Most Surprising tv actor of 2015: Jeff Hephner of Agent X. 

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Most Surprising TV Actor Of 2015: Jeff Hephner In \'Agent X\'

We\'ve reached that time of year: where we spend the last week of 2015 looking back on the best that TV has brought us. Over the next five days, I\'ll be bringing you profiles of some of the greatest performances and most impressive moments from the year on the small screen.

Most Surprising Actor of 2015: Jeff Hephner in

First of all, Jeff Hephner is one of those actors who deserves to be leading a television show. I would easily rank him in my top five of underrated performers of all time. There is no good reason why it took six years for him to land his next chance at being number one on the call sheet.

Having said that, even I would never have predicted that he\'d be leading an action show. You could have given me creative control and I wouldn\'t have said, "Hey, Jeff, do you want to go throw some guy off a hotel balcony?" Which is why his work on TNT\'s

You could see that this role was taking Jeff out of his comfort zone, and he dove into that challenge. John Case, the titular "Agent X," was the elite operative at the disposal of Vice President Natalie Maccabee (Sharon Stone), handling the country\'s most sensitive and troubling missions. That meant Jeff, whose biggest stunt work so far was battling blazes on

, was getting into trouble on hotel rooftops, wrecking rooms and generally being asked to take things up to eleven.

became about watching the actor evolve alongside the character. In every episode, you saw him get better - more comfortable in the fights, more confident, a little sharper. That all culminated in Sunday\'s final two episodes, where John went one-man wrecking crew in saving the President and Vice President. It was a throwback to the best days of

Through it all, Jeff never lost the qualities that have earned him a spot on TV\'s short list. Whether it was in a subplot or even just one scene, he found time to pry into John\'s head and show what was going on in there. We didn\'t care about John Case because he was a great soldier; we cared about him because he was a real hero, selfless and compassionate and somebody you\'d want to fight alongside. That\'s down to the actor behind him.

And honestly, this shot couldn\'t have happened to a better person. Speaking of the story behind the show, Jeff is as good as he is talented. Having had the chance to work with him in the past, I can say from experience he\'s one of the best people I\'ve ever worked with. When we spend so much time talking about celebrities in trouble or actors throwing fits, it\'s worth pointing out those who are just genuine and genuinely devoted folks. Jeff\'s a class act and it shows in how he really poured himself into this role where other actors might\'ve come up short.

There is just something really fantastic about an actor who\'s been working so hard for years finally getting the opportunity that he deserves. And then it\'s heartwarming to see that actor then take that opportunity by the horns and just run with it.

may not have lasted, but hopefully it will enable people to see Jeff Hephner in a whole new light, because even I have tons more respect for him seeing what he accomplished.

That\'s why Jeff Hephner is my pick for Most Surprising Actor of 2015. Stay tuned tomorrow as I unveil the selection for Best Actress of the year.

Related: Agent X, Jeff Hephner, Television, Video, Action & Adventure, Drama, TNT, Year In Review

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