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29 Actors Whose Crying On A TV Show Was So Raw And Authentic, They Deserved An Award

Sophia Bush sobbing on One Tree Hill gets me every single time.

Nora Dominick
by Nora Dominick

BuzzFeed Staff

We asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us which actors are the best at crying onscreen. Here are some of the best responses:

🚨Warning: There are some massive spoilers ahead!🚨

1. Viola Davis as Annalise Keating on How to Get Away With Murder

ABC

"Viola Davis without a shadow of a doubt. When she cries, she cries hard. Whenever she cries, you really feel like she's living those moments. Viola is one of the best actors ever, but only recently is she getting the respect she deserves after decades in the industry."

—creedbrattonishot

2. Robert Sheehan as Klaus on The Umbrella Academy

Klaus weeping over Dave's body
Netflix

"When Klaus cried over losing Dave, it hurt my soul. The way Robert just fell to the ground and sobbed hit so hard."

—danalee989

3. Mae Whitman as Amber Braverman on Parenthood

Zeek telling Amber that she's not allowed to be reckless anymore because he is her dream
NBC

"There were a lot of emotions on that show, but any scene she cried in, automatic tears from me."

—mccarvillecolton

4. Paul Mescal as Connell on Normal People

Connell weeping and saying he wishes he could go back to his old life and see Rob again, but he's gone
Hulu

"It’s rare that you see men on television shows express the level of vulnerability Paul was able to show. Connell's therapy scene where he talked about not feeling like he belongs always gets to me."

—taylorsunshine74

5. Sophia Bush as Brooke Davis on One Tree Hill

Brooke crying to Lucas and saying that she needed him to need her back
The CW

"Any scene where Brooke Davis is crying on One Tree Hill makes me instantly cry. Sophia has such a raw and powerful range of emotions as an actor. She will always be my all-time favorite, especially as Brooke."

—kristenchevrier

6. Gina Rodriguez as Jane Villanueva on Jane the Virgin

The CW

"Gina in any scene on Jane the Virgin, but especially when Jane found out that Michael was dead. The first time I watched that scene, my heart shattered along with hers and I found myself instantly crying because her cry was so authentic and painful."

—maverickchiefeditor

7. Melanie Scrofano as Wynonna Earp on Wynonna Earp

Wynonna crying to Waverly and saying she isn't ready to be a mother and never got the chance to have a choice about it
SYFY

"Melanie is the best onscreen crier I have ever seen! She uses her tears at just the right moment, and it’s always heartbreaking. No matter what unbelievable supernatural things are happening on the show, her emotion is always so raw and real. One moment, she is cracking you up with a quick-witted dick joke, and the next, she is punching you right in the feels with her tears. It gets me every time. She deserves a lot more recognition for what she is doing onscreen."

—Lauren

8. Dominique Provost-Chalkley as Waverly Earp on Wynonna Earp

Waverly crying while holding a knife to her chest and then Waverly saying, "Please. Let me" in front of a fire
Syfy

"Her acting in 'Jolene' was phenomenal, and the happy tears in her eyes when Waverly proposed to Nicole were so convincing! She had me crying alongside her. She's incredibly underrated."

—noamh466d00bf9

9. Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester on Supernatural

Dean telling Sam how he helped torture souls while in hell
The CW

"I don’t know about you, but Jensen in Supernatural when Dean was talking to Sam about being in hell gets me every time. You could tell it was building up to be an emotional statement and it felt so real, especially since Dean rarely lets his guard down."

—florabelm

10. Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey on Grey's Anatomy

Bailey crying and Mary asking if she has a plan
ABC

"Every time she cries, it is SO REAL. She's given several amazing crying performances: The hospital shooting, and when she was trying to explain how depressed and defeated she felt to Ben, are next level. Bailey's such a strong character."

—dragonbunny

11. Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang on Grey's Anatomy

Cristina with tears in her eyes and then Cristina sobbing on the bed with Owen trying to hold her
ABC

"Sandra can literally make me feel every emotion, and Cristina's breakdown scenes in Grey's Anatomy were just so raw and powerful, especially during Season 8 when Cristina found out the patient on her table who just died was Henry. Also in Season 8, when she and Owen stayed home to talk about him cheating on her. The fact that her character rarely cried just made it so much more powerful and heartbreaking when it happened."

—silverhera

12. Sarah Paulson as Lana Winters on American Horror Story: Asylum

FX

"Honestly, Sarah in every season of AHS. I know she gets a lot of crap about how she sounds when she cries, but in Asylum, for example, Lana was being tortured, and her cries were raw and heart-wrenching. Every performance of hers is amazing."

—Lily McGhee

13. Dylan O'Brien as Stiles Stilinski on Teen Wolf

MTV

"I personally thought he was the best actor in the cast, and every scene he did was phenomenal. Any sad scene with him and Scott made me tear up."

