Highlights
- Lois Nettleton: Overlooked acting talent shines in dramatic episode, delivering raw emotion in just 20 minutes.
- Robert Redford: Sincere performance keeps emotional episode compelling, with tear-jerking ending.
- Bill Mumy: Memorable performances by young actor in three unique roles, selling surreal and chilling premises.
Few television shows have such a lasting legacy as The Twilight Zone. Even after countless decades, the show stands out for its compelling tales of humanity — with a backdrop of surreal, science fiction, and philosophical settings or themes. Each episode in this anthology series conveys a unique premise, leaving an impression on the watcher with a shocking twist or profound message of human morality.
With such otherworldly concepts, it’s crucial to have the right actors representing the human element. Great performances allow viewers to connect on an emotional and personal level in some fashion — even when involving plots of plane gremlins, three-eyed Martians, and evil kids with unlimited powers. Thankfully for show creator Rod Serling, there exist plenty of dynamic actors who do his superb writing justice, bringing these imaginative stories to life. These are the best of the best.
7 Lois Nettleton
Episodes: The Midnight Sun
An actress of film, radio, stage, and television, Lois Nettleton sadly remains somewhat overlooked when it comes to the long list of great, vibrant Twilight Zone actors.
Among her appearances in film and TV is a single — yet memorable — showing in this dramatic and intense season three romp. Nettleton shows her impressive range and palpable raw emotion crammed into just over twenty minutes.
As the lead in a premise involving the sun growing closer to Earth with no stop, she holds the challenge of delivering great reads that portray a woman in growing anguish, contemplating a looming death the whole time. And this must be achieved while rife with sweat as well as fear. These are acting trials that she passes with flying colors.
6 Robert Redford
Episodes: Nothing In The Dark
Known for classic films including All the President’s Men and The Natural, this iconic actor also made a name for himself in the TV realm, dating back to this emotional episode from 1962. In “Nothing in the Dark,” a young police officer (Robert Redford) — who’s just been shot — greets a frail, elderly woman at her door, begging for help.
Uneasy and uncertain about her mortality, she is hesitant to let the beckoning man inside, having not even left her home in years. What follows is a somber yet heartfelt discussion between the two touching on the past, mortality, and the importance of moving on.
The charismatic, sincere performance by Redford keeps this simple scene compelling. With so few characters featured here, Redford has ample screentime to shine and carry the episode; and he very much delivers. While performances from both leads are stellar, it’s the surprising, tear-jerking ending that really drives this episode home.
5 Bill Mumy
Episodes: Long Distance Call, It’s A Good Life, In Praise Of Pip
Bill Mumy’s roles in The Twilight Zone are unique and memorable; and not just because of his rare nature as a child actor on the show. He stands out for bringing some of the most memorable performances on the show despite his age and inexperience — all of which are quite different from one another.
He brings endearing portrayals in “In Praise of Pip” and “Long Distance Call,” in which a young boy communicates with his deceased grandmother. But what’s easily the most notable role is that of Anthony Fremont, a devious boy who, much to the dismay of his family, has the power to do, well, just about anything.
What follows are a series of intense scenes as his parents and neighbors walk on eggshells so as not to offend or upset the dangerous child. Mumy sells this surreal (though perhaps metaphorical) premise of fear and submission, with palpably angry behaviors and a chilling, emotionless gaze.
4 Inger Stevens
Episodes: The Hitch-Hiker, The Lateness Of The Hour
Swedish-born actor Inger Stevens is known for her standout performances in two fan-favorite episodes. While she tragically passed away at the age of 35, her legacy on the Twilight Zone and elsewhere lives on.
Her role in the rather eerie, intense “The Hitch-Hiker” draws viewers into the scene despite its simplicity. In it, she finds herself followed by a mysterious hitchhiker, which soon leads to a breathtaking revelation.
“The Lateness of the Hour” showcases her emotional depth and authenticity as an actress. Playing the daughter of a brilliant man reliant on robotic maid servants, she pleads with her father to do away with his robots — only to discover a jaw-dropping secret.
3 Jack Klugman
Episodes: A Passage For Trumpet, A Game Of Pool, Death Ship, In Praise Of Pip
Esteemed actor Jack Klugman had already made a name for himself in the well-written ensemble film 12 Angry Men, and he continued to reaffirm his legacy with a trio of heartfelt, often somber Twilight Zone romps. The It’s a Wonderful Life-esque “A Passage For Trumpet” shows his emotional depth and sincerity as an actor, with plenty of tear-jerking moments featuring a down-on-his-luck character.
Meanwhile, the wordy “A Game of Pool” demonstrates his ability to deliver authentic, memorable dialogue in abundance. With his emotionally-driven performances and everyman vibe, Klugman proves a great mainstay for this series of human morality and introspective tales.
2 William Shatner
Episodes: Nick Of Time, Nightmare at 20,000 Feet
William Shatner is almost undeniably the most iconic and (still) famous actor when it comes to the many performers on The Twilight Zone — and for good reason. His expressive and thoughtful delivery adds another layer of depth to his scenes and compels viewers to keep watching.
His sincere portrayal in “Nick of Time,” which deals with a fortune-telling machine at a diner is a memorable watch. Yet it’s his charismatic and convincing role as Bob Wilson in “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” that really soars into the ether. The premise of a physics-defying, plane-tampering gremlin on the wing of a plane (which may or may not really be there) is gripping in its own right. But it’s the intense, dynamic performance of Shatner as the unnerved and troubled passenger that drives this one home.
1 Burgess Meredith
Episodes: Time Enough At Last, Mr. Dingle The Strong, The Obsolete Man, Printer’s Devil
Burgess Meredith’s rich history as an actor is well known even by many today — and his experience and craftsmanship shine through in each great episode that hosts him. The range of settings and concepts for his five episodes showcase his versatility and depth as an actor; shifting from a thoughtful man condemned by the state, to the timid “Mr. Dingle,” to a sinister devil.
His most memorable episode is almost certainly the iconic “Time Enough At Last,” where he plays a bookworm wandering the ruins of a post-apocalypse and is relieved to find a library (supposedly) filled with books.
But perhaps his greatest performance is his wicked and convincing portrayal of the devil in human form, where he seeks an editor’s soul in exchange for granting success to his local newspaper. His “matter-of-fact” delivery, coupled with subtle slyness as he smokes a big, crooked cigar leaves an impression and elevates the episode to classic status.
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