The Film Experience

By Juan Carlos Ojano

More complicated than it seems, this race features acting veterans, comedic geniuses, and double the Maya Rudolph. Saturday Night Live has been dominant in this category since 2009 (the first year they were allowed to compete with the "Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program" category discontinued). So dominant, in fact, that they've only missed a nomination one year (2015) and in most of those 11 years they've had multiple nominations. SNL has won nearly 50% of the time since it began competing here. Meanwhile, Maya Rudolph makes history as the first actress to be nominated in this category twice in the same year. Does that support her cause or result in a vote split?

Let’s consider each nominee…

Angela Bassett as Mo in A Black Lady Sketch Show (HBO)
Episode: "Angela Bassett Is the Baddest Bitch"
(7th Emmy nomination)

Angela Bassett is a freaking queen and her sketch amps up that unimpeachable fact. With her smoldering, modulated voice heard even before her face appears on-screen, Bassett captivates us with her regal presence and owns the scene. She brandishes power in a support group’s conversation about the impossible standards of beauty. Surprisingly, it is a big performance without big moments. She uses a lot of subtle gestures in responding (a lot) to the other characters’ loud arguments. When she speaks, it is still in the commanding calm voice that highlights her effortless domination. While far from her most challenging work, Bassett’s performance shows how to subvert expectations through sheer technical deftness.

Bette Midler as Hadassah Gold in The Politician (Netflix)
Episode: “Vienna”
(9th Emmy nomination, 3 previous wins, 2 of which were in the now defunct "outstanding individual performance in a variety or music program" category where actors in concert specials, awards shows, and sketch or talk shows used to compete)

Appearing in the season finale, Midler plays the Chief of Staff to Senate State Leader Dede Standish (Judith Light) who is planning to run for vice president. While Standish teeters between confidence and nervousness in her political career, Midler plays her Chief of Staff with stern determination and cunning manipulation. Midler’s cutting line deliveries and two-faced pleasantry shift the power dynamics in the room. That's perfectly demonstrated in a scene where she argues with the security detail of another politician. At the end of the episode, the birth of a new foe excites her, even furthering her character’s deliciously twisted joy in political theater.

Maya Rudolph as Judge in The Good Place (NBC)
Episode: “You’ve Changed, Man”
Maya Rudolph as Kamala Harris in Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Episode: “Host: Eddie Murphy”
(6 Emmy nominations - 3 of those are this year, with 2 right here!)

The first of Rudolph’s two nominations falls in the subcategory of 'recurring characters that don't quite make the 50% episode count to put them in the supporting category'. Her Judge is usually not as showy, but this episode puts Rudolph in charge of the proceedings. The most interesting and engaging parts of this episode are her interactions with the different Janets (D’Arcy Carden), imbuing resolve and playfulness while determining the fate of the universe. It is very gentle humor with its own subtle quirks, characteristic of the series’ overall tone. I would be hard pressed to choose a specific moment, but it demonstrates Rudolph’s ability to shift between different levels of expressivity and humor

…..and her other nomination is the exact opposite of the Judge: except for her role in a filmed sketch as a dinner host’s (Eddie Murphy) restless wife, her stint as Kamala Harris is a glorified cameo that fortunately makes a mark. Appearing in the Democratic Debate cold open, she interrupts the debate with her passive-aggressive demeanor while pretending to not know about the debate. Carrying a glass of martini, she breaks the fourth wall to tell America “you coulda had a bad bitch!”. It’s a delightfully heightened iteration of Harris but Rudolph doesn't coast on exaggerated mannerisms. She comes back for one last time to perform a deadpan rap that ends her appearance on a high note. While the performance is brief and memorable, Harris’ recent proclamation as the Democratic Vice President candidate raises the profile of this performance, and its chance of winning.

Wanda Sykes as Moms Mabley in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Episode: “A Jewish Girl Walks Into the Apollo…”
(13th Emmy nomination, one previous win in a non-acting category)

Sykes arrives around the 55-minute mark in this 75-minute season finale as the legendary stand-up comic Moms Mabley. The episode sets up her character with admirable career longevity and impact in the black community, putting Midge Maisel in an awkward position of coming after her. Sykes’ performance is brief, but you see interesting character work here. Her slouchy posture and raspy voice suggest weariness brought by age and her storied career. The episode (and Midge) even stops to put her in the spotlight, positioning her as a legend within her limited runtime; you believe it. Once Moms encounters Midge, the actress gracefully navigates an unintentional racial tension between the two comics. It’s beautifully delicate work from Sykes.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Host in Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Episode: “Host: Phoebe Waller-Bridge”
(7th Emmy nomination, 3 previous wins one of which was for acting)

Coming off of her Fleabag success, Waller-Bridge dives into the the variety sketch format with a clueless game show contestant, an overly made up reality TV show contestant, an aging British royal, and a Nazi-sympathizing housewife during WWII, among other characters. Her best bit by far is as a competitive morning news anchor, tackling the complex racial relations in America with incisive commentary. She easily matches the SNL cast members’ rhythm with ease and comfort, proving that she can rise above occasionally flat writing and uninspired setups. The material is not always on point, but Waller-Bridge is. This was one of the stronger SNL outings in an uneven season.

Personal Ranking:

Bette Midler, The Politician
Maya Rudolph, The Good Place
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, SNL
Wanda Sykes, Marvelous Mrs Maisel
Maya Rudolph, SNL
Angela Bassett, A Black Lady Sketch Show

Predicted Winner: Maya Rudolph - Saturday Night Live

Potential Spoiler: Wanda Sykes - The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

An explanation is necessary. Until recently I was predicting Rudolph in The Good Place since it’s a big character in a well loved Comedy Series on its final season. Her nomination for SNL would just be added goodwill for her win for The Good Place. However. With the recent developments in American politics, it’s almost a no-brainer to predict Rudolph for SNL, following the path that Kate McKinnon, Alec Baldwin, and Melissa McCarthy took to winning Emmys (mainly) for political impersonations. That causes a “problem” for Rudolph: since she already has two formidable contenders, she might cause vote-splitting. The most likely to benefit is Wanda Sykes, given that she is in a Comedy Series frontrunner.