20 TV Acting Performances That Are Totally Flawless
14. Matthew McConaughey - True Detective
Ah, the McConaissance, what a joy you were. Back in the early 2010s, Matthew McConaughey decided enough was enough and he was through being the face of Hollywood rom-coms, so he began a crusade to become one of the most acclaimed and serious actors in the game.
As he starred in some dramatic films and bagged himself an Oscar, McConaughey gave his best performance during the first season of the maddeningly inconsistent series True Detective.
As Rust Cohle, McConaughey was truly untouchable. Rust was deeply philosophical, cynical and cruel. He was also brilliant, ingenious and endlessly complex. It was a lot to juggle for one role, but McConaughey nailed it without fault, crafting out an inspired script a man as lost as he was heroic, tragic as he was mysterious, and confident as he was fragile.
True Detective hasn't been able to live up to the lofty heights of its debut season, and most of that first season success was down to McConaughey's captivating performance.