The Film Experience

The Film Experience Team is looking at the episode submissions for the major Emmy categories.

Who will win their first acting Emmy this year?By: Christopher James

Yes, we at The Film Experience are often more focused on actresses than actors. However, how can you blame us when you look at the race for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie? While the Lead Actress category is filled with juggernauts, the Lead Actor category features two Hamilton performances, two stars of poorly reviewed series and a coattails nomination from a major show. None of the actors have won an Emmy before, though a few have decades long careers on film, TV and stage. It remains to be seen what voters will reward. Will they go more for an established actor they haven’t rewarded yet, or will they go for the biggest show? Maybe Hamilton will dominate the acting categories like it did at the Tonys.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the nominees for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie...

Paul Bettany as Vision in WandaVision (Disney+)

Description (from IMDB): Blends the style of classic sitcoms with the MCU, in which Wanda Maximoff and Vision - two super-powered beings living their ideal suburban lives - begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems.

It’s not easy to breeze through fifty years of sitcom tropes AND move forward the overarching plot of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. WandaVision doesn’t always balance the two objectives perfectly, but it does manage to be highly watchable and entertaining television. While Elizabeth Olsen and Kathryn Hahn (both nominated this year) have been given the bulk of the acting credit, Paul Bettany excels at playing every version of the “straight man” in every sitcom. In particular, Bettany excels in the earliest episodes as he imagines his super-powered Vision trying to hide his powers from the townspeople of Westview. The emotional heft of the later episodes wouldn’t land as hard if we didn’t care about Vision. Bettany finds humanity in a character that is decidedly not human.

One of the biggest surprises on nomination morning was how WandaVision overperformed. It was the most-nominated limited series of the year with 23 nominations. This is more than all the other nominated shows in this category combined. In a weaker category, voters will often name check either the performer or show they like the most. While there are bigger names in this category, WandaVision is clearly the favorite show here among voters. Bettany has also been a great character actor for decades and there are likely many people who have worked with him before. His win wouldn’t just make the most sense, it would also make for a really lovely moment of the broadcast.

Hugh Grant as Jonathan Fraser in The Undoing (HBO)

Description (from IMDB): A modern twist to a classical "whodunnit" tale, when the life of a wealthy New York therapist turns upside down after she and her family get involved with a murder case.

In order to have a “whodunnit,” the audience has to actually have doubt as to who committed the central murder. The Undoing (aka sixty minutes of Nicole Kidman walking around in glorious coats) was almost hilariously dull, building to a conclusion that almost everyone could see coming. Part of the problem was in Hugh Grant’s nominated performance as the pediatric surgeon accused of murder. In the past, Grant’s swarmy charms have made him rom-com leads (Four Weddings and a Funeral), cads (Bridget Jones’ Diary) and dramatic scoundrels (A Very English Scandal, Paddington 2). Unfortunately here, Grant leans into the villainy at every turn. He never builds enough plausible deniability or crafts a real relationship with his wife (Kidman) for us to believe he’s not the villain. Grant has long shown himself to be a talented and underrated actor. Unfortunately, rewarding one of his weakest performances would not be the proper way to honor him.

The Undoing was expected to be a big deal at the Emmys, particularly since it got pretty strong ratings during its fall debut. Yet, Grant was one of only two nominations for the series (the other being Production Design). This suggests that voters watched and actively preferred other limited series in all other categories. Though Grant received precursor nominations (SAG, Golden Globes, Critics Choice), other nominations for the show and/or Kidman usually followed. Without those coattails, all buzz for Grant here has withered on the vine.

Ewan McGregor as Halston in Halston (Netflix)

Description (from IMDB): The story of a man who leverages his single, invented name into a worldwide fashion empire that's synonymous with luxury, sex, status and fame, literally defining the era.

