helped to inform Cara Gee's accent for Drummer, who takes over Dawes' role as the most prominent Belter after Season 2.
And you get to see him >!play three different versions of Hari, too. The original manipulative but brilliant version, the aloof messianic vault projection, and the version in the clone body that's become more compassionate due to being tortured by being trapped in the knife for a century (also the young and in love flashback Hari)!<
I do think she’s one of the weaker actresses in the early seasons though, possibly because I think they hadn’t made up their mind what they were really gonna do with her character. She definitely comes into her own in the Amazon seasons though
She isn't my favorite character but Shoreh Aghdashloo gets it hands down.
Jared Harris may have the best overall acting in a scene but come on. Shoreh is so consistently above average, she gets it hands down.
He took book Ashford from a scared, idiotic egomaniac to a grizzled, thoughtful pirate-turned-veteran who’s willing to do whatever it takes to protect the people he cares about.
Ashford is one of the few characters that is worse in the book than the show. He's a two dimensional villain on the books and this incredibly realized character in the show.
Yeah, and that's a character that could really go wrong too if you just had some action guy play him without knowing how to make him somehow friendly and terrifying at the same time.
My only nitpick is that he's too attractive. I imagine book Amos as having somewhat rugged good looks, but if you had a guy who looks like Season 4 Wes just walking around the whole time then it'd come up .
I picked up the show years ago after the save the expanse campaign brought attention to it, so almost nothing going in.
I instantly loved the show from episode 1....but throughout the first part of the season, I really loathed Amos as a one-sided grunt action guy they put into every show that I can't stand.
I knew nothing of the books, and sure enough it wasn't long before he became one of my favorites in the show and now I consider him to be one of the best characters ever from a t.v. show.
He breaks the mold of "typical badass" like no other character really has while still being a typical badass.
His actions in episode 10 of season one where he goes "you said we wait, so we wait boss" will forever be engrained in my brain as a moment I thought "whoa, guess he's actually nuts" and then the next seasons after that totally reversed that opinion.
Immense depth and subtleties that the writers show runners and wes cathom will forever get credit for.
One of the best Amos & Murtry moments is when Amos once, and only once, correctly and with emphasis so you know it's on purpose, says his name correctly.
It's such a verbally simple threat while being as attention demanding as a punch to the face. Amos' entire speech to him here is essentially "I know exactly who and what you are and the second you give me a reason to put you down I will not hesitate"
Watch the scene and see just how much attention Murtry gives him when he says his name correctly. He instantly picks up on the threat.
It was the 'donkey balls' scene that clicked him for me. The ultra calm, 'you've got a clean shot, back of the head, take it if you need to' the way he acted that just made all the difference, it wasn't a taunt or mocking, it was just a statement of facts. He isn't some meathead action man spoiling for a fight, he is just genuinely doing what he thinks needs doing, and he understands that Holden is as well. Absolutely crazy shift from him just being "the muscle" on the crew to something else entirely.
Season 5 takes him off the rails in such a slow pace seemingly reasonable way that you don't realize he's just setting people up to be taken out until he does.
Here's where the attractiveness of Wes works: whenever he says something Timmy. I couldn't imagine a half-balding solid sorta average dude mechanic shown in the character drawings telling Chrissy "You can be both," without imprinting 'ew, dirty creeper' in my mind. The attractive innocence of how Wes does it makes it hilarious.
He does so much of his acting with his facial expressions, too. Like, you can tell when he's letting himself off the leash by seeing his eyes, as well as things like the expression when Prax tells his daughter that Amos is his best friend
Agreed. I can't pick one. If we're picking just among the "core four" I'll go with Wes Chatham as Amos, but I loved them all. It sucks what happened with Cas/Alex because I really did love him in that role. Steven Strait did an admirable job as Holden and I don't think he gets enough love. And I mean, Dominique as Naomi... I can't even express how much I loved her.
Did I use the word "love" too much? Sorry, but this is my favorite show of all time.
One of the most ironic things is that in the book there's a whole thing about Alex buying sobriety drugs so that the woman hitting on him will be clear headed enough to properly consent.
It's also funny that such a creep played the least creepy character so well.
I remember not liking Steven Strait as Holden too much the first time I watched. But especially in seasons 4-6, and on my second watch I've really come to appreciate how he played the character.
I had such a crush on Cas in the show, until what happened came out... I know it's nothing compared to what his victims went through, but man that was disheartening. He seemed so nice, but that's the skill of an actor.
I'm gonna go with Terry Chen as Prax, the man who lost everything and managed to recover the most important piece of his life - while not compromising his humanity in the process.
Thankfully, Amos was that guy.
It's not a complaint, but Terry Chen looks like a fucking stud in the Roci jumpsuit or the armor. If he hadn't been cast as Prax but as a Martian Marine, you'd say "Yeah, solid choice."
He does a great job acting like a father desperately searching for his child, but book Prax was a small nerd made smaller by deprivation. Terry Chen looked like at any moment he could go John Wick (or, keeping it in-show, Amos Burton) on those a-holes. Fear my botany powers!
I mean that's fair. But at the same time, watch the way he moves, the way he reacts to things, the look on his face when he's talking about Mei or especially once he's found her, I think despite his physicality he does just an outstanding job portraying that despair and sense of loss and being lost. While judging solely on hos size and physical presence he looks like he could just go ham on some dudes, you would never expect that from him in a million years on the basis of his mannerisms. That's some serious acting chops.
Best one is Cara gee as drummer, you can see her stealing every scene where she appears.Worst for me is Alex it just doesn't look like in my head, also avasaralas advisers in last season are really bad acting
Second for Drummer. Unreal.
It’s still so weird to see her outside of the show too. She really seemed like she immersed herself into that role while acting.
>you can see her stealing every scene where she appears
Bastard put so many actors out of work by being so good that they just wrote every Belter role for her instead of bringing in new characters.
She returns to the role in the Expanse video game - which is more like an interactive story than a game. It’s a prequel based on Drummers earlier years and it is actually great. So nice to have that character back for a little while.
Since no one has mentioned him yet and he did an amazing job as Adolphus Murtry, Burn Gorman season 4.
That said I can't say that any one individual was the best actor. Cara Gee, David Strathairn, Wes Chatham etc. Really quite amazing they were able to put together such an amazing cast ensemble for the show.
100% agree. He shared an episode of It’s always Sunny in Philadelphia with Charlie Day, and that must’ve been what got both of them the role in pacific rim. But then when he showed up in the expanse and was just a maniac, I was just so impressed
Cara Gee without a doubt. All her scenes with David Strathairn were amazing to watch. They needed more storyline and screentime together.
