The Top Scene Stealers of 2022

THIS JUST IN: Sarah Sherman is a fucking star. Joining the cast of Saturday Night Live in Season 47, the prolific performer looks like a seasoned veteran, unleashing her chaotic comedy charisma on the venerable late-night show. Sherman is a terrific sketch performer, but the Weekend Update desk is where she truly shines.

Sherman’s offbeat verbal jousts with Colin Jost generate an abundance of laugh-out-loud moments. The duo gives off huge Stefon/Seth Meyers vibes, and the silly bit is just a ton of fun. Sherman and Jost have exceptional chemistry, and the writing is an example of pitch-perfect sketch comedy.

AND ANOTHER THING. Wait, no, I’m done. Sarah’s great! — Josh Sorokach

Stream Saturday Night Live on Peacock

The Bear came out of nowhere to become the surprise hit of the summer. While star Jeremy Allen White was predictably tremendous, the actor who had us saying “Yes, chef” was the incomparable Ayo Edebiri.

Anyone familiar with Edebiri is well aware of the rising star’s prodigious comedic chops, but her performance on The Bear also highlighted her dramatic acumen. Ayo imbued the character of Sydney with a rare combination of subtle humor and vulnerability that helped ground the chaos of restaurant life. — Josh Sorokach

Stream The Bear on Hulu

What does it take to be able to steal scenes from demons, a sorcerer, and an actual hulk? All it takes is two Ns, one Y — but it’s not where you think. That’s what Madisynn (Patty Guggenheim) came equipped with during her way chill takeover of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and the MCU hasn’t been the same since.

She’s an unlikely scene-stealer, for sure; who expected the hottie in the party dress holding a martini glass to become the breakout character of the year for the biggest franchise on Earth? Such is the power of Madisynn, the embodiment of chaotic good. She can travel to and from a Hell dimension and rip out a heart while wearing stilettos and not spill a bit of her bevvie. And who else would be brave enough to spoil The Sopranos for the Sorcerer Supreme? Marvel has a whole lot planned, but the only thing we want now is a Madisynn & Wongers series. — Brett White

Stream She-Hulk on Disney+

One of my favorite TV moments of 2022 was watching Daniel LaRusso share the screen with all his Karate Kid bullies (Johnny Lawrence, Chozen, and Mike Barnes) in the Cobra Kai Season 5 finale. The series has mastered the art of nostalgia casting and all three (semi) reformed bad boys had their chance to shine in Season 5.

From Johnny and Chozen’s delightful “’80s buddy cop” energy to Mike Barnes once again going full “bad boy,” these karate men were a crane kick of entertainment. And a special shoutout to Thomas Ian Griffith’s performance as the diabolical Terry Silver. The heroes are only as good as the villains they oppose, and Griffith imbued his character with a cool, sinister charisma that elevated the entire season. — Josh Sorokach

Stream Cobra Kai on Netflix

While Daniel Radcliffe gave 110 percent as Weird Al in this parody biopic—treating this wig-wearing, lip-syncing role like it’s his shot at an Oscar—it was Evan Rachel Wood as Madonna who stole every scene.

She goes full femme fatale in a ridiculous, fictionalized version of the queen of pop who hopes to seduce Weird Al into parodying one of her songs. Wood snaps her bubble gum, bats her eyelids, and twirls her hair without missing a beat. Plus, she totally nails that uniquely odd Madonna accent. It’s a performance that’s both hilarious and hot, and you won’t be able to keep your eyes off her. (And, for the record, though they never dated, the real Madonna really did ask Weird Al to parody her song.) — Anna Menta

Watch Weird: The Al Yankovic Story on the Roku Channel

Hacks is a brilliant show filled with clever writing and outstanding performances. Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder are a hilarious, captivating duo, but the odd couple pairing of Paul W. Downs (Jimmy) and Megan Stalter (Kayla) adds a whole new comedic layer to the series. The charming combination of Stalter’s one-liners and Downs’ exasperated aggravation at her bizarre antics is an opposites attract delight.

We can’t wait to see more of these two goofballs in Season 3, and, um, we wouldn’t be opposed to a future Jimmy/Kayla spinoff series. — Josh Sorokach

Stream Hacks on HBO Max

The final season of Search Party was a masterpiece. There was no shortage of laugh-out-loud moments, but the one constant that stood out was Meredith Hagner’s portrayal of actual icon Portia Davenport.

Hagner’s inexhaustible comedy prowess deserves a standing ovation. The actress is a multifaceted performer, but the most prolific move in her arsenal is her ethereal mastery of the old television chestnut known as the reaction shot.

That, my friend, is the textbook definition of art. A true maestro of emoting, TV is just a little bit better when Meredith Hagner’s on the screen. — Josh Sorokach

Stream Search Party on HBO Max

Ostensibly, HBO’s The Rehearsal is about host Nathan Fielder helping other people rehearse important moments in their lives before they attempt them for real. But really, the show is about Nathan. It’s about his issues relating to other people, his inability to grapple with the moments that went wrong in his own life, and even digs into whether what he’s doing by creating this show in the first place is wrong on a basic, ethical level. Enter Angela, the woman Nathan tries to help rehearse for eventually having a family and a child, despite her neither being in a relationship, nor being pregnant.

