Performer of the Week: Jeff Ward
THE PERFORMER | Jeff Ward
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THE SHOW | Netflix’s One Piece
THE EPISODE | “The Man in the Straw Hat” (Aug. 31, 2023)
THE PERFORMANCE | Everybody loves a clown. … OK, that’s a lie. A lot of people are actually pretty terrified of the red-nosed renegades, and Ward’s outstanding work as One Piece‘s utterly unhinged Buggy isn’t likely to change that anytime soon.
It was the kind of wild, unflinching performance from which you simply can’t look away, where you can tell that the actor is completely losing himself in the role, letting this other person assume control of his body for a bit — and having a damn good time doing so.
Equally devilish and delightful, Ward’s unpredictable performance kept us laughing cautiously, fearing that if we laughed too hard at the wrong joke, he might just reach through our screen and pull us into his tent of terrors. (Not that we wouldn’t have been thrilled to get a closer view of Ward at work.)
The nature of One Piece constantly shuffling its characters from one location to the next means that each episode feels like a mini movie. Every new setting is its own fully realized world, populated by complex characters whose stories neither begin nor end during the brief time we spend with them. Buggy was the undeniable star of this particular mini movie, and his volatile cocktail of vulnerability, rage and good ol’ fashioned madness kept us on our toes the entire time.
In this very rare instance, we’re glad that One Piece didn’t kill off the evil clown. More Buggy please!
Scroll down to see who scored Honorable Mention shout-outs this week…
HONORABLE MENTION: Daisy Haggard
As the Worsleys’ vulgar matriarch Ally, Daisy Haggard has been consistently great in Breeders‘ final season. But in Episode 6, a reunion with some women from her past turned dour after Ally, who previously boasted that the group had “no arseholes,” realized that she was, in fact, the arsehole. At first, Haggard radiated pure joy at the sight of her friends, which veiled a vulnerability we knew would lead to hurt. When the big secret was revealed — that the group had been consistently hanging out without her for years — the actress turned heel with a broken, shaky voice and eyes filled wide with pain. Despite her rough edges, we couldn’t help but feel gutted for her, a true testament to another of Haggard’s strong displays.
HONORABLE MENTION: Stefanie Nur
There are times, when watching Paramount+’s Special Ops: Lioness, that we clamor for a spinoff about Aaliyah Amrohi, played so richly by Stefanie Nur. Playing the daughter of a billionaire with ties to terrorism, Nur first drew us in as Aaliyah opened up to Cruz about the ways her life will change after an arranged marriage. Adding more texture to Nur’s performance was the “morning after” her and Cruz’s impulsive kiss, which no amount of retail therapy could overshadow. “It’s all I think about. Have you thought about it?” asked Aaliyah through stilted breath, anxious about their sparked passion. Later, Nur had us feeling all the heartache as Aaliyah made clear to Cruz that to bail on the wedding would mean her certain death. “I think it’s worse to feel love just once than never to feel it,” she sobbed, stroking Cruz’s cheek. “Now I know what I am missing.”
HONORABLE MENTION: Elizabeth Perkins
We may not know who killed Edgar Minnows just yet, but here’s what we do know: Elizabeth Perkins gave a divine performance in The Afterparty‘s Hitchcockian ninth episode. As the grieving, highfalutin Isabel, the actress leaned into her character’s mania and confusion, serving up serious melodrama that was frosted with comedic flair. Perkins’ performance was over the top in the best way possible, from her ice-cold takedowns, to her cutting facial expressions and complete emotional disregard for everyone around her. Watching the actress go full Grace Kelly was pure delight, with her parodic turn being akin to something straight out of Mel Brooks’ High Anxiety. And that’s a high bar to reach.
Which performance(s) knocked your socks off this week? Tell us in the comments!
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