TV changed in the 2000s. With the dawn of shows like Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and The Wire, the ‘00s brought the beginning of the so-called “Golden Age of Television.” Vince Gilligan’s use of the long-form medium of television for change instead of making everything go back to normal at the end of each episode meant that character arcs could play like Shakespearean tragedies.
Bryan Cranston’s performance as Walter White has been lauded as some of the best acting ever, across any art form and in the 2000s, after decades of trying, TV truly became an art form. Here are the decade’s 10 best TV drama casts.
24
Led by Kiefer Sutherland’s ass-kicking CTU agent Jack Bauer, the cast of 24 was terrific, although the incessantly irritating Kim Bauer didn’t help anything (and it wasn’t Elisha Cuthbert’s fault; the writers just had no idea what to do with her on the real-time clock).
Jack’s CTU team was filled with endearing performances – from Mary Lynn Rajskub playing Chloe O’Brian to Carlos Bernard playing Tony Almeida to Reiko Aylesworth playing Michelle Dessler – while it was always a joy to see the writers find an excuse to bring back Dennis Haysbert as David Palmer.
FIREFLY
Joss Whedon’s seminal short-lived sci-fi western series Firefly had an impeccable cast which has helped the show maintain a huge cult following to this day.
The crew of the Firefly-class spaceship Serenity was carried by Nathan Fillion as the charming rogue Mal Reynolds; Gina Torres as his second-in-command and war buddy Zoe; Alan Tudyk as her jealous husband Wash; Morena Baccarin as “companion” Inara Serra; and Summer Glau as the prodigious River Tam.
THE SHIELD
As a more on-the-nose, narrative-driven portrait of police corruption than The Wire, Shawn Ryan’s The Shield found its perfect lead in Michael Chiklis as crooked cop Vic Mackey.
He was surrounded by equally talented supporting players. The real standouts were Walton Goggins as Shane, C.C.H. Pounder as Wyms, and Catherine Dent as Danny. Benito Martinez as Aceveda, Kenny Johnson as Lem, and Jay Karnes as Dutch were also great.
DEXTER
Although the show is called Dexter, Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter’s fantastic on-screen chemistry as a serial killer and his detective sister led the show to quickly establish itself as a two-hander.
They received solid support from Lauren Vélez as María LaGuerta, David Zayas as Angel Batista, and James Remar, appearing in flashbacks and Dexter’s hallucinations as Harry Morgan.
SONS OF ANARCHY
Kurt Sutter chose the ideal cast to carry the Shakespearean weight of Sons of Anarchy’s gangland narrative. Charlie Hunnam showcases his range as the lead protagonist, Jax Teller, while Katey Sagal gets a rare chance to show off her dramatic chops as his mother, Gemma. They’re supported by go-to tough guy Ron Perlman as Jax’s stepdad Clay, an emotionally resonant Ryan Hurst as his best friend Opie, and Maggie Siff as Tara Knowles, one of the only positive role models on the show.
The ancillary SAMCRO members all give great performances, too, from Tommy Flanagan as Chibs to Theo Rossi as Juice. Their energy is wonderfully complemented by a subdued Dayton Callie as the local cop, Wayne Unser.
LOST
Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, and Josh Holloway made for a compelling central love triangle as Jack, Kate, and Sawyer. The supporting cast was filled with lovable performances, like Jorge Garcia as Hurley, Emilie de Ravin as Claire, and Dominic Monaghan as Charlie.
Daniel Dae Kim and Yunjin Kim stole viewers’ hearts as Jin and Sun. Naveen Andrews’ Sayid and Terry O’Quinn’s Locke were consistently riveting, while Michael Emerson took control of any scene he was in as the haunting Ben Linus.
SIX FEET UNDER
The cast of Six Feet Under did an amazing job of making the Fishers feel like a real family – and a truly dysfunctional one at that. Frances Conroy gave a heartfelt turn as the Fishers’ emotionally stunted matriarch, Ruth, while Michael C. Hall, Peter Krause, and Lauren Ambrose developed a tangible on-screen connection as siblings David, Nate, and Claire, respectively.
They also had strong support from Freddy Rodriguez as Federico, Mathew St. Patrick as David’s on-and-off love interest Keith, and Rachel Griffiths as Nate’s on-and-off love interest Brenda.
MAD MEN
Jon Hamm quickly became iconic in the role of Don Draper, who, next to Walter White, is the most quintessential “flawed male antihero” of the Peak TV era. Elisabeth Moss gives an inspiring performance as Peggy Olson, who starts at the very bottom and fights her way to the top as a woman in ‘60s-era corporate America.
Everyone in the cast was brilliant: Christina Hendricks as the fiercely determined Joan Holloway, January Jones as Don’s embattled wife (and later ex-wife) Betty Draper, Vincent Kartheiser as the delightfully hateable Pete Campbell, and John Slattery as Don’s dark mirror self, Roger Sterling.
THE WIRE
The Wire’s U.S.P. is its realism. It played more like a documentary than a drama, and it drew audiences deeper and deeper into the lives of the ever-changing roster of characters as the seasons went by. And the actors played a huge part in creating the sense of realism with their naturalistic performances turning the characters into real people.
The cast is teeming with talent: Dominic West as McNulty, Wendell Pierce as Bunk, Michael K. Williams as Omar, Wood Harris as Avon, Idris Elba as Stringer, John Doman as Rawls, Lance Reddick as Daniels, Sonja Sohn as Kima, Clarke Peters as Lester, Andre Royo as Bubbles, Jamie Hector as Marlo – the list goes on.
BREAKING BAD
Anchored by Bryan Cranston’s riveting portrayal of Walter White – which Anthony Hopkins praised as the greatest acting he’d ever seen – the cast of Breaking Bad is filled with stellar performances that both stand out on their own and tragically complement Walt’s journey. Aaron Paul played the heartbreaking downfall of Jesse Pinkman with real poignancy, showing the devastating effect that Walt’s selfish decision-making had on his misunderstood protégé. Skyler White might have been a hated character, but Anna Gunn did a fantastic job of playing her.
The recurring cast was filled with incredible performances, including Giancarlo Esposito as the sinister Gus, Bob Odenkirk as the smooth Saul, and Jonathan Banks as the softly spoken, yet tough-as-nails Mike. As Hank and Marie, Dean Norris and Betsy Brandt played a great mirror to Walt and Skyler, too.