How do you find the nuance in a larger than life character? If anyone has the answer, they should let Ewan McGregor know. As the legendary fashion icon Halston, McGregor screams at the top of his lungs and shakes his limp wrists furiously in almost every scene. It’s a performance with tremendous energy, not unlike the historical figure. Yet, everything feels overcooked on the surface and undercooked at its core. McGregor isn’t helped by shockingly bald dialogue. Even the best actors likely wouldn’t be able to wring emotion from these scripts. Still, McGregor falls short. It’s hard not to love Ewan McGregor. His million dollar smile and charming blue eyes could win over even the coldest of hearts (as we noted in our birthday post for him). While he definitely entertains, neither he nor the show feels compelled to give Halston any depth.

If the old adage that “the MOST acting wins awards” holds true, then McGregor could have a shot. Ryan Murphy projects have won many acting awards over the years (just ask Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson and many others). Still, most of them (American Crime Story, American Horror Story, Glee) competed in the Series category in addition to acting. Halston received overwhelmingly negative reviews and not much fanfare from audiences. Though it received five nominations, the other four were all in craft categories. It looks like McGregor doesn’t have enough support in the tank in order to win this year.

Lin-Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton in Hamilton (Disney+)

Description (from IMDB): The real life of one of America's foremost founding fathers and first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton. Captured live on Broadway from the Richard Rodgers Theater with the original Broadway cast.

Lin-Manuel fills the stage and screen with his central performance in the titular role as Hamilton. Often, the convention of Alexander Hamilton as narrator and character doesn’t fully translate as seamlessly to screen. Still, Miranda manages to chart the journey of Alexander Hamilton from impassioned rebel to undersung figure undone by his main rival. In particular, the final act where he and his wife Eliza (Phillipa Soo) mourn the death of their son (Anthony Ramos) gives Miranda the most room to shine.

When it came to the Tonys, Lin-Manuel Miranda lost this category to Leslie Odom, Jr. If a Hamilton man were to win this category, history might repeat itself. The one thing Miranda has in his favor is name recognition. Hamilton feels like his vision and this summer’s In the Heights only increased his visibility. Still, there is the sense that Lin-Manuel Miranda has been over-exposed or overrated (call it the Jennifer Lawrence syndrome). When you appear to be everywhere, the public (and voters) will often want to take you down a peg. Unfortunately, Lin-Manuel Miranda may fall into this category.

Leslie Odom, Jr. as Aaron Burr in Hamilton (Disney+)

Every hero needs his complicated villain. With Leslie Odom, Jr. in the role, Aaron Burr is a complicated counterpoint to Alexander Hamilton’s radicalism. He’s never a bald villain and instead is a figure driven by his own competing political agenda and struggling to find support. His performance of “Wait for It” feels akin to Javert’s song “Stars” in Les Miserables (though not in the way Russell Crowe sings it). A lesser musical would’ve just made him a purely hateable figure responsible for Hamilton’s death. Leslie Odom, Jr. always remembers that Burr is the hero of his own story, driven by his own motivations.

Could Leslie Odom, Jr. win an Emmy for the same role that won him a Tony? It’s possible and has been done before (as noted in our Limited Series Supporting Actor piece). Additionally, Odom has only further ingratiate himself in the awards community, having earned his first Oscar nomination for acting in One Night in Miami as Sam Cooke. This sort of momentum could help propel him to his first Emmy win. However, debate over whether Hamilton qualifies as a “TV Movie” could hurt his chances. Additionally, while we theorized that fellow co-star Lin-Manuel Miranda would likely not win, he could easily siphon off votes from Odom. This could tank both their chances.

Predictions

Paul Bettany - WandaVision
Leslie Odom, Jr. - Hamilton
Ewan McGregor - Halston
Hugh Grant - The Undoing
Lin-Manuel Miranda - Hamilton

Personal Ranking

Paul Bettany - WandaVision
Leslie Odom, Jr. - Hamilton
Lin-Manuel Miranda - Hamilton
Hugh Grant - The Undoing
Ewan McGregor - Halston

Who would you vote for?

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