Best of 2014: ‘Orange Is the New Black,’ ‘Silicon Valley,’ ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ stars earn comedy nods
We’re continuing our Best of 2014 series today by taking a look at some particularly funny men and women who brought us so much joy in the past year. Best Comedy Actor is a category that we’ve always loved to do, mostly because we love comedy. We’ve been rather hard on the genre lately, but the truth is that there are great comedies out there; you just need to know where to look for them.
Take a look at all of the nominees below; we’re going to have the results to this poll coming up in two weeks on December 23, so check back for that! Also, all of our categories can be viewed below.
Andre Braugher, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (Fox) – Nobody is better at being deadpan than Andre Braugher. Also, few people are funnier, including those on other shows who are meant to be the crazy-big characters. Captain Holt is the best part of the show, and Braugher’s commitment and work ethic basic are the reason why every time Holt deviates from his center, it is hilarious beyond words.
Danielle Brooks, “Orange Is the New Black” (Netflix) – Probably the most underrated member of the ensemble cast. Taystee is a success story for Brooks in just about every aspect. She’s wonderful in terms of physical comedy, but we also love her one-liners, her delivery, and the chemistry she has with the rest of the cast. Odds are, you’ve probably quoted her at least two or three times to your friends.
Kate McKinnon, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC) – At times, we do wish that she had more screen time, but that is mostly because she kills almost everything that she is in. Her Olga during “Weekend Update” is wonderful, her “Chandelier” dance with Jim Carrey is priceless, and we even love her ridiculous impersonation of Justin Bieber. While it’s probably impossible on “SNL” to do no wrong, McKinnon is about as close as you come these days.
Amy Poehler, “Parks and Recreation” (NBC) – Sometimes, being a predictable pick is okay, especially when you are Amy Poehler and are this awesome. Leslie Knope is to us a Top 25 TV character ever, much in the way of Michael Scott and Liz Lemon before her. She’s inspiring in an odd way, and yet also completely absurd and comical. Poehler is probably one of the only people out there with the energy and zeal to pull all of these elements together.
Zach Woods, “Silicon Valley” (HBO) – Woods was sensational on what is also a candidate here on CarterMatt for Underrated Show. Even without saying a ton, his storyline in the self-driving car this past spring may be one of the funniest few minutes of anything we’ve seen on TV all year. Jared is so strange, so likable, and you really want him to have a victory … even though he probably never will save for a fleeting moment here or there.