SAG Nominations – TV

By Abe Friedtanzer

While there are surely more impactful surprises to discuss on the film side of things today, it’s great to see an interesting list of television options honored too. Once again, however, so few series are actually included on the slate. There are only five drama series and six comedy series honored in any category (aside from stunts), while the limited series races managed to get seven with just two categories. That’s pretty much on par with last year. There are a number of snubs and a few unexpected inclusions, but more of the former. Let’s dive in… 

Actor in a Drama Series

• ·       Brian Cox, Succession
• ·       Billy Crudup, The Morning Show
• ·       Kieran Culkin, Succession
• ·       Lee Jung-jae, Squid Game
• ·       Jeremy Strong, Succession

This is the first miss for This is Us's Sterling K. Brown, who had five consecutive nominations in this category. He felt like a sure thing this year, but you need to bump some people to make room for three Succession men, who populate more than half of this category (the show had never been nominated for SAG before this). Crudup is the only returning nominee, and I honestly expected either Mark Duplass (a Globe and Emmy nominee) or Steve Carell (a previous SAG nominee) to be here with him again. Jung-jae was not a sure thing, and his inclusion represents an exciting breakthrough for foreign-language series. It’s a shame that Billy Porter isn’t on the list for Pose.

 

Actress in a Drama Series

• ·       Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show
• ·       Jung Ho-yeon, Squid Game
• ·       Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale
• ·       Sarah Snook, Succession
• ·       Reese Witherspoon, The Morning Show

I imagine some will be puzzled by Witherspoon’s inclusion, but I think she’s very good on the show, and she also had a much more prominent role in season two than Aniston. Ho-yeon is a bit of a surprise, though fans of the series may have seen that coming, and Snook breaks through here just days after her Golden Globe win. The unfortunate snub here is Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, who was overjoyed at her own Globe win for Pose and deserved to be recognized. 

Ensemble in a Drama Series

• ·       The Handmaid’s Tale
• ·       The Morning Show
• ·       Squid Game
• ·       Succession
• ·       Yellowstone

This category welcomes The Morning Show in after omitting it for season one despite three individual nominations (which it has again this year), and the big one I didn’t see coming is            Yellowstone. I don’t watch the show regularly but I did sample its prequel, 1883. I’m all for different shows being honored, especially if they don’t find the awards norm and aren’t cited by other bodies. Next to that show, The Handmaid’s Tale, the only returning nominee with its fourth nomination in this category, is actually the least-honored overall this time, with just Elisabeth Moss nominated. Couldn’t there have been room for Pose here? 

Actor in a Comedy Series

• ·       Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
• ·       Brett Goldstein, Ted Lasso
• ·       Steve Martin, Only Murders in the Building
• ·       Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
• ·       Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso

I’m happy with this list but sad that there’s no room for Nicholas Hoult from The Great, which did score in the other two categories. This is Douglas’ third (and final nomination) for a performance I believe I appreciated more than many others, and Sudeikis is back with his second. It’s great to see Goldstein included, and I imagine Sudeikis can win this easily with Martin and Short cancelling each other out.

 

Actress in a Comedy Series

• ·       Elle Fanning, The Great
• ·       Sandra Oh, The Chair
• ·       Jean Smart, Hacks
• ·       Juno Temple, Ted Lasso
• ·       Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso

I had Issa Rae from Insecure and Hannah Einbinder from Hacks in my predictions, but I don’t have a problem with this list. I’m thrilled that Fanning made the cut after being cruelly snubbed last year. It’s great to see Oh included since it gives a spotlight to her fun little show, which I’d love to see renewed for a second season if that’s even still possible. And though Waddingham has thus far claimed most of the prizes for Ted Lasso, Temple is a deserving co-nominee. I did consider predicting Selena Gomez, who is the only star of her show not to have earned an individual nomination today. On that note, Smart is a double nominee, also here for Mare of Easttown, in addition to her ensemble mention for Hacks.

Ensemble in a Comedy Series

• ·       The Great
• ·       Hacks
• ·       The Kominsky Method
• ·       Only Murders in the Building
• ·       Ted Lasso

This list is not surprising at all, though I thought they might throw Reservation Dogs in there instead of Only Murders in the Building, which has its two male stars nominated. Ted Lasso has a whopping four performers nominated, while the other three shows have one each. Ted Lasso and The Great were both nominated last year, losing to Schitt’s Creek, while The Kominsky Method earns its third and final bid after not airing in 2020. While this likely goes to Ted Lasso without much competition, I would make a case for Hacks, which could upset, and The Great, which has my favorite ensemble on TV right now.

