FYC: Melanie Lynskey for Best Supporting Actress, Comedy
Sunday, June 21, 2015 at 5:00PM Team Experience continues to share their individual dream picks for Emmy nominations. Here's abstew on TFE favorite Melanie Lynskey...
With this year's rule-change that half hour shows will be automatically placed in the comedy categories and hour-long ones in drama, we worry about the shows that don't necessarily fit so easily into either category, regardless of their running times. But then again, Melanie Lynskey currently giving one of the year's best comedic and dramatic performances in HBO's Togetherness, has always been an actress undefined by categorization. Equally at home in traditional sitcoms (playing kooky neighbor Rose on Two and a Half Men) as she is in dramatic film work (her film debut in Heavenly Creatures is still a haunting revelation), Lynskey utilizes her skills from both (along with a sure hand at improv, recently seen in Happy Christmas) to play Michelle, the unhappily married wife and mother on the Duplass Brother's relationship dramedy. [More...]
While most of this season's tension focused on the "will they or won't they" drama between Michelle's sister (Amanada Peet) and family friend Alex (played by the show's co-creator Steve Zissis), the beating heart of the show was Lynskey's Michelle and her struggle to awaken from suburban malaise and discover herself again. Drifting apart from her husband Brett (Mark Duplass), she tries her best to reach out to him. Organizing beach trips and kickball games, she's desperate to reconnect. She even tries spicing up their sex life, which involves a leather dominatrix dress, handcuffs, and spanking in an awkwardly hilarious scene that's almost too uncomfortable to watch. But Michelle finds that perhaps it's not necessarily with Brett that her happiness lies as her connection with an idealistic man (John Ortiz) allows her to feel appreciated and proud of her accomplishments outside of her domestic roles.
Lynskey, without being a wife or mother herself in real life, brings a lived-in quality to her character, building realistic relationships with Peet and Duplass that somehow feel as if these characters have an actual history together. Her Michelle is an authentic, breathing creation that could be any woman living today. And Lynskey finds the humor in the truth of every situation, making the comedic scenes funnier with knowing recognition and the dramatic moments more poignant because of her ability to make you sympathize. In a category known for large, showy performances (last year's winner Allison Janney in Mom couldn't be more different in tone) it would be a shame if Lynskey's quietly affecting work on the show went unrecognized. But until the Emmys create a dramedy category, perhaps they just need to nominate this fine actress in both Supporting Actress categories to fully appreciate her amazing work.
Emmy, FYC, HBO, Melanie Lynskey, TV, Togetherness
Reader Comments (4)
I don't know what season qualifies for the next Emmys, but there's a rule (I think) that allows actors to compete either in drama or comedy, if one or the other fits better for the character they're portraying. So, by that account you've got my personal winner by a mile in Adrienne C. Moore. Her comedic timing as Black Cindy was phenomenal in season 3 of "OITNB". If it is for season 2, she deseves a nomination.
She deserves a nomination if only for those last five minutes of the season finale. That note passing scene, scored to James Blake's "The Wilhelm Scream" was damn near perfect television. I think it's probably the closest thing we've seen to Diana Lane's train-ride of emotions in Unfaithful, and Lynskey plays it beautifully. That last shot of the car on its way to Sacramento was truly heartbreaking because of everything that came right before it. I don't think a show tried my patience as much in its beginnings as Togetherness (not ANOTHER show about how hard life is for middle class, straight, white married people...) but the pay off was there thanks largely to the actors, and some genuine surprises in how its stories played out. And in ensemble where everyone is doing quality work Lynskey was the clear MVP.
I love Lynskey to death on the show and would certainly love her to be singled out for her stunning work I just don't know whether I would nominate her because the category is so competitive with many deserving women like Lynskey most likely not getting nominated where people like Bowen and Bialik have stronger chances and honestly other then their usual stiche what new and exciting thing have they done. Togetherness was such an underrated show for me because of the HBO comedies it just sort of forgotten which is understandable with shows like Veep, Silicon Valley and Girls also airing on the channel. I'm glad it got renewed becayse the four main actors of the ensemble are so good and seeing them work is fun.
Me34 - Season 2 of OITNB is competing this year and in drama as aposed to comedy where it belongs no matter how dark the show gets. I agree for season 3 Adrienne C. Moore was great and along with Taryn Manning where the MVP's. Sadly Moore will have to compete in drama which upsets me as it is a comedic performance that will go unnoticed even though the category is called supporting actress in a drama series and not dramatic supporting actress in a series. I would hope next year Moore is remembered but I just don't see it happening.
eoin -- i haven't watched all of OITNB season 3 yet but I LOVE Moore's "Black Cindy" in general so good to hear she has a good part this season.
-- but i do actually think Lynskey has a shot IF emmy is feeling frisky and not "omg big bang theory and modern family are sooooo goood" again.