Over 100 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of Underrated TV Performances Of 2022
Voting Rules
Vote up the performances that deserve way more attention.
It's great to remember the biggest TV stars, but it's equally important to note underrated performances that fly under the radar. Fighting over who deserves an Emmy for a leading role can provide fun and also acknowledge several of the best actors out there. However, plenty of talented performers get left out of these conversations, due to various unfortunate circumstances that don't get them their due attention.
These actors pull a lot of weight, giving huge laughs in comedies, or the most poignant scenes in dramas - sometimes even both. Whether they got snubbed by awards shows or simply lost among a star-studded ensemble, these actors have not gotten the spotlight they deserve for truly exceptional acting work this year. Here are some of the most underrated TV performances from 2022.
Abbott Elementary is a breakout hit in large part because every member of the ensemble shines. However, although all her female co-stars (Quinta Brunson, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Janelle James) were rightfully nominated for Emmys in 2022, Lisa Ann Walter was left out.
Nevertheless, her performance as Melissa Schemmenti, the rough-and-tumble 2nd-grade teacher with mob connections who has a "guy" for everything, had us in stitches just as much as anyone else from the show. Whether she's bonding with her best friend Barbara, or viciously defending her traditional Peter Rabbit book project from an art teacher who wants to reinvent it, Walters brings out the fire and the heart behind Melissa Schemmenti.
Natasia Demetriou has made us laugh for four seasons running as Nadja of Antipaxos, the irreverent and domineering vampire on What We Do in the Shadows. Whether she's serving as manager of a vampire nightclub, heading up the Vampiric Council, or simply taking charge of the oafish men in her life, she always leads the way with a hilarious blend of wit and ego.
Demetriou's physicality is impressive, but her character voice is where she really excels, from deadpan zingers to shrieking manifestos. The entire ensemble of Shadows is strong, but Demetriou stood out as especially memorable in Season 4, considered by some critics as the "real MVP" of the series.
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55 VOTES
Mary Hollis Inboden As Patty O'Connor In 'Kevin Can F**K Himself'
In the second and final season of this revolutionary sitcom-drama hybrid show, Mary Hollis Inboden holds her own against her Emmy winner co-star Annie Murphy. Inboden comes from a background of light sitcom work herself, but typically is cast as a bubbly, sunny mom-type character, which is the opposite of her character here, Patty O'Connor.
Inboden embodies Patty's journey from the snarky, defensive "token girl" who pretends to enjoy herself in the male-dominated sitcom gang, to a deeply supportive ally to Murphy's Allison McRoberts as she tries to escape her husband Kevin's crazy world. Critics praised her work in Season 2 as "an understated yet impactful, punchy performance." From dealing sitcom zingers, to showing the heartbreaking vulnerability of feeling unrequited love for her best friend, Inboden gives a performance of the year - and does it with a wicked Boston accent.
Ella Purnell was a standout among the teen cast of Yellowjackets, where a high school girls' soccer team gets stranded in the wilderness. Purnell plays Jackie Taylor, the team captain and perfect superstar with skills, charisma, and a cute boyfriend that makes her the envy of everyone, including her best friend Shauna. But Jackie doesn't adjust to the wilderness well, unwilling to take on gross tasks involved in survival, like butchering animals.
Purnell skillfully captures the different sides to Jackie, from her somewhat controlling nature of Shauna, to her rational calls for the other girls to own up to nearly killing one of their own while high on mushrooms, to her crushing loneliness when banished from the group and left to sleep outside alone. Her performance was so beloved, many fans have begged for her to return in Season 2, although it looks unlikely based on her character's last appearance in Season 1.
You'd think Emmy Rossum would be a shoo-in for the Emmy awards, though she didn't score a nomination amongst the crowded field of limited series this year. Still, her performance of Angelyne, the enigmatic "billboard queen" of Los Angeles, deserves recognition. Her physical transformation alone is incredible, with a voluminous blonde wig, an unrecognizable doll-like character voice, and a three-pound prosthetic chest plate to provide Angelye's well-endowed figure.
Rossum portrays Angelyne at different ages and stages of life, as Angelyne curates her own image and pursues her desire for fame at any cost, through no one's definition but her own. Angelyne is all pink and bubbles on the surface, but Rossum lets the broken human underneath shine through the wigs and makeup. Though her portrayal is meticulously researched and practiced for realism, that doesn't make it boring, since Angelyne herself is a mysterious, larger-than-life character, and Rossum's layered performance does great work to unravel the mystery of who Angelyne really is.
Kirby Howell-Baptiste always shines, even when given minor roles in shows like Barry or Killing Eve, so it's no surprise she knocked it out of the park playing the embodiment of Death in Netflix's The Sandman. In this fantasy series adapted from Neil Gaiman's comic book, Death is the older and wiser sister to the lead character, Dream.
We may not think of Death as “nice,” but Howell-Baptiste brings a striking kindness and gentility to the role. As she softly greets a dying man, “Do you know who I am?” then extends a hand to lead him away, it helps the audience understand the essential role death plays in life. Her "otherworldly" grace as she comforts those who are at the end of life led to many wishing her role was larger.