—drearileylira

14. Elizabeth Henstridge as Jemma Simmons on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Simmons sobbing and saying, "You were right. There's no hope on this planet"
ABC

"Elizabeth Henstridge on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. gets me every damn time. It was always so real and raw, and she just NAILS it!"

—reaganw02

15. Nina Dobrev as Elena Gilbert on The Vampire Diaries

Elena sobbing uncontrollably and screaming that she can't do this anymore and it has to stop
The CW

"She had to cry a lot while playing Elena, but she was so good at it."

—Zoe Payne-Carter

16. Mandy Moore as Rebecca Pearson on This Is Us

Rebecca calling after Jack, then crying after seeing his body
NBC

"When Jack died and Rebecca saw him just makes me weep. It's a crime that she wasn't nominated for an Emmy, let alone didn't win, for that performance."

—YitzyZRaven73

17. Sterling K. Brown as Randall Pearson on This Is Us

Randall sobbing while Kevin comforts him
NBC

"Obviously, Sterling as Randall on This Is Us. Watching him break down gets me every single time."

—eowynoakheart

18. Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers on Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Buffy crying over Angel as he's sucked into a portal
Warner Bros.

"Sarah had so many memorable moments where Buffy cried. There was when she had to kill Angel, when she sacrificed herself in Dawn's place, when her mom died, and when she revealed that she was in heaven. Buffy was always the strong one, so when something happened to her and it cracked her snarky armor, Sarah was always amazing."

—KittehRager

19. Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg on Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Willow sobbing and cradling Tara after she's been shot
Warner Bros.

"Alyson made me cry in How I Met Your Mother, too, but Willow was next level. When she gets those big eyes and her lips tremble, your heart will break. She's one of the best criers I've ever seen."

—beemer723

20. Jacob Elordi as Nate on Euphoria

Nate screaming and crying while his dad pins him down
HBO

"Nate's meltdown in the Season 1 finale felt really real. Amazing acting."

—Anya K.

21. Jodie Comer as Villanelle on Killing Eve

Villanelle crying and saying she doesn't want to be an assassin anymore
BBC America

"God, when Villanelle cries, it's always so gut-wrenching. In fact, both Jodie and Sandra Oh on Killing Eve are fantastic and brilliant at showing each and every emotion!"

—Cam

22. Justina Machado as Penelope Alvarez on One Day at a Time

Penelope crying and wondering why she isn't happy with her seemingly perfect life
Netflix

"Justina is incredible at fake crying. Her emotions seem so raw and vulnerable."

—broadwayismymiddlename

23. Elisabeth Moss as June Osborne on The Handmaid's Tale

June sobbing in the snow
Hulu

"She cries so much on The Handmaid's Tale, and every time it's so believable. She is a master of conveying emotion with very little dialogue."

—princesspea09

24. Emmy Rossum as Fiona Gallagher on Shameless

Fiona sobbing and telling Monica that she's done more to raise her siblings than she ever did
Showtime

"Her crying scenes are absolutely flawless and make me emotional every time, especially during Fiona's big speech to Monica in Season 1. Just so much raw emotion."

—skelly34

25. Grant Gustin as Barry Allen on The Flash

Barry weeping and begging to just hold his daughter even though he knows she's not real
The CW

"The Season 1 finale alone could make you start crying, but it’s truly in 'The Last Temptation of Barry Allen,' when Barry's standing over his daughter's crib and he’s trying to pick her up, but his hands keep going right through her, that seals the deal for me. He's such a good actor."

—missxosky

26. Lindsey Morgan as Raven Rayes on The 100

Raven crying and saying she's scared while being operated on
The CW

"Pretty much every time Lindsey cries on The 100. She’s such an underrated and phenomenal actor. Her acting skills should be talked about more."

—Ashlyntaylor

27. Lauren German as Chloe Decker on Lucifer

Netflix

"Lauren on Lucifer, without a doubt! She MASTERED the art of anguish during Season 4."

—michelleh430be4d5b

28. Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes on The Walking Dead

AMC

"When Abraham and Glenn are brutally killed by Negan, and Rick's crying while he remembers it — Andrew had snot and everything during that moment. Chills."

—ellenf4ad8b6f61

29. And finally, Kristen Bell as Veronica Mars on Veronica Mars and as Eleanor Shellstrop on The Good Place

Eleanor telling Chidi, "Say goodbye to me now, and leave before I wake up"
Warner Bros. / NBC

"Kristen needs to be on this list! From the roof scene in the Season 2 finale of Veronica Mars to her last scenes with Chidi on The Good Place, she can make any moment more poignant and sad without seeming campy or over-the-top. Even though she excels at comedy, it’s crying scenes where you can really see how talented an actor she is."

—Campbell Stack

Are there other TV actors who deserve more credit for being so good at crying? Tell us in the comments below!

Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.