Emmy Watch: Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Our team is breaking down the top contenders in all the major Emmy races and highlighting some of our favorites over the next few weeks. Today, we’re looking at Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

 

By Abe Friedtanzer

I was going into this category thinking that it might actually boast the highest percentage of possible returning nominees – a full 50% of last year’s slate, which in this crazy time is actually a lot. But Black Monday and its star Don Cheadle don’t appear to be eligible since they counted the four final episodes of season two, which aired last summer, last year, and even though the show returned a few weeks ago, there just aren’t enough installments for Showtime to bother to submit it (apparently). If it does somehow end up on the ballot, count Cheadle in again. The two surefire returning nominees are Anthony Anderson (Black-ish), vying for his seventh bid, and Michael Douglas (The Kominsky Method), set to earn his third and final nomination for this role. Let’s take a look at the rest of the field…

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Emmy Review: Lead Actor in a Comedy

By Abe Friedtanzer

Of the major categories, this one is the most unchanged from last year. Two-time winner Bill Hader is out because season three of Barry has yet to premiere, and Golden Globe winner Ramy Youssef is in his place. Larry David didn’t make the cut. Both Ted Danson and Eugene Levy have won Emmys in the past, but this is their last shot to win a trophy for their current shows. 

I’ll try to avoid major plot details in my analysis – but if you’d like more spoiler-filled descriptions, click on the episode titles. Let’s consider each nominee…

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Emmy Watch: Best Actor in a Comedy

by Abe Fried-Tanzer

The "what will be nominated at the Emmys?" conversation continues. Today: Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.  Looking at last year’s nominees, this field may not be all that different apart from the top. Only one nominee, two-time defending champion Bill Hader won’t be back. Barry hasn’t yet announced its season three premiere date. On the other hand though there’s every reason to expect that the two departing contenders, Ted Danson (The Good Place) and Eugene Levy (Schitt’s Creek), will return for their show’s swan songs. Those two shows seem to have the largest fanbases among TFE readers so we assume you're rooting for them.

Another nominee from last year, Don Cheadle (Black Monday), is a toss-up. But given that he earned four consecutive nominations in this category earlier this decade as pretty much the only representation from House of Lies, scoring yet another solo bid doesn’t feel far-fetched. Anthony Anderson (Black-ish) has been nominated five times in a row, and he survived his show being ousted from the Best Comedy Series race last year, so he may be able to do it again. Michael Douglas (The Kominsky Method) is a good bet to return, but his show’s snub in the top race last year makes his chances less secure than they should be…

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Would you rather?

Since everyone is bored inside, let's fantasize about being quarantined with celebs. Would you rather...

• do a Ghibli jigsaw puzzle with Connor Jessup?
• dance with Pedro Pascal and Miguel Angel Silvestre?
• cook with Florence Pugh?
• foster a pet with Gilles Marini?
• cut Ted Danson's hair with Mary Steenburgen?
• devour a bottle of khilji with Deepika Padukone?
• skateboard with Liam Hemsworth? 
• get blue with Jamie Dornan?
• play with your food with Laura Dern? 
• self grooming with Leslie Jordan? 
• meditate with Marion Cotillard? 

Pictures are after the jump to help you decide...

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Emmy Reactions: Why Wasn't This Nominated?!

Now that we have had a little bit of time for the Emmy nominations to sink in, the afterglow of our favorite nominees has faded enough to reflect on what missed out. This year had quite a few stings for what we expected to be a more open playing field. Recurrent outsiders like The Leftovers and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend have long been on our lips here at The Film Experience as criminally ignored by awards bodies, and this year was no different! Here's what missed out this morning that has us lamenting:

JORGE - Rita Moreno is destined to win an EGOT twice and they just delayed it. Truly upset about her snub for One Day at a Time.

DENNY - It's clear the voting body watched Black Mirror: San Junipero. So why wasn't Bryce Dallas Howard nominated for her tremendous, go-for-broke performance in Nosedive? The arc the episode traces for her character (desperately trying to boost her favorability rating to attend a wedding) is hilarious, terrifying, and all too relatable, and Howard's mad commitment is key to the episode working as well as it does. For my money, she probably should have WON the trophy.

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