Okay, seriously… the Emmys are on Sunday.
Whew! Sunday is fast upon us! Let’s get to some of those other Emmy categories. No time to waste, my tasty pumpkin seeds. Dive in!
Best Performance by a Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, 2016
Nominees: Tracee Ellis Ross (black-ish); Laurie Metcalf (Getting On); Lily Tomlin (Grace and Frankie); Amy Schumer (Inside Amy Schumer); Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt); Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep)
Who Should Win: This is a STRONG category. Look at all these funny, accomplished women! Honestly I’ll be happy regardless of who wins. If I had my druthers, I would say that Ellie Kemper should win. She has to walk a verrrrry fine line as Kimmy Schmidt. The character’s relentless optimism and cheerfulness must be grounded with shades of anger over the trauma that she endured as a kidnapping victim. Kemper not only walks that line with aplomb, she dances on it. She is hilarious — a necessary requirement — as well as allowing authentic humanity to shine through, avoiding the trap of turning Kimmy into nothing more than a cartoon. She is terrific.
Who Will Win: Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Yes, this will be her fifth Emmy for Veep and no one on this earth should begrudge her the win. She delivers a master class in comic timing as Selina Meyer and no one but no one plays low status the way Louis-Dreyfus does (credit where it’s due: David Hilder). I was not a fan of Seinfeld but for her performance as Elaine. Already a tremendous actor, she keeps getting even better! Her portrayal of Selina Meyer is, in a word, delicious.
Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, 2016
Jonathan Banks (Better Call Saul); Ben Mendelsohn (Bloodline); Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones); Kit Harington (Game of Thrones); Michael Kelly (House of Cards); Jon Voight (Ray Donovan)
Who Should Win: Ben Mendelsohn. Ben Mendelsohn. Ben Mendelsohn. Despite an amazing cast (Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights FOREVER!), Sissy Spacek, Linda Cardellini, Norman Leo Butz, Sam Shepard — even Chloe Sevingy is good in it and I often can’t watch her), Bloodline can be ponderous viewing — it takes itself far too seriously. But Mendelsohn’s work as ne’er do well Danny Rayburn is electric. There is a danger in his work that is riveting to watch. Forgive this cliché, but it’s true — every time he came on the screen, I sat up a little straighter, waiting to see what he would do.
Who Will Win: I think it’s a toss-up between Mendelsohn and Jonathan Banks, whom Emmy voters may want to reward not only for his work on Better Call Saul, but for Breaking Bad as well, the show on which his character Mike Ehrmantraut first appeared.
Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, 2016
Nominees: Niecy Nash (Getting On): Allison Janney (Mom); Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live); Judith Light (Transparent); Gaby Hoffman (Transparent); Anna Chlumsky (Veep)
Who Should Win: Kate McKinnon, in a landslide. She creates the most glorious weirdos on SNL and never fails to fully commit to a sketch, even one that isn’t working. In fact, in those inevitable sketches that fail, or that hum along for far too long, she can be counted on to burrow deeper than anyone else into the premise. I never thought I would love any Hilary Clinton impression more than Amy Poehler’s but McKinnon proved me wrong. And her Russian lady who appears at the SNL news desk makes me so happy I could pee my pants!
Who Will Win: Allison Janney (always terrific and one of my acting heroines) could easily pull a repeat win, but I’m going to predict that Kate McKinnon walks away with it this year.
We’ve still got performances in Limited Series to get to as well as Best Comedy, Drama, Limited Series, Directing and Writing AND supporting actor in a comedy to go. Holy crap!
