Creed Bratton ("The Office")

While we all love John Krasinski, Steve Carell and Jenna Fischer, the biggest scene-stealer on NBC's hit comedy has turned out to be the demented-yet-lovable elder statesman of the Dunder-Mifflin family. He's creepy, apathetic, bizarre and quite possibly homeless. He was in an iron lung as a teenager, bathes in the office water cooler, and has a crush on Pam but seems to have forgotten who she is. Creed is also the most technologically-savvy of the group, contributing regularly to a blog that is really just a Word document set up by Ryan the temp. (In real life, Creed's blog is a must-read, offering such pithy observations as, "Winning is everything when it comes to Russian Roulette.") We don't know if the real Creed Bratton is anything like the TV Creed Bratton and, quite frankly, we're afraid to ask. But when all is said and done, Creed is a wholly original concoction simultaneously unlike anything we've ever seen, and familiar to anyone who's spent time in an office alongside a very strange co-worker. In short, Bratton might be the best actor on TV who isn't acting.

Julianne Nicholson ("Law & Order: Criminal Intent")

She has the face and figure of someone you would normally want to protect from the scumbags she deals with on a regular basis. But behind those hazel eyes is an intelligence and intensity that ranks her among the most interesting actors to ever inhabit Dick Wolf's universe. Nicholson and partner Chris Noth have taken the long-running "Criminal Intent" to a new level over the past few seasons, with his sizable stature balanced well by her disarming innocence. Following a vague season finale and a real-life pregnancy, fans are speculating that Nicholson might not return after her hiatus; while the "Law & Order" franchise has proven resilient, her loss might be a tough one to overcome.

Chandra Wilson ("Grey's Anatomy")

When Dr. Bailey speaks, the interns (and attendings, and even the chief of surgery at Seattle Grace Hospital) listen. The straight-talking, take-no-crap, moral rock of "Grey's Anatomy" cuts through the unending love-triangle melodramas of the popular ABC show, offering real words from a refreshingly relatable character. Although her character may be nicknamed "The Nazi" for her unemotional, stoic reactions to the childish antics of the surgery ward, the veteran actress does a superb job of balancing that persona with the warmth of a mother hen. Wilson consistently steals scenes, often with little more than a no-nonsense stare that would make any corner-cutting intern cough up their indiscretion. Now, with at least two main characters leaving the show, here's hoping the "Grey's" producers realize that this is one doctor who needs to be in.

Robert Knepper ("Prison Break")

He's known as T-Bag, but Robert Knepper is anything but watered down. He does the crazy psycho guy, and the sympathetic schlub, somehow simultaneously. While being reminiscent of Robert De Niro in "Cape Fear," Knepper has still made the character very much his own -- and revelations about his own backstory of sexual abuse have made him a remarkably sensitive character. In particular, T-Bag's flashback scenes with his girlfriend have a tenderness to them that make Knepper much more than a jail-yard bogeyman. We wouldn't mind seeing another 5-to-10 sentence with this guy.

Hugh Laurie ("House M.D.")

Most people would never want an ass like Dr. Gregory House as their physician; subsequently, most people would be dead. Hugh Laurie brings a credible intelligence to the character who always seems one step ahead of the medical community, and as a result has made his character's ill-advised bedside manner incredibly tolerable. It's no secret that Laurie is a great actor. He's already been nominated for an Emmy and won two Golden Globes, but it isn't overstating things to say that we may be witnessing the birth of the latest classic character from the "Columbo" and "Kojak" mold. Let's just hope that the show influences a generation of real-life doctors in the intelligence department, and not in their attitudes.

Jack Coleman ("Heroes")

First, he was the most despicable character on television. Then, within a matter of weeks, he became one of the most sympathetic. You can call him Mr. Bennet, you can call him HRG, or you can even call him Noah. But whatever Coleman's character is named, he's unlike anything we've ever seen on television. Originally, Coleman's mysterious company man was only supposed to be a minor character. But after producers saw the narrative gold mine of family, loyalty and fear that the veteran actor was tapping into, they understandably decided to keep him around. Come to think of it, the work of Coleman is even more amazing when you realize that he's one of the few actors on the hit show who doesn't have whiz-bang special effects to fall back on. In a world full of super-heroes, it's ironic that the man without powers is the strongest of them all.