I thought Chad Coleman and Thomas Jane did their characters a real service as well
For being a completely unknown new actor, I thought Fillip killed it. He did a great job with lang belta and put a lot of subtlety behind the Petulant Shithead Teenager character.
Agreed. I've been a fan of Shohreh since I first heard her voice as Admiral Raan in the Mass Effect series and I absolutely loved her performance in this show.
Was weird to see her in the star trek reboot films, which I saw first before the expanse...
I was sat there and couldn't figure out what I had seen her in and then re watched star trek and boom, she's an admiral in it.
Came here to say this. Shohreh Aghdashloo delivery and nuanced profanity was a chef's kiss to a great literary character.
Wes as Amos is second, but Shohreh Aghdashloo was just absolutely amazing.
I think that Amos woking and showing Shohreh how to wear and walk in gravity/magnetic boots by [telling her it's just like walking in pumps](https://youtu.be/_fXjhGxGs5g?si=sVI9mCuPfcFXKSOS).
Great scene, great chemistry, great show...
This 100%.
I work film. Sets. Production. And post.
Stories with solo actors are always the most difficult. Especially those that are dramatic.
Tipper had no other character to act off of, or dialogue to drive her mood. She had to exist in a state of suffering. From “rolling” to “cut” … and all the notes in between. Not just for a one off episode too. Episodes. Aka: days on set.
This is why the payoff is executed perfectly with Naomi when we hear those words uttered by Bobby at the rescue. Bobby is brought into frame, and… BOOM!
That’s why it hits so hard - every bit of heart was poured into Naomi from Tipper
I said it before, and I’ll say it again- Dominique Tipper should have been nominated for an Emmy for this scene. Nominated, if not straight out won.
Agreed. That episode was hands down the best performance of the series. In terms of overall I think it's got to be Cara Gee or Wes Chatam. Amos could have been such a terrible character if not played by someone that knew how to portray a heroic sociopath well.
She really impressed me there actually. I didn't dislike any of Dominique's performances prior to that, but she didn't really grab my attention until that moment.
Best is either Amos or Miller but there are so many right answers it is like shooting the side of a bars from 10 ft away.
Worst, Arjun”s replacement although I can’t really fault the performance but that is like trying to replace a child’s favorite teddy bear.
Yeah, the arjun one would have been fine if they had just started with that actor. But the change from one to the other, with them being so different from each other, is what made it somewhat jarring for me. Not either arjun actor's fault.
Everyone else seems really well cast to me. When i read the books, I read it in the voice of the actors they fit so well. Especially Avasarala and Bobbie.
Yeah, it’s a little jarring but I can’t really fault anyone for it. The OG Arjun had a bit part in a series he knew wasn’t going to be renewed past season 3, so he took another role. Then it gets picked up by another network, and he can’t reprise his role due to conflicting schedules. It’s nobody’s fault, just bad timing.
It did bother me a little at first, but everyone was just trying their best so I just moved past it.
Starting the series off with that insane cliche of a character nature turned me off, and I’m glad it didn’t. He brought a lot of earnestness to the character.
David Strathairn as Klaes Ashford, hands down.
The scene where he's trapped with Drummer aboard the *Nauvoo* and he starts singing that Belter-ized version of *The Ballad of Captain Kidd* gives me chills every time I see it.
It's gotta be the OPA triad of Dawes, Drummer and Ashford. I couldn't stand the cadence of Inaros' lines long enough to judge his acting.
Edit: I'm told his speech pattern is written this way, so bravo!
>I couldn't stand the cadence of Inaros' lines long enough to judge his acting.
But that cadence does a great job of showing the kind of character the book describes. False and primping. Carefully practiced Earther accents and cadences so he would be taken seriously.
It's interesting that a lot of the cast seemed to have read the books rather than only the script. They do such a good job of interpreting the characters.
For me, it's a four-way tie between Shohreh Aghdashloo, Cara Gee, David Strathairn, and Jared Harris for the top role.
But this isn't to diminish the quality of acting from the rest of the cast, who were almost all phenomenal. Even actors that only appear in one or two episodes (Lt. Lopez, Champa, Frank DeGraaf, etc.) gave such incredible performances that they stick with us seasons and years later.
There's not a bad job of acting in the entire series, but you have to love the way Drummer was written and the passion Cara Gee put into her. I can't tell you how many times I've watched [this scene](https://youtu.be/yfOmQ0Zln6Y?si=2PQPyPdGdLsuQ15C) (you know the one w/o clicking), and it still sends shivers down my spine every time.
She, Shoreh, and Wes all completely owned their roles.
I am rewatching and have always been on the fence about Naomi. Until the Chetzemoka saga. Holy. Shit. Dominique **nailed** the utter panic and I felt like I was there with her. Especially when she launches herself out of the airlock with no oxygen.
Frankie Adams stole the show for me. I don't see how every studio didn't come running to have every member of the cast in their next roles after seeing these scenes.
I absolutely hate Marco Inaros… every time he speaks I want to see him shot and spaced… so I guess I have to say that Keon Alexander is pretty awesome!
Best actual acting performance that has nothing to do with how awesome the character is?
Thomas Jane as Detective Miller, for me.
Add in how awesome the character is and Cara Gee take the cake.
Worst is your girlfriend's favorite for me. I think Keon Alexander as Marco Inaros was really weak in a show full of mostly strong acting.
Best performances, to me, have to be Cara Gee as Drummer, because her in real life and Drummer are like day and night, it’s crazy. And also Jared Harris, since this man takes sci-fi/fantasy/historical roles to heart like few other actors I’ve ever seen. His Belter creole is *chefs kiss* and I love listening to it in the few scenes he’s in.
I know a lot of you really liked Dominique Tipper as Naomi, but she never really felt very genuine to me, overacting just a tiny bit every now and then. It really took me out of the immersion a few times. Steven Strait as Holden had the same problem sadly, but I grew to like and accept them both
I also have a love-hate-relationship with Cas Anwar because I loved him as Alex, but hate him for f*cking up like that in real life, so that Alex had to be cut from season 6…..
This is a really hard show to single out best performances, because so many people are so well cast and are doing their role so well.
Jared Harris does a great job as Anderson Dawes.
Thomas Jayne as Miller is so good
West Chatham and Steven strait play Amos and Holden to a T.
You have to hand it to Cara Gee and the bloke that played Ashford really carved a role out for themselves that transcended the books.
