A TV icon (Henry Winkler) lands a new role, and freshly minted Oscar (Kumail Nanjiani) and Tony (Brian Tyree Henry) nominees shine on their series.

• Alec Baldwin

  For his Emmy-winning portrayal of President Trump, Baldwin finally got a reaction from the tweeting POTUS in March, who called his performance “agony for those who were forced to watch.”

• Brian Tyree Henry

  Henry, who earned a Tony nomination this year for Broadway’s Lobby Hero, digs deeper with Paper Boi this season as the rapper struggles with newfound fame while tackling challenges from getting a haircut to surviving a night in the woods.

• Marc Maron

  As the only major male character on the Netflix series, the comedian-podcaster’s work as the B-movie director turned women’s wrestling?coach, who has a temper but also a softer side, has earned him praise for his acting chops.
• Kumail Nanjiani

  Fresh off an Oscar nom for co-writing The Big Sick — based on his real-life relationship with wife Emily V. Gordon — Nanjiani returned to play the mostly lovable?(and sometimes annoying) coder Dinesh in HBO’s geeky hit.

• Henry Winkler

  The Happy Days star (and five-time Emmy nominee) takes on another memorable TV role as an enthusiastic Los Angeles acting coach who attempts to train a hit man (Bill Hader) to act.

  This story first appeared in a June stand-alone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.