Can Fiona Shaw return despite heaps of competition?
Our Emmy punditry continues with Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. There’s a lot to unpack in this very crowded race. A full two-thirds of last year’s nominees won’t be back because they all starred on the now-ended Game of Thrones.
Count on defending champ Julia Garner (Ozark) to return, especially since the latest season of her show recently premiered to great acclaim (she may also be joined by costar Janet McTeer). I’m not sure the same will be true for Fiona Shaw (Killing Eve), since her role isn’t at all central and it’s not yet known if the show will be as well-received by Emmy voters as it was for its second season. Theoretically, that leaves four and maybe even five spots wide open, but that doesn’t take into account the many previously nominated actresses on shows returning from a season off the air and newly back in contention…
The past four years:
Let’s start with a show that has offered up four nominees in this race over the course of its first two seasons. Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale) won this award three years ago, and she could very well return as a default nominee. Yvonne Strahovski (The Handmaid’s Tale) earned her first bid for the show’s second season, and she might be nominated again for a similar spotlight in season three. Alexis Bledel and Samira Wiley both won the guest actress prize for seasons one and two, respectively, swapping with each other to compete in this race the other year. Based on their episode count and prominence in season three, I suspect they’ll both be back in the guest acting race this time around.
As for the other returning shows, the safest bet is a new contender, Helena Bonham Carter (The Crown), who earned Golden Globe and SAG bids for a role taken over from Vanessa Kirby, who was nominated for the show’s second season. I’d bet that Thandie Newton (Westworld), who won for her show’s second season, will be back for its third. Tessa Thompson (Westworld) might join her, but the field is probably too crowded. Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things) is a fan favorite from her show, which might help her net a third nomination even if her show gets dropped from the top race. Chrissy Metz (This Is Us), who was only cited for the first season of her show, had a great spotlight in season four that could invite her back to the category, which makes it all too likely that her excellent costar Susan Kelechi Watson (This Is Us) will be snubbed once again rather than finally getting the nomination that has so long eluded her. Past nominee Maura Tierney (The Affair) and two-time past winner Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black) are both eligible for the final seasons of their shows (though Tierney is now considered a lead), but I think Emmy voters have moved on.
Big Little Lies is now competing in this category after its first season contended as a limited series in 2017. Laura Dern won the supporting actress trophy for her performance, while Shailene Woodley was also nominated. Dern was superb in season two, and might have some added momentum thanks to her Oscar win for Marriage Story. Woodley wasn’t featured nearly as much and is very unlikely to be included. One new cast member comes with quite an awards reputation, and that’s Meryl Streep. The living legend has three Emmys under her belt and is almost a sure thing to score another bid.
I’m one of many who feel that Rhea Seehorn (Better Call Saul) should be teeing up for her fourth or fifth consecutive nomination at this point. Her show earned four acting bids last year, but only for its male cast members. She was as excellent as ever in season five with a handful of terrific episodes to choose from to showcase her performance, and it’s hard to believe that Emmy voters would finally see fit to recognize her after they’ve ignored her for so long. It’s painful to predict her and expect her to be snubbed again, but maybe it will actually happen this year.
New shows?
From new drama series, there are handful of prime candidates in the running. From the talented ensemble of The Morning Show, Gugu Mbatha-Raw is probably the likeliest, though I’d also be thrilled to see Bel Powley honored. Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo (The Outsider) is a distinct possibility as well for a show that many expect to be well-received.
So, where does this leave us? I’m honestly less confident about this category than almost all of the rest due to the wealth of contenders. It will also depend on if any of these actresses either aren’t submitted or end up in a different category.
Predictions:
- Helena Bonham Carter (The Crown)
- Laura Dern (Big Little Lies)
- Julia Garner (Ozark)
- Thandie Newton (Westworld)
- Rhea Seehorn (Better Call Saul)
- Meryl Streep (Big Little Lies)
Which actresses do you think will OR should make the cut this time around?
ALL DISCUSSIONS