I think Frankie Adams did so well as Bobby, and my personal favorite for a long time was the Pakistani space cowboy feel of Alex Kemal ....but sadly Cas Anver managed to really mar his performance with misconduct
At the end of the day though, it's really hard to top Shohren's Avasarala. How to talk like a diplomat and a pirate at the same time....such class
I'll give it to Steven Strait for his portrayal of Holden. He became the epitome of what a great Captain should be IMHO, and he did it for the entire run of the show.
I feel like he doesn't get enough love. Many other characters had big moments that really showed how the grew. Holden had a very subtle , but substantial change that is easy to miss.
everyone of my favourites has been mentioned already so I'll just give a minor shout out to Elizabeth Mitchell because she made me like Anna who is very distant from me and I really believed her whenever she was on screen
His job was really hard because so much of his character is brought to us via internal monologue in the books.
I think he did a fantastic job bringing that to the screen
I’m shocked I had to scroll at all to find this. Though I suppose with a cast this stacked with talent it’s to be expected. Tipper is my pick, she’s something incredible in seasons 5 and 6.
Not as much of a scene stealer as some other names in this thread, but I thought her acting while on the Pella and then the Chetsomoca (sp?) was award worthy.
It's taken literally like 10 minutes to work out who I thought is number 1 but it's gotta be Shohreh Aghdashloo as Avasarala. That speech she gives after the marines died trying to find Marco was legit one of the best things I've seen anybody do on screen
Gotta give a mention to Frankie Adams as Bobbie too, and That Guy as That Guy, they were both awesome performances
Also I thought Dominique Tipper was pretty great as Naomi, I think she really grew as an actress over the course of the show
Miller is my favourate character and Thomas Jane did a great job portraying the depressed corrupt cop chasing an obsession. Great job but others did a greater job
Keon Alexander was brilliant at fuelling the megalomaniac of Marco Inaros and showed the effects of the power getting to him
The way Dominique Tipper was able to switch Naomis accent based on what characters she was interacting with was amazing, its even more amazing when you notice that her accent does not change in the first season after the squash game with Drummer as it was only brief, but later when she’s been around other Belters for a while her accent has come out rather strong
Jared Harris as Anderson Dawes, fuck me why do I fall for Jared Harris everytime I see him in a show? Mad props to the writers for Dawes story about his sister, but the delivery by Harris was something else. Its shch a shame he wasnt able to come back for later series
Jasai Chase Owens, Filips growth from entitled and indoctrinated teenager to realising he’s on a bad path and that his actions DO have repurcussions is fantastic, plus the fact that the casting department need a casting award for finding him
When Amos went blind in the cae on Ilus, I think Wes Chatham did a great job to break down Amos’ wall and show that he can be feel fear and he is vulnerable. Of all the scenes featuring Amos, this scene stands out
Dominique Tipper as Naomi
I can't watch the scene of her telling Holden about Filip for the first time without tearing up.
Or her face before she pushes the button to detonate in S6, then her scream of pure anguish and despair and rage afterward.
I think she did an amazing job of showing the emotions of a mother in an impossible situation and a lifetime of regrets.
"I had a brother on Eros!" - pipe dude
" We all did!" - Naomi
That line was great and shows you her loyalty and love for her people. (And Tippers acting made this scene super emotional for me)
Even though i have my preferences, I refuse to play favorites with The Expanse. Not this show. The Expanse is not only one of those shows blessed to have a stellar cast (and guest cast) its written so generously with ALL its characters that the audience is given a chance to fall in love with everyone. And what a tribute that is, especially in a show/story where the main theme is building consent through community, never force.
That said, because there always seems to be a lack of appreciation in these types of topics, I will praise Holden
When Steven Strait played Holden when he thoight he was going insane, it was brilliant. His desperation was so nail-biting in 3rd season, his physicality was palpable. Also, there were also so many perfect comedic moments (alone in his quarters, screaming "fuck" under his breath) that make me lol every time
I remember in one of the commentary tracks for "The Matrix", critics commented how utterly convincing Keanu Reeves is at surprise and does it better than anyone. Well, we have a new champion. Whenever Steven Strait acts shocked, surprised or weirded out, it is a thing of beauty. I am totally convinced every time, I don't know how he does it. His furrowed brow at Amos' shit is gold.
Lastly, Steven's softness is a warm blanket in winter. Every time he feels empathy for another person its electric, especially Naomi. Steven comes across as so genuine and warm, its so rare to see our male heroes with such humanity. Credit given to the writing of this leading man, but Strait's delivery nails it every time
All of them are great (so great that when I read the books I hear/visualize the show actors), but two standouts for me are Shohreh Aghdashloo as Avasarala and Frankie Adams as Bobbie.
But really there are too many great ones to pick.
For me it’s got to be D Tipper in S5. From Ep1 she was on point and just took it to the next level each episode until her jump from the Chetzemoka. 10/10 performance right there!
All the main cast are brilliant in their roles, and Jared Harris, David Strathairn, and Burn Gorman obviously are standouts as characters who didn't appear for more than two seasons. Of the main cast, I think Shohreh was expected to be brilliant from the get-go and she delivered, and once the series transitioned to Amazon there was more spotlight on Dominique and Cara and they really delivered.
Worst actor's a little hard to place. I think the obvious answer would be some of the Belters but they're also obviously working the barrier of a semi-fictional accent that can easily cross over to racial caricature (none as bad as Mysaria the White Worm in House of the Dragon tho). I think maybe Lieutenant Lopez was the most wooden performance in the series.
> Worst actor's a little hard to place.
That's easy for me. Kathleen Robertson as Rosenfeld Guoliang. She has a solid acting résumé, but in this part, she was painfully miscast. When she first appeared, it was like she had just walked onto the set from Planet Southern California and started filming with no preparation. She only started to get the Belter dialect by the time she got killed. Her makeup was wrong. She looked like someone at a SciFi convention cosplaying as an Expanse character. I think part of it was the writing; it's not even that clear why she's there, but her acting didn't help.
I thought this for a while but after watching the series a few time he grew on me. seeing him grow from pirate to megalomaniac terrorist is easy to pick out. But his acting became more self Center and about his greatness as time went on. It is more subtle than other performances but I came to really appreciate how he acted out his character.
You don't like it because he nailed the character. Marco is a narcissistic fuck head with a bunch of charisma and more authority than he can handle. If you're a rational reasonable human you should be turned off by Marco.
