29 Actors Who Gave Amazing Performances On Teen TV Shows But Didn't Get Enough Credit

"He is one of the best actors on this show and he really got to shine as Void Stiles in Season 3B. He was truly the star of the show and his acting was top tier."

—mollball03

"Joy carried this show on her back in terms of acting performances. The depth she brought to Haley was phenomenal. This is particularly seen during Seasons 5, 7, and 9, when Haley deals with Nathan's depression, her mother's death and her own depression, and Nathan's kidnapping, respectively. Her depiction of Haley's depression was so heart-wrenchingly raw and sincere without being cliché. Toward the end of the series when things started to get quite ridiculous, it was Joy's weekly performances that kept the show grounded."

—haleyhastings2003

"Brooke Davis was such an iconic role. Brooke wasn't even supposed to be a main character, but Sophia was so amazing that One Tree Hill basically became 'the Brooke Davis show.' Sophia helped make Brooke a multi-dimensional character as she went from a stereotypical cheerleader and spoiled brat to something more."

—giovanapaesm

"Ncuti Gatwa amazed me in Sex Education. The confidence he brings to Eric is astounding. Watching Eric stand up for what he believes in and who he is was beautiful."

—viqui543

"Brandy was able to depict Black teenagers in a way that was rarely portrayed on TV. She was headstrong, but not angry, intelligent, flawed, funny, layered, typical, and realistic. Her character allowed so many young Black people to see themselves. I think the entire cast was perfectly chosen, but I applaud Brandy for showing the most growth throughout the series. Due to the fact that the cast was Black, the show was pigeonholed as a 'Black show for Black people,' when in reality, the issues the teens on the show faced were often issues not just Black teenagers related to. The series paved the way for shows like That's So Raven, The Famous Jett Jackson, and One on One. Brandy deserves more recognition. Period."

—mj2005

"Spencer was consistently the strongest character and Troian carried this show on her back for seven seasons. Spencer was always the most invested of the liars in catching 'A,' and she managed to make even the wackiest storylines believable. Troian deserved all the awards."

—georgea4cf7567f5

"I really love Brandon Flynn on 13 Reasons Why. Justin had amazing character development and ended up as one of my favorites by the end of the show. I'm still heartbroken over how dirty they did Justin in the series finale!"

—jillt013

"Kristen Bell is obviously amazing in The Good Place, but the complexities she brought to the role of Veronica were amazing. The show had a great cast overall, but no one was as good as the leading character. She deserved more credit when the show was originally airing."

—gulloannabeth

"Sadly, it wasn't until Naya's tragic death that she really got the mainstream recognition that she deserved. Her performance was a powerful testament to the reality of growing up part of the LGBTQ community and the strength that it can require."

—got30p

"I think Amber Riley was really great. Her singing slapped, but she never got to show it off because Mercedes was always sidelined for Rachel. Amber and Mercedes deserved more."

—emihaha13

"Shawn had some of the most tragic storylines, including his parents abandoning him and his dad dying, and Ryder played all of them brilliantly. He portrayed the emotions so well and it felt so genuine."

—loststarspace

"The fact that Zach didn't get an Emmy Award for his work in 'The Son' is a travesty."

—jennr4ab11fa64

"Hunter Schafer in Euphoria should've been nominated for an Emmy alongside Zendaya. She wasn't though and I'm mad."

—sabinemitkus2

"One of Jacob's last scenes in Season 1 when Nate is having a fit after a fight with his father featured some of the most realistic and best acting I have ever seen!"

—youhotbabe

"Sarah Michelle Gellar in Buffy was incredible. She conveyed the strength of a slayer perfectly with the vulnerability of a high school girl. Your heart broke any time hers did and, as an actor, Sarah worked around the clock for this role. She didn't get enough recognition!"

—joanneb447c2e55a

"Marie managed to be equally compelling as a sheltered teenage girl, a tribal warrior, and a brutal dictator."

—mangoforpresident

"Lindsey's performance after Raven was shot and almost couldn't walk again was absolutely breathtaking. She even did an amazing job acting possessed in Season 3. Lindsey gets no recognition because she isn't on a super popular show, but she’s an incredible actor."

—laylawall

"Joshua Jackson, Meredith Monroe, and Kerr Smith's memorable performances truly go hand-in-hand during Season 2. There was the incredibly mature, restrained, and compassionate work they all did when Jack came out of the closet. And then, when Andie dealt with her mental illness. All three of them did a fantastic job of showing how academic and family pressures can create a whirlwind of issues for teenagers. All three of them gave nuanced and mature performances in what could have been a very 'after school special' kind of storyline!"

—mattyc3

"Madelaine Petsch has the some of most cringe-worthy lines on Riverdale, but she still gives it her all and puts everything she has into her character. In general, the cast of Riverdale doesn’t get enough credit. They’re all carrying the show right now, and just because the writing is dumpster-worthy, doesn’t mean the acting is."

—lilithstormgoddess

"Nina played three different characters on The Vampire Diaries (with essentially four personalities if you count the time Elena shut off her humanity). However, instead of her getting credit for her versatility, people just go on and on about how much they hate Elena."

—anda_panda

"Bonnie Bennett ended up being the MVP of this show and Kat truly gave it her all in every single season. I feel like her performance is often overshadowed by some of the others, and it deserves so much recognition. Bonnie had some of the best storylines and they remain iconic because of Kat."

—noradominick

"In the beginning you absolutely hated and distrusted Kai due to him being a sociopath, however as his character developed, you couldn't help but love him. The range that Chris has is so interesting to watch. He continued to portray Kai as the evil person that Kai was meant to be, but he threw in these new feelings that his character had never felt before."

—hayesgabby19

"Leighton took a one-dimensional mean girl and turned her into a lovable and vulnerable character simply by acting in such an honest way. I know the show isn't great, but it would be much worse without her, and no one appreciates that."

—emmaloveschocolate

"100% Rudy as JJ. JJ wiping away years of trauma in a hot tub was simply incredible and one of the best scenes from Season 1."

—oggabooga

"I’m watching Atypical now and I was so surprised to find out that Keir has gotten ZERO recognition for his role! He deserves at least an Emmy nomination! Also, this whole series is so underrated! It’s so good!"

—pauloyanagi

"Okay, Lucas is the most underrated character on this show and he needs more screen time! Everybody always talks about Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, and Gaten Materazzo, but Caleb should get more attention."

—yessirbrebre_26

"Mischa Barton gets criticized a lot, but she actually poured a lot of herself into creating an iconic character. Don't lie, when Julie asked what she wanted and Marissa threw a chair into the pool and just screamed...we all felt that."

—jessicat4fbb3029f

"Eric Osbourne absolutely killed it as Miles Hollingsworth on Degrassi. He tackled serious subjects, like abuse and addiction, and really brought Miles' complex character to life. His character was also excellent bisexual representation. He doesn't get enough credit for his performance."

—kellymartinez

"Kathryn Newton was incredible as usual, but all of the other up-and-coming young actors were amazing too! They are all so talented and I can't believe this show got canceled. I sincerely hope we manage to save it."

—sylviaplath