2019 Emmys: Lead Actor in a Limited Series/TV Movie

Who will be one of the six nominees for Best Limited Series/Movie Actor?

Typically, the first stop for a Limited Series or TV Movie on the awards trail is the Emmys and then followed by next year’s Golden Globes and SAG Awards. This is the norm since the networks like to air their major contenders right before Emmy voting. 

This was not the case for Amazon’s A Very English Scandal starring Hugh Grant. Grant has already lost the Golden Glove and SAG Award to last year’s Best Limited Series/Movie Actor winner Darren Criss (The Assassination of Gianni Versace). Without Criss in his way,  Grant could still win an Emmy. 

It’s safe to assume that Grant should be safe especially with Amazon behind him.

Let’s see who will compete against Grant in the Best Limited Series/Movie Actor race. 

Oscar Best Supporting Actor Winners

• Mahershala Ali, True Detective
• Benicio Del Toro, Escape at Dannemora
• Sam Rockwell, Fosse/Verdon

This is a unique year as three of the top competitors all have Best Supporting Actor Oscars. Del Toro won for Traffic in 2000. Rockwell took the trophy for Three Billboards, Outside Ebbing, Missouri in 2017. And the bread to Rockwell’s win is Ali winning twice for Moonlight in 2016 and Green Book in 2018.

Ali like True Detective season one star Matthew McConaughey was assisted to his latest win by the series airing during voting. But after winning a Critic’s Choice Golden Globe, SAG, BAFTA and his second Oscar–an Emmy nomination may be safe but a win might be just out of his grasp.

Rockwell spent the winter on a bit of a losing streak for Vice being bested by Ali at both the Globes, BAFTA and Oscars. But his transformative performance as Bob Fosse could prove irresistible to Emmy voters. Del Toro should seem safer for a nomination but it is odd that he was snubbed by both the Golden Globes and SAG Awards.

Other Awards Contender

Anthony Hopkins, King Lear

Hopkins could score a nomination for the Shakespearean tragedy after receiving a SAG Award nomination earlier in the year. However, it airs on Amazon and how much of a push will Lear or Hopkins receive when Scandal is expected to be a major player. 

When you play the Game of Emmys

• Peter Dinklage, My Dinner with Herve
• Iain Glen, Mrs. Wilson

Dinklage could score a second nomination on goodwill alone for Game of Thrones. Glenn, will have a harder time as most of the focus is on the title character played by Ruth Wilson. Both will need the support of the Game of Thrones fans from amongst the TV Academy if they’re going to be nominated.

TV Movi(e)ng towards a nomination:

• Benedict Cumberbatch, Brexit
• Jeffrey Wright, O.G.

Wright is a past winner for Best Limited Series/TV Movie Supporting Actor but his HBO movie may not receive enough of a push with Deadwood also in contention. Cumberbatch, on the other hand should be feared he’s a past winner in this category for Sherlock (2014) and has received five additional nominations in this category. Simply put everyone trying to get nominated should fear Cumberbatch.

Book to Emmy

• Christopher Abbott, Catch-22
• Dominic West, Les Misérables

Abbott, may be the least well known from the cast of Catch-22 should the television academy decide he held his own he could receive a nomination as a reward. West is still looking for his first Emmy nomination and he’s hoping the classic role of Jean Valjean does the trick.

Netflix-ing for a Nomination

• Jonah Hill, Maniac
• Jharrel Jerome, When They See Us
• Fionn Whitehead, Black Mirror; Bandersnatch

Hill, unlike his co-star Emma Stone did not receive a SAG nomination. Whitehead is best known for his performance in Dunkirk. His chances rest solely on how Bandersnatch will perform. Black Mirror, has won Best TV Movie at the Emmys two years consecutively and should its nominations continue to increase it could help him crack the top six. The one to look out for is Jerome, best known for appearing in Moonlight should When They See Us more than lives up to expectations. Look for Jerome could crash the party.  

Basic(ing) for a Nomination

• Eric Bana, Dirty John
• Chris Pine, I Am the Night

Pine re-teams with his Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins. Pine’s the series best chance of getting a nomination. Bana, on the other hand might have a better chance since his series is set in Los Angeles and based on a wildly popular podcast. For either Bana or Pine this would be their first major award nomination respectively.

Romanoffs looking for a Crown

• Jay R. Ferguson, The Romanoffs: End of the Line
• Aaron Eckhart, The Romanoffs: The Violet Hour

The creator of Mad Men, Matt Weiner, The Romanoffs, did not receive the love Amazon expected. Eckhart could benefit from appearing in the first episode of the series. However, its Ferguson’s somber performance as a conflicted husband travelling to Russia with his wife (Kathryn Hahn) to adopt a baby.

DOA or Deadwood

• Ian McShane
• Timothy Olyphant

McShane, only received one Emmy nomination (2005) during the original run of Deadwood. While Olyphant, had to wait till after Deadwood to earn his first Emmy nomination for Justified (2011).  The cast of Deadwood, is arguably the most successful post-show of all of HBO’s series and the television academy might want to celebrate these actors return to the wild west.

My Preliminary Predictions:

• Mahershala Ali, True Detective
• Benicio Del Toro, Escape at Dannemora
• Hugh Grant, A Very British Scandal
• Jharrel Jerome, When They See Us
• Ian McShane, Deadwood
• Sam Rockwell, Fosse/Verdon