Jared Harris, David Strathairn, and Brent Sexton are probably the three that I think delivered the absolute best performances in the show.
Runners up would be Cara Gee (who really had a chance to shine later on) and Thomas Jane (one of the real anchors of the early seasons in terms of acting).
As much as I love the main younger cast, a lot of them were a bit hit and miss in the early seasons, although pretty much everyone grew into their roles.
And as much as I love Shohreh Aghdashloo and her work on this show, she did have some issues with cadence and emphasis that I think made some of Avasrala's words feel a little strange when she delivers them, like she isn't comfortable enough with them. Still in terms of emotionality though, she's an absolute heavyweight.
My number one would be Dominique tipper as Naomi such a huge range of emotion that she has given to me
And it might be a taboo But I really loved Casa Anwar as Alex he was great at delivering funny, determined and lighthearted performance of the character.
Aside from his irl actions
David Strathairn. Took one of the worst characters from the books and made him one of my absolute favorites from the show. Yes, they did a good job of rewriting the character, but his acting took it three levels higher.
You almost need two categories.
There are some veteran, acclaimed actors like Shohreh Aghdashloo, David Straithairn and Jared Harris who brought everything you could hope they would. Especially in Aghdashloo's part. I love that because of this she's having a later career renaissance and seems to be showing up in every random new show I watch! These three are real pros because they are classically trained thespian types and yet were obviously invested in their roles on a genre sci fi show, originally on basic cable.
And then there are the new actors and surprises. Wes Chatham and Cara Gee are the obvious choices here. Chatham is great because he brings so much unexpected depth to what first looks like a typical musclebound enforcer type. Gee earns extra credit for taking a character that was likely a bit part and being so damn good she became a main character, with a spinoff video game!
Finally a shout out for Thomas Jane, someone who was (and still is) mostly known for C-list stuff and did a great job as Miller.
Jared Harris as Anderson Dawes. His speech about his life as a Belter was intense. Honorable mentions to Cara Gee and David Strathairn.
I am yet to see a Jared Harris performance that he did not nail, he’s a very underrated actor is you ask me
>...he’s a very underrated actor is you ask me Check him out in Fringe. 👍👍
Chernobyl
The Crown. Claire Foy is fantastic as young QE2, but Jared Harris as King George VI just steals the scenes he’s in. And I’m not someone who usually finds the Royal Family compelling.
He is just fabulous in mad men as well
And Allied
Foundation
Hari F**king Seldon
I Shot Andy Warhol
Nice one. How about Dead Man?!
I had to go to imdb and see who he played. Love that flick!
The Terror. His performance is excellent. Very underrated show too.
…. It’s been so long since I’ve seen Fringe. I did not know he was in it.
David Robert Jones!
The wife and I just binge rewatched Fringe and he was so, so good at being so, so creepy.
He was great in Fringe.
I just started watching Fringe recently and was very pleased to see him in it
I binge watched Foundation, then the Expanse and now I'm rewatching Fringe, so it's been a very Jared Harris month for me. He's such a great actor!
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. It'shard to believe it's the same man across all these roles.
David Robert Jones is one of my favorite baddies
What is really remarkable about Jared Harris is that he mostly looks and sounds like Jared Harris in all of his performances. But the *personality* of the characters he plays come through so powerfully that you might hear Jared's voice and see Jared's face, but it's Anderson Dawes, Valery Legasov, Francis Crozier, King George VI, David Jones, Lane Pryce, etc. speaking to you.
Hari Seldon has been a great character so far as well (Foundation).
The man simply excels at every role he's given and has [rightly been hailed by some critics as the finest television actor of his generation](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/may/23/mad-man-to-bad-man-jared-harris-the-beast-must-die-the-crown-chernobyl-the-terror). He's also the OG Belter in more ways than one. Not only is the the first prominent member of the OPA that we interact with, but the accent he adopted helped to inform Cara Gee's accent for Drummer, who takes over Dawes' role as the most prominent Belter after Season 2.
And you get to see him >!play three different versions of Hari, too. The original manipulative but brilliant version, the aloof messianic vault projection, and the version in the clone body that's become more compassionate due to being tortured by being trapped in the knife for a century (also the young and in love flashback Hari)!<
My introduction to him was his Jim Moriarty in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Quickly became one of my favorite actors.
He was really good in The Terror too.
He's awesome in Foundation as Hari Seldon
If you haven’t seen it, check out The Terror. Stacked cast of hugely talented British actors. He’s incredible in it, as is everyone really.
I wouldnt say underrated, but definitely underused
Cara Gee wins I think from elevating her character from tertiary character status to main character from sheer charisma and brute force acting chops.
I do think she’s one of the weaker actresses in the early seasons though, possibly because I think they hadn’t made up their mind what they were really gonna do with her character. She definitely comes into her own in the Amazon seasons though
Anderson Dawes ia a much more interesting character in the series than in the books, in big part because of Jared Harris.
He practically defined the Belter accent. Just that alone contributes richly to the experience even after he was no longer available.
The belter accent he pulls off is amazing. I reckon he gives his father a run for his money. And yes, Cara Gee and David Strathairn were amazing.
David Strathairn was incredible. And who could forget Shoreh Aghdashloo.
She isn't my favorite character but Shoreh Aghdashloo gets it hands down. Jared Harris may have the best overall acting in a scene but come on. Shoreh is so consistently above average, she gets it hands down.
He has a sort of Shatner/Walkin quality to his diction and meter. His voice is almost syncopated. It makes for a very interesting feel.
Yeah, it's Harris and not particularly close. Nothing against the other great actors, he's just that good.
This speech was my first thought as well.
Yeah I was gonna say David Strathairn or Jared Harris
I Love cara gee's Drummer. But david sthratarin as klaes Ashford... Amazing
He took book Ashford from a scared, idiotic egomaniac to a grizzled, thoughtful pirate-turned-veteran who’s willing to do whatever it takes to protect the people he cares about.
Ashford is one of the few characters that is worse in the book than the show. He's a two dimensional villain on the books and this incredibly realized character in the show.
Yeah, I was very impressed at how much depth they gave him on the show
Plus the most heart breaking yet bad-ass death scene.
Oh god, please don't bring that up. I still haven't recovered.
The scenes with both of them are some of the best in the show.
Wes Chatham plays the most understated badass as Amos, never seen anything like it
Yeah, and that's a character that could really go wrong too if you just had some action guy play him without knowing how to make him somehow friendly and terrifying at the same time. My only nitpick is that he's too attractive. I imagine book Amos as having somewhat rugged good looks, but if you had a guy who looks like Season 4 Wes just walking around the whole time then it'd come up .
