20 More TV Acting Performances That Are Totally Flawless
10. Maura Tierney - The Affair
The Affair frustratingly see-sawed between truly brilliant drama and painfully stuffy melodrama, but in spite of its frequent narrative fumbles and the fact that it went on for far too long, the performances at its centre were always phenomenal.
Dominic West, Ruth Wilson, Joshua Jackson and Anna Paquin all offered some of the best work of their respective careers, as did many of the show's supporting cast. But standing above them all, giving a performance so complex, conflicted and frequently tragic, is Maura Tierney, who played the jilted wife of West's womanising novelist Noah.
As the scorned wife of the series' most controversial figure, Tierney plays Helen Solloway as the emotional centre of the story, as she's forced to confront the end of her marriage, keep her family together, and confront the fact that her once-happy life was ruined by the very man she loved.
Through all the show's gritty revelations, twisting POVs and themes of desire and human imperfection, Tierney was the most endearing and fierce figure on screen, anchoring the show with real, raw emotion even in its most outlandish moments.