 

Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series

• ·       Murray Bartlett, The White Lotus
• ·       Oscar Isaac, Scenes from a Marriage
• ·       Michael Keaton, Dopesick
• ·       Ewan McGregor, Halston
• ·       Evan Peters, Mare of Easttown

This was my one perfect (prediction) category, and it represents a nice blend of performers and different roles. McGregor and Peters both won Emmys this past fall for these parts, while the other three will be eligible at the next ceremony. Keaton just won the Golden Globe, beating Isaac. I’m thrilled to see Bartlett here since he was a truly terrific part of a limited series so successful that it’s coming back for a second season. For the record, WandaVision was not eligible.

Actress in a Television Movie or Limited Series

• ·       Jennifer Coolidge, The White Lotus
• ·       Cynthia Erivo, Genius: Aretha
• ·       Margaret Qualley, Maid
• ·       Jean Smart, Mare of Easttown
• ·       Kate Winslet, Mare of Easttown 

I figured that if anyone from Mare of Easttown aside from Winslet got nominated, it would be Emmy winner Julianne Nicholson, but apparently it’s Smart, who did make a distinct impression and now has two individual nominations this year. Winslet defeated Erivo at the Emmys, while Qualley and Coolidge will likely be frontrunners at the next ceremony. Coolidge was quite hilarious and terrific on her show, but I don’t think that will be enough to defeat Winslet. 

Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series

• ·       Cobra Kai
• ·       The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
• ·       Loki
• ·       Mare of Easttown
• ·       Squid Game

Marvel had a great day since Black Widow and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings got nominated in the corresponding film category, and here we have The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Loki. It’s also good for Disney+, which won this award last year for The Mandalorian. Cobra Kai is a returning nominee, while Squid Game is the only show here nominated in any other category, bringing its total to four bids. Mare of Easttown is definitely an interesting but positive inclusion. 

What did you think of the SAG TV nominations?

Comments

[Joe G.]

@Abe, Why wasn't Wandavision eligible? It came out this past year and was eligible at all the other awards...

I'm a bit disappointed Insecure was left out of the Ensemble category. Their ensemble this year fired on all cylinders, and collectively had its best year. They also featured a lot of tricky party/bonding scenes between the characters where a lot of emotions and comedy were happening.

I'm happy that Coolidge and Bartlet made it in. That bodes well for their emmy chances.

As always, I'm a bit saddened that Baranski didn't make it in here. She was on fire this season, and the Globe nod, in addition to her standard CCA, made me think this was the year she could break through.

I wonder if Sandra Oh will be a nominee in both the Lead Actress Drama and Comedy categories come Emmy time. I suspect, if her show gets canceled, she'll be pushed in limited series, but will be interesting to see.

[Abe Friedtanzer]

@Joe apparently WandaVision was eligible last year because SAG shifted its TV calendar along with its film calendar that was synced with the Oscars. I had it in my predictions originally before learning this.

[Peggy Sue]

Happy for The Turner. Hope she steps on Matlin's dress.

[Paranoid Android]

This is the first year it really irked me that SAG throws lead, comedy, miniseries, supporting, etc. into catch-all categories for no reason. I mean, we all know they aren't going to pick a supporting comedy performance (Jennifer Coolidge) over a lead drama performance (Kate Winslet). So frustrating that for a group intended to honor the craft of acting, they limit themselves this way.

[Dan H]

Some welcome pics, Bartlett, Isaac, Peters, Oh, but also a sense the voters only watched about ten shows last year.

[Joe G.]

@Paranoid Android, the SAG has a history of supporting performances triumphing. While I'm not sure about comedy vs drama in the mini-series/tv category, quite a few supporting performances have won over the years, though they are mostly dramatic. That includes: Kathy Bates, Stockard Channing, Vanessa Redgrave, and Patricia Arquette. In the actor category, Paul Newman, Jeremy Irons, Kevin Kline, Paul Giamatti, and Alexander Skarsgard.

It's far more common in the drama and comedy series category, where supporting players have won multiple times (Megan Mullally and Lisa Kudrow) and Gillian Anderson triumphed last year.

While I think it's an uphill battle for Coolidge, I definitely think she's in contention.

[Peggy Sue]

God knows I'm not a Chastainer but she has never been better than in Scenes from a Marriage.

[JDM]

I say this every year but it irks me that Limited Series/Miniseries casts do not get their own category. The White Lotus, Mare of Easttown, so many others would finally get to reward all of the enjoyable work of smaller performances when they have to compete with the leads in the acting categories.