Best Male Performance:
Jon Lovitz - "Top Billing"
There are a lot of things to like about this episode. It would probably fall somewhere in the middle of my list of top ten overall episodes, but what stands out more than anything is Lovitz's performance. It's actually not a great premise. The idea is that a struggling actor (Lovitz) is bested time and time by a jackass named Winton (Bruce Boxleitner) and sets out to prove his worth. Everybody tells Lovitz that he just doesn't have a face for acting, which enrages the trained Shakespearean thespian. Anybody familiar with Jon's work can tell that this role is absolutely perfect for him.
After his wife leaves him, Lovitz's character decides to audition for the role of Hamlet, but there are two problems: the production is taking place in the middle of nowhere for a theater he's never even heard of, and Winton has shown up to prove that acting -- from Axe Body Spray commercials to Shakespeare -- is all about having the right face (I'm paraphrasing, of course).
Again, it's not a great premise, and without Lovitz, this episode would be merely average. To be fair, the second half of the story is actually very good, there are a few really well conceived surprises, and the supporting cast (particularly John Astin as the demanding and flamboyant director) has a few shining moments. However, with Lovitz, you really feel the frustration and anger toward Winton and the other characters who don't believe in his talent. He's so, so good at portraying this lovable, down on his luck loser that the story is a lot of fun to sit through. Lovitz's performance is better than Pesci's, and in my opinion, "Top Billing" is a better episode than "Split Personality." You should totally watch this.
I can't find a copy of this episode that has embedding enabled, but I'll try to figure something out here shortly.
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