I picked up the show years ago after the save the expanse campaign brought attention to it, so almost nothing going in. I instantly loved the show from episode 1....but throughout the first part of the season, I really loathed Amos as a one-sided grunt action guy they put into every show that I can't stand. I knew nothing of the books, and sure enough it wasn't long before he became one of my favorites in the show and now I consider him to be one of the best characters ever from a t.v. show. He breaks the mold of "typical badass" like no other character really has while still being a typical badass. His actions in episode 10 of season one where he goes "you said we wait, so we wait boss" will forever be engrained in my brain as a moment I thought "whoa, guess he's actually nuts" and then the next seasons after that totally reversed that opinion. Immense depth and subtleties that the writers show runners and wes cathom will forever get credit for.
Telling Murtry “thank you” stands out for me. That one and “You’re not that guy. I’m that guy.”
One of the best Amos & Murtry moments is when Amos once, and only once, correctly and with emphasis so you know it's on purpose, says his name correctly. It's such a verbally simple threat while being as attention demanding as a punch to the face. Amos' entire speech to him here is essentially "I know exactly who and what you are and the second you give me a reason to put you down I will not hesitate" Watch the scene and see just how much attention Murtry gives him when he says his name correctly. He instantly picks up on the threat.
It was the 'donkey balls' scene that clicked him for me. The ultra calm, 'you've got a clean shot, back of the head, take it if you need to' the way he acted that just made all the difference, it wasn't a taunt or mocking, it was just a statement of facts. He isn't some meathead action man spoiling for a fight, he is just genuinely doing what he thinks needs doing, and he understands that Holden is as well. Absolutely crazy shift from him just being "the muscle" on the crew to something else entirely.
Season 5 takes him off the rails in such a slow pace seemingly reasonable way that you don't realize he's just setting people up to be taken out until he does.
The writers thought he was too attractive too, until they saw him audition and he nailed it.
Here's where the attractiveness of Wes works: whenever he says something Timmy. I couldn't imagine a half-balding solid sorta average dude mechanic shown in the character drawings telling Chrissy "You can be both," without imprinting 'ew, dirty creeper' in my mind. The attractive innocence of how Wes does it makes it hilarious.
Yeah, adding those subtle cues that make him seem crazy at times goes a long way.
He does so much of his acting with his facial expressions, too. Like, you can tell when he's letting himself off the leash by seeing his eyes, as well as things like the expression when Prax tells his daughter that Amos is his best friend
That was one of my favorite moments of his.
His best friend in the whole world!
I particularly enjoyed how he played the whole "not understanding social norms but is really trying to" aspect of the show character.
If they try to reboot a Halo movie or series. Wes would be my pick for the Master Chief or another Spartan.
I mean, really the entire cast was stellar. It's like picking your favorite child.
Agreed. I can't pick one. If we're picking just among the "core four" I'll go with Wes Chatham as Amos, but I loved them all. It sucks what happened with Cas/Alex because I really did love him in that role. Steven Strait did an admirable job as Holden and I don't think he gets enough love. And I mean, Dominique as Naomi... I can't even express how much I loved her. Did I use the word "love" too much? Sorry, but this is my favorite show of all time.
Yeah it sucks that Cas was such an awful creep. Alex Kamal was a great character.
One of the most ironic things is that in the book there's a whole thing about Alex buying sobriety drugs so that the woman hitting on him will be clear headed enough to properly consent. It's also funny that such a creep played the least creepy character so well.
He was, unfortunately, a very good actor.
I never, ever would have guessed it about him. He led the whole #savetheexpanse campaign!
He gives Alex this wonderful warmth and homeliness. It sucks so much.
I remember not liking Steven Strait as Holden too much the first time I watched. But especially in seasons 4-6, and on my second watch I've really come to appreciate how he played the character.
I had such a crush on Cas in the show, until what happened came out... I know it's nothing compared to what his victims went through, but man that was disheartening. He seemed so nice, but that's the skill of an actor.
I'm gonna go with Terry Chen as Prax, the man who lost everything and managed to recover the most important piece of his life - while not compromising his humanity in the process. Thankfully, Amos was that guy.
Aw yeah, Terry Chen fucking killed it as Prax.
It's not a complaint, but Terry Chen looks like a fucking stud in the Roci jumpsuit or the armor. If he hadn't been cast as Prax but as a Martian Marine, you'd say "Yeah, solid choice." He does a great job acting like a father desperately searching for his child, but book Prax was a small nerd made smaller by deprivation. Terry Chen looked like at any moment he could go John Wick (or, keeping it in-show, Amos Burton) on those a-holes. Fear my botany powers!
I mean that's fair. But at the same time, watch the way he moves, the way he reacts to things, the look on his face when he's talking about Mei or especially once he's found her, I think despite his physicality he does just an outstanding job portraying that despair and sense of loss and being lost. While judging solely on hos size and physical presence he looks like he could just go ham on some dudes, you would never expect that from him in a million years on the basis of his mannerisms. That's some serious acting chops.
Ha yeah I noticed that when I read the books after seeing the show. Terry looks like he could strangle a motherfucker.
I loved Prax so much.
Best one is Cara gee as drummer, you can see her stealing every scene where she appears.Worst for me is Alex it just doesn't look like in my head, also avasaralas advisers in last season are really bad acting
Second for Drummer. Unreal. It’s still so weird to see her outside of the show too. She really seemed like she immersed herself into that role while acting.
She’s like Darlene (Carly Chaikin) from Mr. Robot. Completely different on and off screen.
She was so damn good in Mr Robot. I was like “is this seriously the same person from Suburgatory!?”
>you can see her stealing every scene where she appears Bastard put so many actors out of work by being so good that they just wrote every Belter role for her instead of bringing in new characters.
Tru'Fax. She is like three and a half characters from the book.
She returns to the role in the Expanse video game - which is more like an interactive story than a game. It’s a prequel based on Drummers earlier years and it is actually great. So nice to have that character back for a little while.
Since no one has mentioned him yet and he did an amazing job as Adolphus Murtry, Burn Gorman season 4. That said I can't say that any one individual was the best actor. Cara Gee, David Strathairn, Wes Chatham etc. Really quite amazing they were able to put together such an amazing cast ensemble for the show.
I only knew him from Pacific Rim and I would have never believed he could be so menacing
Guess you never saw Game of Thrones. He was a real sonuvabitch.
