10 Best Sitcom Casts Of The 21st Century (So Far)
2. Veep
The strength of the Veep cast is evident in their ability to hold their own acting alongside sitcom royalty Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Whilst the Seinfeld veteran was the reason that most people initially tuned in (as well as creator Armando Iannucci’s prior work on beloved British political satire The Thick of It), the rest of the cast soon proved equally as popular and hilarious.
Iannucci’s profane, scathing dialogue is a treat for any actor, yet every member of this ensemble delivers every glorious syllable to pitch perfect precision. Every actor very effectively goes broad when required but never overplays a particular moment or tries too hard, which somehow makes the brutal putdowns land even harder.
To highlight particular performers, Anna Chlumsky radiates tightly wound stress in every frame in which she appears as hyper-competent chief of staff Amy Brookheimer, making her moments of inevitable outburst all the more hilariously cathartic. Tony Hale presents a toned-down version of his Buster Bluth persona, which contrasts delightfully with the harshness of the rest of the cast.
Each season of the show saw the cast expanding with the addition of actors such as Gary Cole, Kevin Dunn and Sam Richardson, who all quickly became fan favourites. Finally, whilst Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ excellence is a given, it shouldn’t be taken for granted either.
Veep is a very different beast to anything she has done before and she makes the transition effortlessly. Her inherent likeability makes Selina’s monstrosity all the more surprising and allows viewers to root for Selina despite her often reprehensible actions.