Even before 2020 effectively shut down the box office for nine straight months, the year was shaping up to be one of the strongest on record for television and streaming. Right in the middle of the Golden Age of Television began the Streaming Wars, a race between distributors and studios on providing consumers the one service with the best bang for the buck. The end result is a new dawn for Tinsel Town, where the movers and shakers produce and release new content at a record pace. Because of that, the year had no shortage of incredible television programs to binge through in lockdowns and quarantine despite the vast majority of theatrical releases being bumped out of 2020.
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With memorable performances across the board, the ComicBook.com team assembled to discuss the one actor that stood out most in a field of worthy nominees. Someone that performed so admirably in their role, there could never be an actor replace them in an inevitable reboot or relaunch in 20 years. The team deliberated, voted, and at the 11th hour, a victor was finally crowned.
And the winner of the 2020 ComicBook.com Golden Issue Award for Best TV Actor is…
Antony Starr, for his role as Homelander on Amazon’s The Boys!
While it’s easy to remember and rave about the protagonists of your favorite shows, villains often get thrust out of the spotlight — especially when it comes to the world of superhero cinema. Luckily for Starr and company, The Boys isn’t an ordinary superhero series by any stretch of the imagination, and the show’s sophomore outing cemented the actor as one of the best villains cape fans have ever seen in live-action.
In genre properties, few actors have been able to evoke the pure hatred of their characters from the get-go. Just when you think Joffrey Baratheon will forever be the biggest puke of a character you’ll ever see, Starr’s Homelander comes screeching onto your television set, putting up an admirable fight for the Most Hated Villain to ever get screentime.
“What a lovely way to start 2021! I’m truly grateful to be the recipient of this award in such a talented group. Thank you,” Starr tells ComicBook.com.
When it comes to The Boys, it’s a perfect storm that sets Starr up for success. The concept of “evil Superman” has been done time and time again, but Starr manages to break the mold and make it his own thing. He takes the insidious writing from Eric Kripke and company and bumps it to another level. He’s equal parts All-American hero and terrifying supervillain, and that’s exactly what’s needed from someone tapped to play the villain.
In a year most hope to forget as the wheels of time continue to churn, Starr’s role as Homelander was a bright spot, giving us an all-time performance. He gave us another round at the character we all love to hate, and that’s why Antony Star is winning the 2020 ComicBook.com Golden Issue for Best TV actor.
Nominees:
- Antony Starr (The Boys) — WINNER
- Daveed Diggs (Snowpiercer)
- Henry Cavill (The Witcher)
- Jonathan Majors (Lovecraft Country)
- Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: Picard)
