We've been reviewing Emmy categories. Voting concludes next Monday with the ceremony on September 17th.
by Eric Blume
Entertainment writers have been crowing for a while about this category, claiming that it looks more like a Best Actress Oscar list than it does an Emmy list. And it’s true, this year’s six nominees include four women who have already won that Oscar, along with two of television’s biggest names. It’s an embarrassment of riches: six interesting, surprising, deep performances from six formidable actors...
- Carrie Coon, Fargo
- Felicity Huffman, American Crime
- Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies
- Jessica Lange, Feud: Bette and Joan
- Susan Sarandon, Feud: Bette and Joan
- Reese Witherspoon, Big Little Lies
Will win? Felicity Huffman can safely be counted out: she’s been nominated three years running in this category for different roles in the anthology series American Crime, and she was stronger in both other seasons and didn’t win. Witherspoon was fantastic, and she dove deep into her character, unafraid of showing the annoying self-righteousness and self-sabotage as two of the many layers of a very complex creation…but Kidman had the more disturbing arc to play. Similarly, Sarandon scaled Bette Davis’ humor, brittleness, intelligence, and loneliness week by week in an exciting performance, but had far less screen time than co-star Lange. So the race seems to be between Kidman and Lange. Kidman beautifully unpeeled the multi-layered darkness of an abusive relationship without cliché or sentimentality. She and co-star Alexander Skarsgârd found something truly unique, intricate, and powerful together. Lange treated Joan Crawford like a true tragic character: she aimed big. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Lange grab another trophy for this full-scale, full-throttle performance, but it feels like The Year of Kidman (a glorious thing to be able to say) for the win.
will voters crown Nicole Kidman or stick with their Lange obsession?Should win? Kidman. Lange has some stupendous moments, but she’s claimed three Emmys in the last seven years -- it’s time to spread the wealth.
Could spoil? Carrie Coon. It’s unlikely, but it’s possible if Kidman/Witherspoon and Lange/Sarandon split votes for their respective movies. Coon delivers in spades in Fargo, plus she’s an actress with a colossal talent. In another year, she’d emerge victorious, but she doesn’t have the buzz that Lange and Kidman have this time around.