Emmy Watch: Best Lead Actor in a Limited Series/Movie
Saturday, May 16, 2020 at 10:00AM
Let's move on to the acting races for limited series and TV movies. Last year, this category didn’t have a single nominee from a TV movie. The two leading contenders in this race are sure to reverse that trend – Hugh Jackman (Bad Education), a past Emmy winner for hosting the Tony Awards, and Aaron Paul (El Camino), who took home three Emmys for playing the same part on Breaking Bad. After that, it’s back to the limited series to find most of the other probable nominees…
The past four years...
Mark Ruffalo (I Know This Much Is True) should be a shoo-in for playing twins on HBO’s just-premiered limited series. Russell Crowe (The Loudest Voice) won a Golden Globe earlier this year for playing the late Roger Ailes, and it’s a good bet that he’ll have a shot at the Emmy too. His costar Regina King is in for sure, and Jeremy Irons (Watchmen) also stands a solid chance of competing for his ice-cold performance on the HBO sci-fi drama that didn’t end up becoming a multi-season series.
Sacha Baron Cohen (The Spy) was a Golden Globe nominee earlier this year, so he shouldn’t be counted out. Chris Evans (Defending Jacob) has been quite popular lately, and his lead performance on Apple TV Plus’ family drama might earn him a spot here. I’d love to see David Corenswet (Hollywood) nominated after his stunning performance in the Netflix limited series’ first episode, but he might come second to two-time Tony nominee Jeremy Pope (Hollywood). If his multi-language show is well-received, Andre Holland (The Eddy) could show up too, and, though his show doesn’t drop until the very end of May, Matthew Macfadyen (Quiz) shouldn’t be underestimated, especially given his prominence on Succession.
I don’t think it’s likely, but it would be great to see Jason Segel (Dispatches from Elsewhere) cited for anchoring the series he also created. The same goes for Morgan Spector (The Plot Against America), who stood out in a cast of more well-known actors but absolutely deserves recognition. If we’re really dreaming, how about a nomination for Shlomi Elkabetz (Our Boys) in an HBO production that isn’t even in English?
So, where does this leave us? Five sure things and one open spot. But who gets that coveted six-spot?
Predictions
- David Corenswet, Hollywood
- Russell Crowe, The Loudest Voice
- Jeremy Irons, Watchmen
- Hugh Jackman, Bad Education
- Aaron Paul, El Camino
- Mark Ruffalo, I Know This Much is True
Which actors are you rooting for in this category? Stay tuned for more Emmy coverage.
ALL DISCUSSIONS THUS FAR
Reader Comments (12)
The nomination I really want to happen is Paul Mescal for Normal People. The show is becoming more and more of a hit in the US and the buzz for him is growing I could see him getting nominated. It's easily my favourite of the eligible actors in this category.
Can Amit Rahav sneak in this category? His Yanky in Unorthodox is unforgettable. Or is the show too small a profile to make waves? Or is his role supporting? He and Shaira Haas deserve more mileage for their sublime works on this show.
Aaron Paul doesn't deserve anything for that boring performance. It seems that he fails to be relevant outside of "Breaking Bad" universe and that movie proved that he is not relevant even inside it anymore. The film didn't have enough story to justify its existence so it had to rely on Todd flashbacks nobody sane wanted to see. Fake cops sequence was the only interesting one.
@Owl Netflix hasn’t released category placements yet but I imagine Rahav would be supporting. He might have a shot if the series goes over well but I’m not sure how well it will do.
Paul Mescal and “Normal People” are coming on strong, and I would wholeheartedly endorse them. Word of mouth is so strong much like Fleabag last year.
"I’d love to see David Corenswet (Hollywood) nominated after his stunning performance". Hmmm I guess I watched a different show.
@Raul
Is it though? I liked the show but all of my friends or family members were unaware of it's existence when I mentioned it (unlike with Fleabag) and I haven't seen any chatter about it on Twitter (I follow plenty of professional critics/writers and regular tv/film fanatics). That could just be my bubble but it's worth noting. Then there's the fact that outside of the Handmaid's Tale, none of the Hulu shows have popped with Emmy voters (unlike Netflix or to a much lesser extent Amazon). Also the reception from US critics was slightly more mixed than from UK ones. Thought it was worth a share.
Would love to see Corenswet nominated.
I bet Morgan Spector gets in over Corenswet. And Russell Crowe may be on the outside looking in if folks have Fox News overload.
We can all agree that Ruffalo has this in the bag, no? It seems like a performance that will sweep the 4 televised awards : Emmys, GGs, SAG, and Critics' Choice. Though Jackman was great in Bad Education.
Jackman should have been winning an Oscar for that role, not an Emmy.
LMAO Corenswet was bad, I would prefer Evans instead.
Ben Mendelsohn was amazing in The Outsider. I hope that he will be the surprise nominee on nomination day