20 Characters from TV Dramas Who Gave Us All the Feels in 2019

These characters like to be dramatic, and that’s a good thing. When it comes to TV dramas, so much of a brilliant series lies in the performance and what an actor is willing to give to the role. 

This year, many characters have made great strides in dramatic series, displaying compelling growth or unpredictable performances that kept us guessing throughout the year. 

Here are 20 of the best drama TV characters from 2019, listed in no particular order.

1. Villanelle (Killing Eve)

When you think of standout drama performances of 2019, Villanelle comes to mind. Following Killing Eve‘s acclaimed freshman season, the second outing of the flamboyant assassin played by Jodie Comer is still as exciting and thrilling as ever. 

Throughout Killing Eve Season 2, Villanelle continued to be her childlike self serving up quick one-liners while she searched for the joy she got from killing. Of course, her obsession with Eve Polastri didn’t subside either, and her ability to troll the intelligence officer was an absolute pleasure to watch. 

2. Thomas Shelby (Peaky Blinders)

The long-awaited release of Peaky Blinders Season 5 showed us a new version of Thomas Shelby. The politician and former lead of the razor gang starts to become unhinged in the days following the stock market crash.

Throughout Peaky Blinders Season 5, we see him talking to his dead wife, navigating the House of Lords, and planning an assassination of a fascist, all under the omen that Tommy’s time as king of the razor gang is coming to an end.

Fitting, since this season is one of the first that doesn’t end the way Thomas expected. 

3. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (The Crown)

A changing of the guard meant that all the characters were played by new actors for The Crown Season 3. This includes Tobias Menzies who plays a more nuanced version of Philip, one who has settled a little more into his life as The Queen’s spouse. 

While Menzies’s version of Philip still has some of the abrasive stubbornness that originated with Matt Smith, there is also a vulnerability.

The pinnacle of Menzies’s performance is The Crown Season 3 Episode 7, “Moondust,” where we see him marvel at the lives of the Apollo astronauts only to be disappointed when he has the chance to meet them in person. 

The mix of fascination and reconnecting with his faith makes “Moondust” a joy to watch and it is elevated by Menzies’s performance. 

4. Kevin Pearson (This Is Us)

We can confidently say that 2019 is the year that Kevin Pearson grew up. Now sober, this third of The Big Three has discovered what’s truly important in his life. He’s contemplating what he really wants, even giving up a movie deal to go back to Pennsylvania and live in a trailer next to his Uncle Nicky. 

Even though Kevin has misstepped at times, his ability to listen and empathize with both Nicky and Cassidy has caused both him and those closest to him to grow. The journey he has been on has led him to realize that he wants something more simple and that family and being a dad is important in his future. 

Fortunately, thanks to a flash-forward during the fall finale, it looks like he’s on his way there.

5. Kelly Severide (Chicago Fire)

Kelly Severide is the type of firefighter we all dream about. He is tough with rough edges on the outside and a soft kind-hearted man to his core. Over the course of eight seasons, this man has stood firm to the belief that when you put on the uniform you put all else behind you.

To him firefighting is more than a career, it is a way of life. For many like him, this view would close him off to the finer things in life such as love and loyalty. There has never been a more loyal friend, boyfriend, and protector than Severide.

6. Harvey Specter (Suits)

Suits Season 9 may have been the show’s final outing, but it was a fitting one where Harvey Specter was concerned.

Throughout nine seasons Harvey Specter has grown from a responsive guy with uber confidence to one who isn’t afraid to show his vulnerability. By the end of the series, it’s clear that Harvey Specter cares. We see a relationship with his immediate family, and his relationship with Donna come into play as well. 

One thing that Harvey has never lost along the way is loyalty. He continues to look after his partners in any way he can, and he fights for what’s best until the end. In the end, the Harvey of Suits Season 9 is more sensitive and caring, but there are still flashes of the hard and resilient man that the audience knows and loves. 

7. Henrietta “Hen” Wilson (9-1-1)

Henrietta “Hen” Wilson has always been a standout character on 9-1-1. In Season 3, she continues to be an outstanding firefighter/paramedic and a consistent source of support for her many male colleagues both personally and professionally.

