Screen Actors Guild Nominations: TV
Thursday, February 4, 2021 at 12:31PM The TV picks from SAG might actually be a bit more interesting than the Golden Globe list from yesterday, though it feels like they’re actually both honoring a lot of the same shows, which is not so typical. A few programs that were completely omitted by the Globes did score, while, for instance, What We Do in the Shadows was completely shut out again. Let’s dive in to the eight categories, after the jump…
Best Male Actor in a Drama Series
- · Jason Bateman, Ozark
- · Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
- · Josh O’Connor, The Crown
- · Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
- · Regé-Jean Page, Bridgerton
Here we got what was probably the biggest surprise of the day, and just when I and many others surely thought that Matthew Rhys was going to be announced from the entirely absent Perry Mason. I didn’t get into the Bridgerton craze but I know many did, and it’s a particularly strange pick for SAG given their tendency to go with established fare rather than freshman series (it’s one of only two first-year dramas on the list this time). The rest is expected, welcoming the Globe-snubbed Brown and Odenkirk back along with Bateman, who won this award last time he was eligible. O’Connor is the other new face, nominated for the first time on his own after winning as part of his ensemble last year. Unlike most of the acting categories, this includes only leading men.
Best Female Actor in a Drama Series
- · Gillian Anderson, The Crown
- · Olivia Colman, The Crown
- · Emma Corrin, The Crown
- · Julia Garner, Ozark
- · Laura Linney, Ozark
This category was easy to predict even if it is baffling to see just two shows nominated. Only one show in the past has earned three bids in a single year, and that was the first season of The Sopranos way back in 1999. Anderson is actually a two-time winner in this category for The X-Files. Garner and Linney return after their show took 2019 off, booting the one eligible nominee from last year who didn’t make the cut, Jodie Comer. It’s hard to imagine picking one of these actresses with so much internal competition.
Best Male Actor in a Comedy Series
- · Nicholas Hoult, The Great
- · Daniel Levy, Schitt’s Creek
- · Eugene Levy, Schitt’s Creek
- · Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso
- · Ramy Youssef, Ramy
This is another category I was able to predict correctly. None of last year’s nominees were eligible, and Youssef and both Levys likely earned plenty of votes then that made them obvious inclusions this year. I’m ecstatic about Hoult, who was so fantastic in his show and is making up for its very minimal Emmy showing now. Sudeikis is also a great choice, and I’m happy to see that people love that show as much as I do. Ted Danson was a nominee many expected to see, but his show’s four final episodes apparently weren’t enough to compel voters to include him for the first time. Given that Don Cheadle only ever earned one SAG nod for House of Lies, him not being here for Black Monday isn’t a shock, especially since that was a moderately surprising Globe pick.
Best Female Actor in a Comedy Series
- · Christina Applegate, Dead to Me
- · Linda Cardellini, Dead to Me
- · Kaley Cuoco, The Flight Attendant
- · Annie Murphy, Schitt’s Creek
- · Catherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek
Two years after Grace and Frankie and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel took up four out of five of these slots, this category is back to honoring just three shows. I’m so happy for Cardellini that it almost takes the sting away from the unfortunate omission of Elle Fanning, who is honored as part of her cast. Applegate hung on here as part of her show’s three nominations, a big recovery from yesterday’s Globes shutouts for the Netflix dark comedy. Cuoco is a welcome addition, and Murphy joins her previously nominated costar O’Hara. Nominations announcer Lily Collins and Jane Levy are the two lead Globe choices who aren’t here.
Best Male Actor in a TV Movie or Limited Series
- · Bill Camp, The Queen’s Gambit
- · Daveed Diggs, Hamilton
- · Hugh Grant, The Undoing
- · Ethan Hawke, The Good Lord Bird
- · Mark Ruffalo, I Know This Much Is True
This category, the first announced, is a bit of a shock. While I still don’t get the many different classifications of Hamilton, there’s something interesting about Diggs, one of this morning’s presenters, being nominated here, while Lin-Manuel Miranda scored a Golden Globe film nomination over the man who beat him at the Tony Awards, Leslie Odom Jr. Everyone seems to be picking out a different MVP based on how they saw it. What excites me much more here is the completely startling inclusion of supporting player Bill Camp for an absolutely terrific turn in one of the year’s best limited series. I didn’t see that coming at all, and I think it’s a wonderful choice. It hasn’t been a good week for Paul Mescal or Hugh Jackman, while Grant, Hawke, and Ruffalo continue to rack up accolades.
Best Female Actor in a TV Movie or Limited Series
- · Cate Blanchett, Mrs. America
- · Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You
- · Nicole Kidman, The Undoing
- · Anya Taylor-Joy, The Queen’s Gambit
- · Kerry Washington, Little Fires Everywhere
Those disappointed about Coel’s series being shut out yesterday will surely be celebrating her inclusion here. Washington is also in, which is great – I think I liked that series more than most. Those three join a trio of Globe nominees. It’s worth noting that Shira Haas wasn’t eligible, while Daisy Edgar-Jones did miss out. In a year where so many supporting players were honored across the SAG TV categories, it’s peculiar that Uzo Aduba didn’t make the cut for Mrs. America after her two previous wins with this group.
Best Ensemble in a Drama Series
- · Better Call Saul
- · Bridgerton
- · The Crown
- · Lovecraft Country
- · Ozark
Everyone knows that there are individual actors on Lovecraft Country, right? It’s odd for the same show to be cited for the top award with both the Globes and SAG and not have any of its performers highlighted by either. At least it’s here, joining the less expected Bridgerton to represent freshmen series. Better Call Saul and Ozark are both back after a year off the air, along with last year’s winner, The Crown. I thought past winner This Is Us would return, but it’s relegated to a bid for Sterling K. Brown. No Perry Mason, The Mandalorian, or Ratched either.
Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series
- · Dead to Me
- · The Flight Attendant
- · The Great
- · Schitt’s Creek
- · Ted Lasso
I really thought that What We Do in the Shadows was going to make the cut here. I can’t blame SAG voters this time for skipping The Good Place since four episodes really isn’t quite enough to sample. I will take a moment to celebrate the inclusion of The Flight Attendant. I doubt that some of its best players, like Zosia Mamet or Michelle Gomez, will ever get individual nominations for their work, so I’m thrilled about this prize. The same goes for The Great and Ted Lasso, which are both bursting with talent. Dead to Me is a nice choice too, though I wish that James Marsden would win something for his great season two performance. Schitt’s Creek is the only returning nominee, and I think it shouldn’t have much trouble winning this prize with Mrs. Maisel out of the way.
What are your favorite picks from this list?
Bridgerton, SAG, TV, precursor awards
Reader Comments (25)
I BELIEVE IN ANNIE MURPHY SUPREMACY!!!!!
The longer they resist supporting categories for TV, the more embarrassing their nods are.
Happy for Michaela Coel, though.
O'Hara will take it, perfect storm. Thankfully, she deserves it. Not so thankfully, so does Murphy. TIE!!
Otherwise a pretty expected mix of disgrace and grace, though siding MUCH more on the -dis side.
Standard.
Very happy about Bill Camp but also find these awards embarrassing because of the everything in one category competition. It's just so mean to supporting players... which is why it's a shock that Bill Camp is there even though he is so deserving.
Taylor-Joy is definitely winning the miniseries actress award, when you consider the voters apparently love the show so much they also nominated Camp for what is a tiny role compared to his competition (not to mention the various people not nominated instead) — he’s effectively only in one episode. Not to say he isn’t worthy, it’s just not a role that would normally attract attention.
More respectable nominations than the Globes. I understand The Crown's dominance in that category, as those three actresses are all deserving (though Colman deserves to win).
They should add an ensemble category for limited series... it's where most of the best acting on tv (and arguably anywhere on film) is occurring right now.
One thing I've always liked about this award show, quirky as it is, is that it shows which supporting players actors really love because they get nominations (e.g., Lisa Kudrow, Kim Cattrall, Megan Mullally, and...Amy Pietz). So, it's fun to see Corrin, Camp, and Anderson get in.
The Bridgerton nominations feel wrong. I'm someone who watched it and enjoyed it, but there's not much there. It's comforting and easy viewing, but I'd be shocked if it got major emmy noms. Also, Regé-Jean Page has a ton of star quality (and is beautiful), but there are tons of actors who are doing much better work than he is.
I'm just happy to see Michaela Coel get recognized. I hope she takes it!
Issa Rae and "Insecure" being snubbed is both glaring and egregious. Terrible.
I'm always keen on recognizing Bill Camp, but the Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones snubs hurt. Mescal's was my favorite performance of the year. I'm also very shocked that Hugh Jackman didn't get nominated. Normal People and Bad Education were probably hurt by the bias towards recent releases.
I thought Bridgerton was decent entertainment but not really deserving of awards, and Page would not be the cast member I would have singled out from that cast. I also thought Kerry Washington was overwrought in Little Fires Everywhere and Nicole Kidman was just OK in The Undoing. THey are big stars, though, and SAG loves them.
I was really worried about Michaela Coel, since there was realistically only one (very competitive) category in which SAG could honor her show. Unfortunately, she's going to lose to Blanchett or Taylor-Joy.
Regé-Jean Page is bad. Kerry Washington is worse.
Honestly, I think the pandemic also distorted the release schedule in a lot of minds.
Not that it should matter: Normal People outclasses nearly everything in acting alone.
Timing is clearly everything, as people have such short-attention spans the nomination windows are everything when it comes to getting recognized by peers and the industry.
Has SAG ever given a justification for lumping all actors, supporting and lead, into the same category in the television awards? It seems so nonsensical. It's kind of like the Golden Globes putting all TV supporting actors in the same category while having comedy, drama, mini series, etc. awards for leads. Why?
Bite the bullet SAG : you air on basic cable. Add supporting categories for television. Make it a three hour show. Thank you.
Actor Comedy is perfect.
Emmys now the only one to snub Bob Odenkirk's masterful work on "Better Call Saul" - season 5.
Strange as it is that there is no Supporting distinction, Megan Mullally and Sean Hayes each won multiple times for playing supporting characters in the TV categories.
I’m ecstatic about Hoult, who was so fantastic in his show and is making up for its very minimal Emmy showing now.
(Shaking) Yeeeeeeeeees!
Bridgerton and Regé-Jean Page nominations are the most embarrassingly stupid of the entire award season; worse than the Jared Leto's one.
At least now actors of color can receive nominations for whatever roles so people can complain, hahaha. THAT is true inclusion.
A waste of a space, and I have no clue why Bridgerton is even a thing except that middle-class suburbia is most likely incredibly sexually repressed and can relate to the 600-meter poles the characters have lodged up their arses.
I forgot about Issa Rae. Truly a big snub. Thank goodness she was able to push through and score emmy nominations.
I'm with Manny, the true sign that we are becoming more inclusive is we have room at the table for Black Mediocrity as well as Black Excellence.
Michael R -- yeah, why DON'T they do this? Its so strange.
I don't understand why they don't honor the casts of a made for television film or miniseries. They could probably limit it like they do for theatrical films casts, but it always seems unfair that many hardworking actors don't get the recognition from their guild like other fields.
They should have made an ensemble award for TV mini series or movie.
THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT is beyond terrific and Cuoco is a revelation.