Most commonly, the best performances in a year would come from shows on the Best of 2023 lists. The likes of Succession, Beef, and Reservation Dogs – or rather, in simple words, prime television consumption. But it’s no fun knowing that Steven Yeun and Sarah Snook would be part of our best performances for the year. It would be apparent that they are good at their craft – the nominations they received are a testament to their strength.
We hope to celebrate the performances that stand out this year with this list! It does not always mean that acting greatness is only acknowledged by awards. Feedback from the audience and critical acclaim are other ways it should go.
These performances this year are among the standout ones.
Emma Corrin, A Murder At The End of the World
Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc and Kenneth Branaugh’s Hercule Poirot share something in common. They have a look. They also have a certain charisma. A Murder At The End of the World has a new kind of hero spun for the whodunit genre with Emma Corrin’s Darby Hart. Although she is a newbie at solving mysteries and lacks the typical charisma, she is a brilliant hacker and inquisitive thinker who is pivotal after witnessing a billionaire’s death at their exclusive retreat.
Corrin is no newbie. They wowed us with their performance as Princess Diana in The Crown. They step up into the lead role with much ease and conviction and deliver in acting out two versions of Darby in two time periods. She is flawed, while in her older years, she has become jaded and reserved. Yet Corrin’s performance has heart and gives us all something to root for.
Dominique Fishback, Swarm
Swarm, Donald Glover and Janine Naber’s murky cultural satire reconciles and struggles to do it with the aspect of Dre’s personality. She is childlike, calculating, and goes from virginal to temptress, but star Dominique Fishback puts on a seamless performance and crafts eerie consistencies within the inconsistency. She’s funny but terrifying; she is delusional but self-aware. Fishback is a guaranteed scene stealer, and she deserves to be on top of the call sheet whenever possible.
Han Hyo-Joo, Moving
2023 was not exempt from superhero fatigue, but Moving takes a different approach. Korean drama Moving breathes fresh air into the genre and puts a twist on it through the focus on the superheroes’ relationship with their also super parents. The most stirring performance of the show, however, belongs to Han Hyo-Joo as Lee Mi-hyun, who aims to keep her son grounded due to his inability to control his levitation. Her layered portrayal is a rare fighter marked with a gentle spirit and facing a challenger in raising her son alone.
Sarah Snook, Shiv Roy
Sarah Snook as Shiv Roy is another successful Succession performance that has been great consistently—ever since the beginning. She lights the screen on fire as Shiv Roy. She had terrific chemistry in scenes opposite Kieran Culkin and Jeremy Strong and also with Matthew McFayden as Tom.
Beef, Steven Yeun
His turn as Danny in Beef adds to his incredible repertoire of masterful performances post-The Walking Dead. A dark comedy about road rage becomes an examination of anger, grief and intergenerational trauma, with Danny at its center. Steven’s comedic scenes are memorable. However, his vulnerability with Danny in showcasing his emotions is when he is at his best.
Wrapping Up
These performances are among the best that 2023 has to offer. 2023 was certainly a year of great performances for television. They’re also the meat and soul of the series.