This year, Hen and her portrayer Aisha Hinds got to help bring awareness to important issues like infertility, miscarriage, and the depression that follows when Hen’s partner Karen (Tracie Thoms) experienced a miscarriage.

Individually, Hinds gave a breathtaking and heartbreaking performance of shock and grief when Hen was involved in a car crash that killed a young woman while on the job.

8. Marie Adler (Unbelievable) 

Netflix’s limited series, Unbelievable, detailing the real-life events surrounding a series of rape investigations, featured three amazing female leads. At the center of the story though, was Marie Adler, whose account was questioned to the point of recanting. 

Kaitlyn Dever gives an unsettling and yet deeply moving performance as the young college student and a former foster kid that no one believes. She’s erratic, emotional, and unreliable. In short, a less than perfect victim that’s easily manipulated into recanting her story.

Her performance is difficult to watch, and rightfully so, but seeing how she was treated leaves viewers thinking twice about if they should question a victim’s reliability. 

9. Serena Joy Waterford (The Handmaid’s Tale)

June might have stayed behind to try to get kids out of Gilead, but it was Serena Joy’s duplicity that stood center stage on The Handmaid’s Tale Season 3.

It was hard to tell where her allegiances were throughout the season, but by the end of Season 3, it was clear that the one thing motivating Serena Joy is Nicole. Following the loss of her finger in the Season 2 finale for reading the Bible, Serena Joy finally seems to have enough of the world she helped create.

It’s an infuriating dynamic to watch on screen, but her selfish subterfuge throughout her attempts to get Nicole back and sellout her husband had us rooting for her just a little bit. 

10. Rome Howard (A Million Little Things)

Rome has come a long way since almost swallowing a handful of pills in the premiere episode of A Million Little Things last year. On Season 2, Rome has been the keeper of secrets and the one voice that PJ could confide in. 

If there’s one thing we’ve learned about Rome in a season and a half of A Million Little Things, it’s that he isn’t afraid to make a few strategic bold moves. 

Rome proved that on the fall finale of A Million Little Things when he started trying to talk PJ down from a ledge, and then joined him when it looked like reason wasn’t gonna work. In a very honest moment, Rome tells PJ that he knows what it’s like, that he was there a year ago, and ultimately gets the teenager to back away. 

11. Olivia Baker (All American)

On the sleek and heartfelt CW drama All American, Olivia Baker is the often-overlooked, wisest person in the room. She has faced the spoiled apples in her life, and now she is smothering truth sauce all over the rest of her All American family. The thoughtful rehab graduate would do well on Dawson’s Creek; she is beyond mature for a teenager.  

Her recent decision to put her recovery first by remaining just friends with Asher is a testament to the careful authenticity of her journey. Even though she is a grounded and grounding character, she gets her fair share of drama and sensuality. 

One of the best things about Olivia’s character is how it showcases the beautiful and bratty bonds of twin life. What Jordan and Olivia’s share is one of the most precious relationships on the underrated series. Actress Samantha Logan adds a special sweetness and allure to the powerfully written character. 

12. Jo Karev (Grey’s Anatomy)

To say Jo Karev has had a year on Grey’s Anatomy, might be an understatement. This year, she found her birth mother, discovered the truth about who her father was, and went down a spiral that nearly cost her the job she loves. 

She entered rehab, worked on herself, and got in touch with her emotions so she could get to the heart of what was really bothering her. Despite Jo’s initial resistance, her time there gave the valuable coping skills that she has used to help others around her, most notably Miranda Bailey.

Jo even took a chance and became a Safe Haven volunteer, going to a fire station to be with an abandoned child whose circumstances are a lot like her own history. 

13. Dex Parios (Stumptown)

The best thing about Dex Parios is her flaws. On Stumptown, she’s a destructive amateur P.I. who feels guilt over the death of her college boyfriend and self-medicates with gambling and beer. She makes use of her keen observational skills in her everyday life and her touch as nails attitude is intriguing to watch. 

Dex also has dynamic relationships in her life including her friendship with Gray and her dedication to her brother Ansel. This helps to show the warmer, more caring side to her and make her more complex. That grounding element is so important when you consider the trauma Dex is likely dealing with from her five tours in Afghanistan.