Over the course of Angela’s time on the show, it becomes clear she is so far from what she initially presented to Nathan, from her unhinged conspiracy theories to clear disinterest in following through on any aspect of the rehearsal as soon as Nathan leaves the room. Yes, Nathan is switching in and out child actors at different ages, dusting the front lawn with fake snow for the holidays, and creating an entire other reality; but Angela is on another level of reality entirely. Nathan plays with the idea of fantasy, Angela lives there. — Alex Zalben

Watch The Rehearsal on HBO Max

For years now, Eugene Mirman has been pushed to the sidelines by his Bob’s Burgers costars. That’s the unfortunate price that comes with working with a cast as consistently brilliant as H. Jon Benjamin, John Roberts, Dan Mintz, and Kristen Schaal. But there was something magical about Mirman’s performance in Season 13, specifically “The Plight Before Christmas.”

When Gene’s music teacher has to miss the end-of-the-year show, our fart-loving music man is the only one who can save the day. Both vulnerable yet optimistic, Mirman’s performance is touching. One of the unique joys in life is watching someone you love achieve the impossible, and that’s exactly what we get to see Gene do. It’s a testament to Mirman’s superb work as a voice actor and a comedian that this animated character feels so real, his triumphs can inspire genuine pride. — Kayla Cobb

Watch Bob's Burgers on Hulu

Will somebody please give scene-stealer extraordinaire Zach Cherry a damn Waffle Party? The hit Apple TV+ series is as suspenseful as all get-out, which is why Cherry’s sly humor and sarcastic one-liners offer a much-needed balm to the destabilizing stress of Lumon Industries.

In a series filled with star power (the show features Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette, John Turturro, and Christopher freaking Walken!) Zach Cherry’s often hilarious, always authentic performance is the one we can’t stop thinking about. — Josh Sorokach

Stream Severance on Apple TV+

Meghann Fahy can convey more with a look than most people can with a thesaurus. Exuding big “fun young mom” energy, our girl Daphne was the cherry on top of the delectable ice cream sundae known as the second season of The White Lotus. Fahy’s performance was truly mesmerizing, handing out marital advice like Tic Tacs and delivering an array of exceptional one-liners (“It’s like hide and seek. Keeps things interesting.”) with aplomb.

Cameron, Harper, and Ethan are playing checkers, while our calculating queen Daphne plays an exceptional game of chess. — Josh Sorokach

Stream The White Lotus on HBO Max

It’s no surprise that Kate Berlant would steal scenes even in an ensemble packed with comedy talent; she’s been doing just that with her off-beat, clipped delivery and seemingly emotionless reactions for years now in everything from Search Party to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. And Shirley Cohen was no different.

As the straight, neurotic roommate of Abbi Jacobson’s Carson Shaw, Berlant’s Shirley Cohen was both comic relief and threat, always popping in with a bizarre addition to her character’s quirks out of nowhere, and cluelessly pressing the extremely lesbian Carson about how worried she was that one her teammates might be a, er, lesbian. The character’s arc led to laugh out loud moments in nearly every episode, and then a late in the game emotional thread that helped cathartically end the show’s first season. More Berlant in everything, please, but particularly in an A League of Their Own Season 2. — Alex Zalben

Watch A League of Their Own on Prime Video

The Righteous Gemstones is often marketed as Danny McBride’s show, and that’s not wrong, but there’s plenty of star power behind the comedy, and Edi Patterson is an unmissable part of it all.

As the foul-mouthed Judy, she steps into scenes, absolutely devours them, and then spits them out with sardonic one-liners (most of which would be heavily censored in print). And when she’s not being one of the most unhinged members of the Gemstone family, she still manages to surprise us, showing her sweet side last season by embracing her Aunt Tiffany by telling her she “may be a backwoods simpleton,” but “the thought of you running away on this bus right now is making my gooch pucker” — a line only she could pull off. — Greta Bjornson

Stream The Righteous Gemstones on HBO Max

Delivering a believable performance as an actor is a challenge in and of itself. But doing so in multiple scenes where your co-stars have no idea what you’re saying? That’s a whole other level of talent.

As one of the few Mandarin speakers on a ship bound for America, Wei’s Ling Yi was always at a disadvantage in 1899. But you would never be able to tell thanks to the equally feisty and sincere performance of this actor. Every time Wei was on screen, she stole the show. And any actor who’s engaging enough to distract audiences from this thriller’s endlessly twisting plot deserves praise. — Kayla Cobb

Stream 1899 on Netflix

I don’t know how many people watched Irma Vep when it ran on HBO this summer, but based on the quizzical, blank stares I’ve gotten from nearly everyone I’ve mentioned it to over the last six months — many of whom work in the entertainment industry — it can’t be many. Then again, as they say, it’s not the SIZE of the waves, it’s the motion in the ocean that counts. And Lars Eidinger, the 6’3″ German actor who portrayed the flamboyant crackhead Gottfried von Schack on the show, created goddamn tsunamis every time he came into frame.

Whether he was smoking crack while being interviewed by a couple of goofball podcasters, getting overly physical with his Les Vampires co-star Mira (Oscar winner Alicia Vikander), or escaping from a two-story rehab facility by shimmying down a rain gutter wearing only a tattered leopard-spotted coat and cowboy boots, his presence always shifted the dynamics of his scenes. Dangerous, hilarious, spontaneous, enraging, and soul-stirring, his was a memorable performance in a series full of them.—Mark Graham

Stream Irma Vep on HBO Max