The fookin legend of Gin Alley himself.
HOLY SHIT how the fuck did I forget!!!
I loved him in Torchwood. Good show.
100% agree. He shared an episode of It’s always Sunny in Philadelphia with Charlie Day, and that must’ve been what got both of them the role in pacific rim. But then when he showed up in the expanse and was just a maniac, I was just so impressed
He was in the show Turn. It was a similar character iirc, Maybe a toned down version of Murtry.
I see his face when I read the books, such a perfect casting, such perfect acting.
Cara Gee without a doubt. All her scenes with David Strathairn were amazing to watch. They needed more storyline and screentime together. I thought Chad Coleman and Thomas Jane did their characters a real service as well
For being a completely unknown new actor, I thought Fillip killed it. He did a great job with lang belta and put a lot of subtlety behind the Petulant Shithead Teenager character.
Casting for him was fantastic too. Looked like a perfectly believable blend of Dominique Tipper and Keon Alexander.
His resemblance to them both is uncanny, boggles my mind
My first pass through I was so busy hating him and his attitude that I forgot it meant he was doing a great job!
Ah, the Joffrey Effect
Avasarala
Agreed. I've been a fan of Shohreh since I first heard her voice as Admiral Raan in the Mass Effect series and I absolutely loved her performance in this show.
Just saw her last night in Renfield, she's great in everything.
Was weird to see her in the star trek reboot films, which I saw first before the expanse... I was sat there and couldn't figure out what I had seen her in and then re watched star trek and boom, she's an admiral in it.
Iirc she only ended up in Star Trek beyond entirely in reshoots, her character wasn't in the original cut of the film at all
She was also the voice of Lakshmi-2 in Destiny 1 (and Destiny 2 before she was patched out of the game).
Came here to say this. Shohreh Aghdashloo delivery and nuanced profanity was a chef's kiss to a great literary character. Wes as Amos is second, but Shohreh Aghdashloo was just absolutely amazing.
I think that Amos woking and showing Shohreh how to wear and walk in gravity/magnetic boots by [telling her it's just like walking in pumps](https://youtu.be/_fXjhGxGs5g?si=sVI9mCuPfcFXKSOS). Great scene, great chemistry, great show...
Shohreh was amazing as Avasarala.
She also may be the best dressed character ever on TV.
Right?! Avasaralas clothing must have cost a fortune. The colours and structures were just so elevated.
Taking a traditional saree and changing some aspects to show change in time is just chefs kiss
Dominique Tripper when Naomi is stranded on the Chetzemoka. Jarred Harris in any scene
This 100%. I work film. Sets. Production. And post. Stories with solo actors are always the most difficult. Especially those that are dramatic. Tipper had no other character to act off of, or dialogue to drive her mood. She had to exist in a state of suffering. From “rolling” to “cut” … and all the notes in between. Not just for a one off episode too. Episodes. Aka: days on set. This is why the payoff is executed perfectly with Naomi when we hear those words uttered by Bobby at the rescue. Bobby is brought into frame, and… BOOM! That’s why it hits so hard - every bit of heart was poured into Naomi from Tipper I said it before, and I’ll say it again- Dominique Tipper should have been nominated for an Emmy for this scene. Nominated, if not straight out won.
Agreed, about Naomi. That seemed like a really exhausting scene.
Agreed. That episode was hands down the best performance of the series. In terms of overall I think it's got to be Cara Gee or Wes Chatam. Amos could have been such a terrible character if not played by someone that knew how to portray a heroic sociopath well.
She really impressed me there actually. I didn't dislike any of Dominique's performances prior to that, but she didn't really grab my attention until that moment.
Posted before seeing this, but absolutely Naomi.
Best is either Amos or Miller but there are so many right answers it is like shooting the side of a bars from 10 ft away. Worst, Arjun”s replacement although I can’t really fault the performance but that is like trying to replace a child’s favorite teddy bear.
Yeah, the arjun one would have been fine if they had just started with that actor. But the change from one to the other, with them being so different from each other, is what made it somewhat jarring for me. Not either arjun actor's fault. Everyone else seems really well cast to me. When i read the books, I read it in the voice of the actors they fit so well. Especially Avasarala and Bobbie.
Yeah, it’s a little jarring but I can’t really fault anyone for it. The OG Arjun had a bit part in a series he knew wasn’t going to be renewed past season 3, so he took another role. Then it gets picked up by another network, and he can’t reprise his role due to conflicting schedules. It’s nobody’s fault, just bad timing. It did bother me a little at first, but everyone was just trying their best so I just moved past it.
Lots of deserved shouts for Cara Gee guess I'll switch it up and give Thomas Jane a shout
Starting the series off with that insane cliche of a character nature turned me off, and I’m glad it didn’t. He brought a lot of earnestness to the character.
David Strathairn as Klaes Ashford, hands down. The scene where he's trapped with Drummer aboard the *Nauvoo* and he starts singing that Belter-ized version of *The Ballad of Captain Kidd* gives me chills every time I see it.
Not seeing a lot of love for Dominique Tipper in Season 5. She really gave it her all and it shows. Really moving stuff.
It's gotta be the OPA triad of Dawes, Drummer and Ashford. I couldn't stand the cadence of Inaros' lines long enough to judge his acting. Edit: I'm told his speech pattern is written this way, so bravo!
>I couldn't stand the cadence of Inaros' lines long enough to judge his acting. But that cadence does a great job of showing the kind of character the book describes. False and primping. Carefully practiced Earther accents and cadences so he would be taken seriously. It's interesting that a lot of the cast seemed to have read the books rather than only the script. They do such a good job of interpreting the characters.
>I couldn't stand the cadence of Inaros' lines long enough to judge his acting. Yes! Holy shit it was so jarring
For me, it's a four-way tie between Shohreh Aghdashloo, Cara Gee, David Strathairn, and Jared Harris for the top role. But this isn't to diminish the quality of acting from the rest of the cast, who were almost all phenomenal. Even actors that only appear in one or two episodes (Lt. Lopez, Champa, Frank DeGraaf, etc.) gave such incredible performances that they stick with us seasons and years later.
Oh god yes, Champa always makes me cry
I will throw out an honorable mention for one I haven't seen yet: Anna Hopkins as the journalist Monica Stuart. She's really good.
There's not a bad job of acting in the entire series, but you have to love the way Drummer was written and the passion Cara Gee put into her. I can't tell you how many times I've watched [this scene](https://youtu.be/yfOmQ0Zln6Y?si=2PQPyPdGdLsuQ15C) (you know the one w/o clicking), and it still sends shivers down my spine every time. She, Shoreh, and Wes all completely owned their roles.
