The Oscars airing last night made me think about some of the bad-ass acting we have gotten on television lately. And I’m here to shine the spotlight on a couple of hidden gems. Last week (and this whole season really) of television saw the emergence of two supporting actresses to full fledge acting powerhouses. The two in question here are Candice Accola as Caroline on THE VAMPIRE DIARIES and Marina Squerciati as Officer Kim Burgess on CHICAGO PD. Each of these actress showcased some high quality acting chops last week.
Accola has been given her most challenging story arc ever with her mother having cancer. While Accola has always been able to bring her “A” game with whatever she was given (See proof posted above), this season has put Accola in the forefront. She has gotten more screen time than ever before and has excelled at everything thrown her way. Whether it’s her asking Stefan to stay at the beginning of the season or her reaction when finding her mother flatlining a couple of weeks ago. Thursday’s episode was Accola’s best episode of the season by a long shot. Her song at her mother’s funeral was heartbreaking and I won’t believe anyone if they say they watched that scene and didn’t cry.
But the scene that pushed Accola to a whole new level was her scene with Elena where she talks about turning it off. It was so real and so painful to watch because Accola showed Caroline’s grief in every part of her body and the way Accola says “It hurts so bad I can’t breathe,” it seemed like it was hurting her just saying the words. If you haven’t seen this scene then please watch below and you will understand everything I’m talking about (Posted below)
Then there’s Marina Squerciati from CHICAGO PD. Burgess has been through a lot this season, how she is even still standing is a mystery. What’s not a mystery though is Squerciati’s epic performances. While Squerciati hasn’t had as much as Accola to do this season, what she has been given (you know, just getting shot and kidnapped) she’s rocked it. The scene after Burgess returns home from the hospital and just stares at herself in the mirror, so much is conveyed in that moment. I won’t tell you what I think about it because you deserve to watch and interpret on your own: Click Here!
And then of course last Wednesday’s episode where Burgess and her partner are kidnapped. After surviving what felt like 1,000 threats to their lives, Burgess is in locker room and recovering from the day. Then her boyfriend comes in and she just finally lets loose and cries. It was beautiful and heartbreaking and so much more. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a good clip online so you should probably just watch the whole episode.
I thought these two women deserved a little shoutout since they more than likely won’t get one when the Emmy nominations are revealed. Are there any unsung acting heroes that you think deserve a shoutout? Sound off below!