14. Anne Lister (Gentleman Jack) 

Gentleman Jack spotlights a character who bucked society’s expectations to save her family home, Shibden Hall. Anne Lister is a historical figure that casts a long shadow and Surranne Jones’ portrayal of her is fascinating to watch. 

Anne is single-minded and charismatic. She deals deftly with business opportunities as well as the pushback she got from society. Plus, as far as a period drama goes, her story is definitely unique. 

15. Kendall Roy (Succession)

The journey from golden son to broken shell leaves Kendall Roy as a fascinating character during Succession’s second season. The pain and the hollowness that Kendall endures is palpable, essentially his father’s puppet as there’s nothing left inside beyond the guilt and shame eating away at him.

His journey becomes about rebirth, how a man in a cynical elitist family can rise from the ashes his family leaves in their wake and takes back what is truly his, becoming the killer his family tossed aside.

Jeremy Strong’s performance is one of deep subtleties in the second season, but when paired with the writing, he shines bright.

16. Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson (Orange is the New Black) 

Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson wasn’t in the best place at the start of Orange in the New Black Season 7. 

Now facing a life sentence, Taystee has nothing to lose, and she knows it. The once vibrant and bubbly woman is gone, replaced with a downtrodden shell who is simply surviving in Polycon’s prison. While Taystee spends most of the season brooding, and planning to end her life, she finds a way to turn it around after helping Pennsatucky study and pass her GED exam.

In the final episodes of the series, Taystee realizes that even though she may not be getting out anytime soon, she can make it better for those that will. She starts a class teaching life skills to help her fellow inmates get off the poverty bus, or at least help them make enough money so they don’t have to do illegal things anymore.

While the show doesn’t dive into the success of Taystee’s new initiative, it’s a promising start for someone who has seen how the system doesn’t intend to reduce recidivism. 

17. Jason Hayes (SEAL Team)

SEAL Team’s Jason Hayes is a character that continues to show more depth as the show moves forward. He’s highly skilled at his job and respected as a leader, and psychologically, the work he’s been doing and the amount of death he’s seen is beginning to take a toll.

Add to that, he’s lost the mother of his children, and he’s living alone now that his kids are living their own lives. It’s powerful and fascinating to watch such a complex character continue to work through his struggles, always hoping to be better.

18. Dr. Mina Okafor (The Resident)

Seeing a character who loves their work is refreshing. The Resident‘s Dr. Mina Okafor is one such character who we have come to love throughout the medical drama’s three years. 

Dr. Okafor is determined to be the best surgeon she can be. She doesn’t let anything come between her and her work, almost to a fault at times. (And to be honest, probably reminds us of Cristina Yang, just a little bit.) 

While she can be seen as cold and doesn’t show affection like many other characters, but she cares deeply about her community and that continues to be a driving force in her work. 

19. Natasha Zapata (Blindspot)

This was the year of redemption for Blindspot‘s Natasha Zapata. The former FBI agent turned CIA agent, who seemed to go rogue, revealed that she was operating undercover in the Season 4 winter premiere, and proceeded to spend the rest of the season trying to earn back the goodwill of her former teammates. 

Zapata desperately wants back into the fold, and while she’s chasing one of Madeline Burke’s henchmen she neglects herself and her own wellbeing.

However, her dedication pays off when she ultimately gets a chance to confront the person who has derailed her life, leaving her on stable footing with those who cared about her from the start. 

20. Gypsy Rose Blanchard (The Act)

Hulu’s true crime series The Act debuted this year following the story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard. Gypsy Rose, a victim of her mother’s Munchausen by proxy syndrome. As she gets older, her quest for independence releases a Pandora’s box of secrets and leads her to conspire to murder her mother with the help of a man she meets online. 

There is a visceral quality to the work here. Joey King’s acting is restrained and subtle with a transformative quality as she embodies the character. It’s no wonder it earned her a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie in the 2019 Emmy awards. 

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Who were your favorite characters from TV dramas in 2019? Let us know in the comments below.

*Additional contributions by: Mary Misasi, Janelle McCammack, Esme Mazzeo, Ashley Bissette Sumerel, and Kevin Lever

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20 TV Dramas That Had Us on the Edge of Our Seats in 2019