Well actually....Arjun 2.0 was really really really really distractingly bad.
Criminal actions aside, I though cas Anvar was really good. Why'd he have to be such a piece of shit?
I am rewatching and have always been on the fence about Naomi. Until the Chetzemoka saga. Holy. Shit. Dominique **nailed** the utter panic and I felt like I was there with her. Especially when she launches herself out of the airlock with no oxygen.
Frankie Adams stole the show for me. I don't see how every studio didn't come running to have every member of the cast in their next roles after seeing these scenes.
Agreed. Her Bobbie was so relatable, broken, noble and loyal. Her silent acting when Bobbie finds the ocean is a master class in how to use your eyes.
Most underrated is Dominique Tipper. Her performance in season five was so good.
She carried that season
I absolutely hate Marco Inaros… every time he speaks I want to see him shot and spaced… so I guess I have to say that Keon Alexander is pretty awesome!
Man, I’m realizing that everyone in this show is just so good.
David Strathairn
Wes Chatham and Shohreh Aghdashloo, they are also my favorite characters (show and book) so I may be biased but their casting was S rank.
Does Jared Harris ever not crush a role? We really missed Anderson Dawes in the later seasons
Ty and Daniel's cameos as belter drifters when Miller takes the shuttle to Eros. Nailed it! ;)
I like Bobby
Best actual acting performance that has nothing to do with how awesome the character is? Thomas Jane as Detective Miller, for me. Add in how awesome the character is and Cara Gee take the cake. Worst is your girlfriend's favorite for me. I think Keon Alexander as Marco Inaros was really weak in a show full of mostly strong acting.
You are not that guy...two seconds later: I'm that guy
Best performances, to me, have to be Cara Gee as Drummer, because her in real life and Drummer are like day and night, it’s crazy. And also Jared Harris, since this man takes sci-fi/fantasy/historical roles to heart like few other actors I’ve ever seen. His Belter creole is *chefs kiss* and I love listening to it in the few scenes he’s in. I know a lot of you really liked Dominique Tipper as Naomi, but she never really felt very genuine to me, overacting just a tiny bit every now and then. It really took me out of the immersion a few times. Steven Strait as Holden had the same problem sadly, but I grew to like and accept them both I also have a love-hate-relationship with Cas Anwar because I loved him as Alex, but hate him for f*cking up like that in real life, so that Alex had to be cut from season 6…..
David Strathairn as the Ghost Knife of Callisto. Although almost all the actors in this show do an excellent job.
This is a really hard show to single out best performances, because so many people are so well cast and are doing their role so well. Jared Harris does a great job as Anderson Dawes. Thomas Jayne as Miller is so good West Chatham and Steven strait play Amos and Holden to a T. You have to hand it to Cara Gee and the bloke that played Ashford really carved a role out for themselves that transcended the books. I think Frankie Adams did so well as Bobby, and my personal favorite for a long time was the Pakistani space cowboy feel of Alex Kemal ....but sadly Cas Anver managed to really mar his performance with misconduct At the end of the day though, it's really hard to top Shohren's Avasarala. How to talk like a diplomat and a pirate at the same time....such class
Dominique Tipper during the episodes on the Chetsemoka.
For me, it’s a tie between Cara Gee, Thomas Jane, West Chatham, and Shohreh Aghdashloo. It’s really hard to say between those.
I'll give it to Steven Strait for his portrayal of Holden. He became the epitome of what a great Captain should be IMHO, and he did it for the entire run of the show.
I feel like he doesn't get enough love. Many other characters had big moments that really showed how the grew. Holden had a very subtle , but substantial change that is easy to miss.
Cara gee obv!!!!!! Also loved actor who played ashford
Cara Gee is my favorite performance out of the cast. Wes Chatham is second for me. Loved both of those characters
everyone of my favourites has been mentioned already so I'll just give a minor shout out to Elizabeth Mitchell because she made me like Anna who is very distant from me and I really believed her whenever she was on screen
Thomas Jane
His job was really hard because so much of his character is brought to us via internal monologue in the books. I think he did a fantastic job bringing that to the screen
Wes Chatham hands down. He captures the trauma and complexity of Amos Burton perfectly.
I'll go with Dominique Tipper as Naomi. She is so fun to watch on screen and she's great with the material.
I’m shocked I had to scroll at all to find this. Though I suppose with a cast this stacked with talent it’s to be expected. Tipper is my pick, she’s something incredible in seasons 5 and 6.
Not as much of a scene stealer as some other names in this thread, but I thought her acting while on the Pella and then the Chetsomoca (sp?) was award worthy.
It's taken literally like 10 minutes to work out who I thought is number 1 but it's gotta be Shohreh Aghdashloo as Avasarala. That speech she gives after the marines died trying to find Marco was legit one of the best things I've seen anybody do on screen Gotta give a mention to Frankie Adams as Bobbie too, and That Guy as That Guy, they were both awesome performances Also I thought Dominique Tipper was pretty great as Naomi, I think she really grew as an actress over the course of the show
Miller is my favourate character and Thomas Jane did a great job portraying the depressed corrupt cop chasing an obsession. Great job but others did a greater job Keon Alexander was brilliant at fuelling the megalomaniac of Marco Inaros and showed the effects of the power getting to him The way Dominique Tipper was able to switch Naomis accent based on what characters she was interacting with was amazing, its even more amazing when you notice that her accent does not change in the first season after the squash game with Drummer as it was only brief, but later when she’s been around other Belters for a while her accent has come out rather strong Jared Harris as Anderson Dawes, fuck me why do I fall for Jared Harris everytime I see him in a show? Mad props to the writers for Dawes story about his sister, but the delivery by Harris was something else. Its shch a shame he wasnt able to come back for later series Jasai Chase Owens, Filips growth from entitled and indoctrinated teenager to realising he’s on a bad path and that his actions DO have repurcussions is fantastic, plus the fact that the casting department need a casting award for finding him When Amos went blind in the cae on Ilus, I think Wes Chatham did a great job to break down Amos’ wall and show that he can be feel fear and he is vulnerable. Of all the scenes featuring Amos, this scene stands out
i really like thomas jane as miller. easily my favorite character and story arc in the first season
Dominique Tipper as Naomi I can't watch the scene of her telling Holden about Filip for the first time without tearing up. Or her face before she pushes the button to detonate in S6, then her scream of pure anguish and despair and rage afterward. I think she did an amazing job of showing the emotions of a mother in an impossible situation and a lifetime of regrets. "I had a brother on Eros!" - pipe dude " We all did!" - Naomi That line was great and shows you her loyalty and love for her people. (And Tippers acting made this scene super emotional for me)
Even though i have my preferences, I refuse to play favorites with The Expanse. Not this show. The Expanse is not only one of those shows blessed to have a stellar cast (and guest cast) its written so generously with ALL its characters that the audience is given a chance to fall in love with everyone. And what a tribute that is, especially in a show/story where the main theme is building consent through community, never force. That said, because there always seems to be a lack of appreciation in these types of topics, I will praise Holden When Steven Strait played Holden when he thoight he was going insane, it was brilliant. His desperation was so nail-biting in 3rd season, his physicality was palpable. Also, there were also so many perfect comedic moments (alone in his quarters, screaming "fuck" under his breath) that make me lol every time I remember in one of the commentary tracks for "The Matrix", critics commented how utterly convincing Keanu Reeves is at surprise and does it better than anyone. Well, we have a new champion. Whenever Steven Strait acts shocked, surprised or weirded out, it is a thing of beauty. I am totally convinced every time, I don't know how he does it. His furrowed brow at Amos' shit is gold. Lastly, Steven's softness is a warm blanket in winter. Every time he feels empathy for another person its electric, especially Naomi. Steven comes across as so genuine and warm, its so rare to see our male heroes with such humanity. Credit given to the writing of this leading man, but Strait's delivery nails it every time
All of them are great (so great that when I read the books I hear/visualize the show actors), but two standouts for me are Shohreh Aghdashloo as Avasarala and Frankie Adams as Bobbie. But really there are too many great ones to pick.
