Here are my thoughts on the “lead acting” nominations for the Drama category.
LEAD ACTOR
Last year’s nominees:
- Bryan Cranston
- Michael C. Hall
- Kyle Chandler
- Hugh Laurie
- Matthew Fox
- Jon Hamm
Lost is over, and
Breaking Bad is not eligible, ending Cranston’s stranglehold on the award.
Will be nominated:
- Michael C. Hall
- Kyle Chandler
- Hugh Laurie
- Jon Hamm
- Steve Buscemi
- Jeremy Irons
Two slots open, and Emmy voters love them some movie stars. Not that Buscemi and Irons aren’t worthy, because they are, and both turned in very good performances. But with Cranston out, and Hamm almost a lock to finally, deservedly, win (“THAT’S WHAT THE MONEY IS FOR!”), it would be nice to see things shaken up a bit. So even though Hall and Laurie still put on acting clinics in lesser or declining shows, I decided to get a little wacky in my “should be” list.
Should be nominated:
- Jon Hamm
- Kyle Chandler
- Gabriel Byrne
- Timothy Olyphant
- Sean Bean
- Donal Logue
Hamm has been worthy every single year, and Don Draper is one of the greatest characters ever realized on the small screen. It’s about time. “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose” gives me misty eyes. Byrne has anchored a show in which he is in virtually every single scene, and has to communicate so much so subtly.
Justified is at the top of its game, and Olyphant gives a swaggering, sly, lead performance. Would we have cared so much about Ned Stark (his shoddy strategic planning notwithstanding) and his fate if Bean hadn’t portrayed him with so much gravitas and honor? I doubt it. And damn, I miss Hank Dolworth.
Honorable Mention:
Michael Raymond James (is he also a lead? Or supporting? Regardless, he was just as good as Logue, though I couldn’t find a way to sneak both into an overstuffed category). Michael C. Hall, Hugh Laurie (still so good, even if the show has gone to shit), Ray Romano, James Badge Dale, Nathan Fillion (being effortlessly charming is much harder than it looks), Charlie Hunnam (uneven season, but man he was great), Jason Clarke, Steve Buscemi, Jeremy Irons, Tim Roth
LEAD ACTRESS
Last year’s nominations:
- Kyra Sedgwick
- Glenn Close
- Connie Britton
- Julianna Margulies
- Mariska Hargitay
- January Jones
Damages is out of contention, so Close won’t get a nomination.
Will be nominated:
- Kyra Sedgwick
- Connie Britton
- Julianna Margulies
- Mariska Hargitay
- Elisabeth Moss
- Emmy Rossum
Do Emmy voters now have enough evidence that January Jones is a terrible and limited actress, and simply a pretty mannequin onto whom Matt Weiner hangs the icy trappings of Betty Draper? Hopefully. So expect four of the incumbents to prevail, with Moss moving up from a “supporting” submission (and winning, thanks to “The Suitcase”) and Emmy Rossum getting in for
Shameless, which I didn’t watch (too many kids for me to stomach).
Should be nominated:
- Elisabeth Moss
- Connie Britton
- Katie Sagal
- Anna Torv
- Lena Heady
- Dana Delany
Moss was brilliant, as was Mrs. Coach. Sagal should have been a lock last year, for her devastating work in
Sons of Anarchy’s second season, where she was more central to the plot machinations than she was this year, so consider this a make-up-call. How many variations on Olivia Dunham did Torv play? Olivia, Olivia masquerading as Fauxlivia, Fauxlivia, Fauxlivia masquerading as Olivia, alternate future Olivia, and Olivia inhabited by William Bell? And each, with slight variations so we could tell who was who, even without a different wig? For fuck’s sake, let’s stop with the prejudice against genre shows and reward her stellar work. Speaking of genre and wigs, despite an at times unconvincing blonde mop, Heady (so good and unrecognized for her work on
The Sarah Connor Chronicles) brought much more to Cersei Lannister than was on the page in the books. She should be in for her scene – invented solely for the show – with Robert where they wistfully discuss the history and nature of their prickly relationship. Finally,
Body of Proof is a by the numbers procedural (and we've seen Hargitay and Sedgwick get nominated from similar shows), but I tuned in every week because Delany is a TV Star: sexy, cerebral, brittle, funny, nuanced, competent, and compassionate.
Honorable Mention:
Mireille Enos, Jean Tripplehorn, Emily Deschanel, Jennifer Beals, Lucy Lawless
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This is definitely Hamm's to lose, and deservedly so. I haven't seen any of Jeremy Irons or Hall's work. I'm tired of Hugh Laurie (well, mostly, I got tired of House a while back, and wish that it would end so that we could see Laurie go do something else). I think Sean Bean sneaks in and replaces Jeremy Irons, but I am ridiculously biased toward anything related to GOT. And also Terriers, so 100% yes to Logue. So, my list would have to be Hamm-Buscemi-Chandler-Bean-Logue. Damn, that is STACKED.
ReplyDeleteFor lead actress, I agree with your list except that I haven't seen a single minute of Body of Proof. I do like Delaney, though.
I'm throwing Beals in there instead (part of my mission to include as many Shawn Ryan-related nominations as possible...we owe it to him, as a nation).
Seriously...again with the Kyra Sedgewick? Ugh...
And, despite my bias for GOT, I have to give Lena's spot to Anna Torv for her amazing performance as 19 different Olivias. Don't worry...if the series rolls out the same way the books do, then Lena will get her chance.
So my list is Moss-Britton-Sagal-Torv-Beals.
BTW...you're right on in your Sagal comments. That she wasn't nominated for last season is ridiculous.
Whatever people think of Dexter (in decline, running in place, still good, etc.) there's no question he's killing it (pun intended) every single week. I loved him on 6FU, and he's just as good, if not better, in this role, which bears no resemblance to David Fisher. Irons was terrific in the Borgias, which I enjoyed more than I thought I would (I was expecting something like The Tudors). Plus, he's a movie star and has a few guest Emmys, too. But yeah, HAMM HAMM HAMM HAMM.
ReplyDeleteI thought about Beals instead of Delaney for my last "should" pick, but I guess I went with the latter for doing so much with so little (whereas Beals had Clarke, Lindo and Ryan/Minear scripting her). But I liked her Teresa Colvin quite a bit.