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Anytime Naya Rivera cried on Glee it was emotional, but "If I Die Young" was gut-wrenching.
We asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us which sad TV moments showcase how incredible actors are. Here are some of the most popular responses:
There are some MASSIVE spoilers ahead. And #18 mentions sexual assault.
1. First, on WandaVision, when Wanda couldn't feel Vision anymore, and Elizabeth Olsen gave — dare I say — one of her best performances ever.
Disney+ / Marvel
"No matter how many times I rewatch WandaVision Episode 8, I always end up crying, but there is just something next-level about this moment. Elizabeth Olsen is one actor who makes me cry every single time she sheds a tear."
2. On Grey's Anatomy, when Bailey realized that she couldn't save Percy, which led to one of Chandra Wilson's most memorable moments on the show to date.
ABC
"Every time she cries, it is SO REAL. She's given several amazing crying performances: The hospital shooting, and when she was trying to explain how depressed and defeated she felt to Ben, are next level. Bailey's such a strong character."
3. On Private Practice, when Amelia sat through an intervention from her friends, and Caterina Scorsone was simply amazing in the scene.
ABC
"Amelia goes to leave with her addict boyfriend and Addison starts telling the story of how when Amelia was 5 years old, two guys came into her father's store and tried to steal his watch. The acting was so raw and so amazing in that scene, Caterina should've gotten an award for how incredible the scene was."
4. On One Day at a Time, when Penelope left a message for herself while she was dealing with depression, and Justina Machado easily could've won an award for this moment.
Netflix
5. On The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, when Bucky found out he wasn't brainwashed anymore, and Sebastian Stan broke down in tears.
Disney+ / Marvel
"This scene was heartbreaking, and I was sobbing with him."
6. On How to Get Away With Murder, when Annalise broke down after finding out Wes died, thus allowing Viola Davis to prove she's the best TV crier ever.
ABC
"Viola Davis without a shadow of a doubt. When she cries, she cries hard. Whenever she cries, you really feel like she's living those moments. Viola is one of the best actors ever, but only recently is she getting the respect she deserves after decades in the industry."
7. On The Haunting of Hill House, when Nell gives the confetti speech to her siblings in the Red Room, and you would never know this was Victoria Pedretti's first TV show ever.
Netflix
8. On Glee, when Santana started weeping while singing "If I Die Young," and Naya Rivera's real emotions came across on screen.
Fox
"Naya Rivera needs to be on this list. Period."
9. On iZombie, when Ravi tried to come to terms with Isobel's tragic death, and Rahul Kohli just delivered during this scene.
The CW
"Each time he cried I would cry. He made his character so funny and lovable and it would break my heart when he was sad. With this scene, Ravi has a moment where he tells her to wake up before he can accept that the character is actually dead. Rahul slowly proceeds to break down and it is heartbreaking."
10. On Normal People, when Connell opened up about feeling hopeless in therapy, which led to an award-worthy performance from Paul Mescal.
Hulu
"It’s rare that you see men on television shows express the level of vulnerability Paul was able to show. Connell's therapy scene where he talked about not feeling like he belongs always gets to me."
11. On Dead to Me, when Judy started screaming and crying inside a car, and Linda Cardellini proved why she is one of the best actors on TV.
Netflix
"Linda is so good, especially when she's screaming in the car. Her and Christina Applegate are so great and emotional together as Jen and Judy."
12. On Jane the Virgin, when Jane screamed following Michael's death, and it's easily one of Gina Rodriguez's best performances.
The CW
"Gina in any scene on Jane the Virgin, but especially when Jane found out that Michael was dead. The first time I watched that scene, my heart shattered along with hers and I found myself instantly crying because her cry was so authentic and painful."
13. On Lucifer, when Chloe dealt with finding out Lucifer's secret, which led to a career-defining performance from Lauren German.
Netflix
"Lauren on Lucifer, without a doubt! She MASTERED the art of anguish during Season 4."
14. On Scrubs, when Dr. Cox learned that Ben actually died and he's been trying to cope with his death, and only John C. McGinley could've performed this moment so perfectly.
NBC
"I cry just thinking about this scene. I watch it after a bad day. It is cinematic glory."
15. On Teen Wolf, when Stiles simply hugged Scott and wept, and Dylan O'Brien made it feel so real and honest.
MTV
"I personally thought he was the best actor in the cast, and every scene he did was phenomenal. Any sad scene with him and Scott made me tear up."
16. On One Tree Hill, when Brooke broke down to Lucas after finding out he cheated on her with Peyton (again), and Sophia Bush just continued to be one of the best criers on this show.
The CW
"Any scene where Brooke Davis is crying on One Tree Hill makes me instantly cry. Sophia has such a raw and powerful range of emotions as an actor. She will always be my all-time favorite, especially as Brooke."
17. On Wynonna Earp, when Wynonna cried into Waverly's arms after finding out she's pregnant, and Melanie Scrofano was simply mesmerizing.
SYFY
"Melanie is the best onscreen crier I have ever seen! She uses her tears at just the right moment, and it’s always heartbreaking. No matter what unbelievable supernatural things are happening on the show, her emotion is always so raw and real. One moment, she is cracking you up with a quick-witted dick joke, and the next, she is punching you right in the feels with her tears. It gets me every time. She deserves a lot more recognition for what she is doing onscreen."
18. On Outlander, when Jamie dealt with his trauma following his sexual assault, and Sam Heughan portrayed his grief in a very authentic way.
Starz
19. On Once Upon a Time, when Emma was forced to sacrifice Hook, which allowed Jennifer Morrison to give us this devastating performance.
ABC
"Genuinely one of the most heartbreaking scenes I've ever seen on TV. I can't watch it without getting absolutely distraught. I thought she did an amazing job."
20. On The Umbrella Academy, when Klaus cried over losing Dave, and Robert Sheehan proved he was born to weep on screen.
Netflix
"When Klaus cried over losing Dave, it hurt my soul. The way Robert just fell to the ground and sobbed hit so hard."
21. On Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., when Simmons couldn't take being stranded on an alien planet any longer, and Elizabeth Henstridge proved she was born to play this character.
ABC
"Elizabeth Henstridge on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. gets me every damn time. It was always so real and raw, and she just NAILS it!"
22. On Buffy the Vampire Slayer, when Willow cried over Tara's dead body, which was one of many times Alyson Hannigan made everyone in the audience sob.
Warner Bros
"Alyson made me cry in How I Met Your Mother, too, but Willow was next level. When she gets those big eyes and her lips tremble, your heart will break. She's one of the best criers I've ever seen."
23. On This Is Us, when Randall had a panic attack in his office, and Sterling K. Brown let the audience know why he deserved an Emmy Award.
NBC
"Obviously, Sterling as Randall on This Is Us. Watching him break down gets me every single time."
24. On Homeland, when Carrie started weeping on a rooftop while talking to Saul, and this was just one of many times Claire Danes' crying face made us sob.
Showtime
"Everything I’ve seen Claire in, I just cry whenever she cries, which is odd because it takes a lot to make me cry."
25. And finally, on Shameless, when Fiona confronted Monica and talked about how she took care of her siblings, which might be Emmy Rossum's best TV performance ever.
Showtime
"Her crying scenes are absolutely flawless and make me emotional every time, especially during Fiona's big speech to Monica in Season 1. Just so much raw emotion."
We can't fit everyone into one post, so what other actors gave such amazing performances, it made heartbreaking scenes more emotional? Tell us in the comments below!
Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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