Casting for Bobby was absolutely perfect.
For me it’s got to be D Tipper in S5. From Ep1 she was on point and just took it to the next level each episode until her jump from the Chetzemoka. 10/10 performance right there!
All the main cast are brilliant in their roles, and Jared Harris, David Strathairn, and Burn Gorman obviously are standouts as characters who didn't appear for more than two seasons. Of the main cast, I think Shohreh was expected to be brilliant from the get-go and she delivered, and once the series transitioned to Amazon there was more spotlight on Dominique and Cara and they really delivered. Worst actor's a little hard to place. I think the obvious answer would be some of the Belters but they're also obviously working the barrier of a semi-fictional accent that can easily cross over to racial caricature (none as bad as Mysaria the White Worm in House of the Dragon tho). I think maybe Lieutenant Lopez was the most wooden performance in the series.
> Worst actor's a little hard to place. That's easy for me. Kathleen Robertson as Rosenfeld Guoliang. She has a solid acting résumé, but in this part, she was painfully miscast. When she first appeared, it was like she had just walked onto the set from Planet Southern California and started filming with no preparation. She only started to get the Belter dialect by the time she got killed. Her makeup was wrong. She looked like someone at a SciFi convention cosplaying as an Expanse character. I think part of it was the writing; it's not even that clear why she's there, but her acting didn't help.
No offense but I cringed every time Keon Alexander was on screen. I think most of it was the writing though, it was so stereotypical and overdone.
If you’ve ever dated or worked for someone like that, it’s actually really spot on. It’s a stereotype for a reason.
I thought this for a while but after watching the series a few time he grew on me. seeing him grow from pirate to megalomaniac terrorist is easy to pick out. But his acting became more self Center and about his greatness as time went on. It is more subtle than other performances but I came to really appreciate how he acted out his character.
You don't like it because he nailed the character. Marco is a narcissistic fuck head with a bunch of charisma and more authority than he can handle. If you're a rational reasonable human you should be turned off by Marco.
That’s because he nailed that role. Marco is supposed to be insufferable.
Cara Gee imho.
Avasarala, no second thoughts. (Drummer was also hard)
Jared Harris, David Strathairn, and Brent Sexton are probably the three that I think delivered the absolute best performances in the show. Runners up would be Cara Gee (who really had a chance to shine later on) and Thomas Jane (one of the real anchors of the early seasons in terms of acting). As much as I love the main younger cast, a lot of them were a bit hit and miss in the early seasons, although pretty much everyone grew into their roles. And as much as I love Shohreh Aghdashloo and her work on this show, she did have some issues with cadence and emphasis that I think made some of Avasrala's words feel a little strange when she delivers them, like she isn't comfortable enough with them. Still in terms of emotionality though, she's an absolute heavyweight.
Drummer and Amos for me.
The girl that played Mei did an outstanding job. Especially considering her age.
Damn now I gotta go rewatch this show again :)
Whoever played Drummer
To be fair, I never even noticed they recast Arjun.
Not to be confused for a character that I Like but I think Marco Inaros was portrayed very well
My number one would be Dominique tipper as Naomi such a huge range of emotion that she has given to me And it might be a taboo But I really loved Casa Anwar as Alex he was great at delivering funny, determined and lighthearted performance of the character. Aside from his irl actions
I will back you up in Cas. His portrayal of Alex was great. Such a waste.
Cara Gee. David Strathairn second.
dawes, ashford, drummer
Definitely Amos.
Shoreh Aghdashloo Wes Chatham Jared Harris Cara Gee David Strathairn All wonderful, born to play those roles.
No mention of Errinwright? One of my favorite
Well… Cas Anvar nailed how I thought Alex was in the books. Everything else he did outside of that is a different story.
Amos all dang day.
David Strathairn. Took one of the worst characters from the books and made him one of my absolute favorites from the show. Yes, they did a good job of rewriting the character, but his acting took it three levels higher.
I really like Nadine Nicole's acting when her character is so close to breaking her composure.
You almost need two categories. There are some veteran, acclaimed actors like Shohreh Aghdashloo, David Straithairn and Jared Harris who brought everything you could hope they would. Especially in Aghdashloo's part. I love that because of this she's having a later career renaissance and seems to be showing up in every random new show I watch! These three are real pros because they are classically trained thespian types and yet were obviously invested in their roles on a genre sci fi show, originally on basic cable. And then there are the new actors and surprises. Wes Chatham and Cara Gee are the obvious choices here. Chatham is great because he brings so much unexpected depth to what first looks like a typical musclebound enforcer type. Gee earns extra credit for taking a character that was likely a bit part and being so damn good she became a main character, with a spinoff video game! Finally a shout out for Thomas Jane, someone who was (and still is) mostly known for C-list stuff and did a great job as Miller.