GREAT PERFORMANCES: THE BEST ACTORS OF 2020

There's no need to remind anyone of the challenges that was placed on entertainment this year, especially with the movies. The annual "Great Performers" issue in the New York Times magazine has usually focused on film work yet due to a significant shortage of theatrical movies released throughout the year, the critics, A.O. Scott and Wesley Morris had to get creative and expand beyond cinema. There were certainly some great performances in feature films to highlight like Julia Garner in "The Assistant" that was released earlier in the year before the shutdown; Luca Marinelli in the Italian feature, "Martin Eden"; Viola Davis's electrifying turn in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"; Andy Samberg and Cristin Millioti in the sci-fi, romantic-comedy, "Palm Springs"; the precocious, Fathia Youssouf in the controversial French drama, "Cuties" and the legendary Sophia Loren's glorious return before the cameras (thanks to her son, director Edoardo Ponti) in "The Life Ahead".

But now we have some great television performances from Zoë Kravitz in "High Fidelity"; the very intense Ethan Hawke in "The Good Lord Bird"; Jason Sudeikis starring in the sitcom, "Ted Lasso" about an American football coach trying to lead an English football club; Maitreyi Ramakrishnan in "Never Have I Ever"; Jack Dylan Grazer and Jordan Kristine Seamon in Luca Guadagnino's soapy, limited-series drama, "We Are Who We Are" and the beautifully understated work by Zoe Kazan in the stirring mini-series, "The Plot Against America". 

We have female storytellers using their lives as inspiration with writer/director/star, Radha Blank and her feature film debut, "The 40 Year Old Version"; Hannah Gadsby in her offbeat, stand-up comedy special, "Douglas"; Maya Erskine and Anna Konklein with the second season of their cringe-comedy series, "Pen15"; and Michaela Coel and her harrowing yet hilarious limited series, "I May Destroy You".

The importance of social media is acknowledged here with comedians, Sarah Cooper, Jeff Wright, Kylie Brakeman and Blaire Erskine who all found fame and success on TikTok and Twitter. And there was even room to honor an extraordinary performance from the past with Cher's Oscar-winning turn in the beloved 1987 romantic-comedy, "Moonstruck".

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NYT Great Performers 2020