Emmy Category Analysis: Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Saturday, August 13, 2022 at 7:20PM
Billy Crudup is the only actor not competing with a costar
This category feels sort of neat in terms of how it’s split: 8 slots, 4 shows. 4 returning nominees from 2 years ago, and 4 actors from new series. The only actor representing his show solo is also the only one who’s won before - Billy Crudup. There's no definitive frontrunner this time which is sort of exciting. (Diversifying the number of series represented by the nominations would surely help make it even moreso) Brief descriptions of the nominees and the analysis after the show...
Kieran Culkin in Succession
NOMINEES
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Nicholas Braun - Succession - Episode: “Retired Janitors of Idaho” (Season 3, Episode 5)
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Description: Greg considers brilliant ideas like suing Greenpeace.
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Billy Crudup - The Morning Show - Episode: “My Least Favorite Year” (Season 2, Episode 1)
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Description: Season premiere. Corey tries to get Alex to come back.
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Kieran Culkin - Succession - Episode: “Too Much Birthday” (Season 3, Episode 7)
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Description: Roman meets with Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård) and does his daddy’s bidding.
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Matthew Macfadyen - Succession - Episode: “All the Bells Say” (Season 3, Episode 9)
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Description: Season finale. Tom acknowledges the writing on the wall and making a choice about who deserves his loyalty.
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Oh Young-soo - Squid Game - Episode: “Gganbu” (Season 1, Episode 6)
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Description: Player 1 plays marbles with Player 456 and remembers his childhood.
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Park Hae-soo - Squid Game - Episode: “One Lucky Day” (Season 1, Episode 9)
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Description: Season finale. Player 218 competes in his final game.
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John Turturro - Severance - Episode: “Defiant Jazz” (Season 1, Episode 7)
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Description: Irving goes to check on Burt and witnesses a transformative milestone.
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Christopher Walken - Severance - Episode: “The Grim Barbarity of Optics and Design” (Season 1, Episode 5)
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Description: Burt shows Irving and Dylan around Optics and Design.
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Christopher Walken and John Turturro in Severance
Analysis: I had hoped the enthusiasm for Severance might have led to the inclusion of Zach Cherry (Dylan) or Tramell Tillman (Milchick). Walken is obviously a much bigger name, and even if I wouldn’t have voted for him over the other two, it’s hard to deny the brilliance of his performance, despite the very limited screentime. Turturro is excellent, and he would be a very fun win. Walken has one previous nomination, from 1991, while Turturro has two - he prevailed for playing Monk’s brother on Monk in 2004 and was up again in 2017 for The Night Of. I don’t see Crudup repeating, since his show is down from eight nods for season one to three this year, all for acting, and he didn’t have quite the same material, especially in his submitted episode.
Matthew Macfadyen and Nicholas Braun in Succession
That brings us to what I’d argue were the two buzziest shows of the season: Succession and Severance. I know some members of TFE love Braun but I personally think this season was strongest for Culkin. Macfadyen is always terrific, too. It’s hard to pick a favorite, which I think is an issue Emmy voters will also have with the shows that they've nominated multiple times in all the categories.
On Squid Game, however, Young-soo’s Player 1 is so endearing, it’s easy to choose him over Hae-soo’s Player 218, a very strong but unlikeable performance. Looking at other awards bodies, Culkin bested Braun, Crudup, and Macfadyen at the Critics’ Choice Awards, both Culkin and Macfadyen lost to a lead actor (Lee Jung-jae) at SAG, and Culkin and Crudup both lost to Young-soo at the Golden Globes. I’m more confident about Succession picking up the top Emmy trophy (Drama Series) but I think here, in Supporting Actor, it's Squid Game's Young-soo who prevails.
Oh Young-soo with Lee Jung-jae in Squid Gae
Will Win: Oh Young-Soo - Squid Game
Should Win: John Turturro - Severance
Spoiler: Kieran Culkin - Succession
Who do you think will win and who are you rooting for?
MORE ANALYSIS
Reader Comments (11)
I'm hoping it's Culkin's year. He's been great every season.
I hate that the nominating committee only watches a few shows. The multiple noms are ridiculous.
This category would have been so much better with Eric Dane in it.
(Double post, sorry)
My heart says Turturro because they’ll want to give Severance a win somewhere but Culkin has all the steam. Can’t explain why but I don’t think Squid Game is going to have as big an impact as people are predicting.
peggy sue -- hear hear. always such good taste you have.
ben - agreed and I like almost all of these performances.
paranoid -- agreed on Squid Game. I dont mean to compare them qualtiatively but i feel like the SAG triumph was a case of CODA timing. Subtract or add a couple of months and it wouldn't have won everything.
I haven't watched Squid Game (I can't be motivated to do so, it just sounds icky) but I like all of these other actors.
I agree the momentum is with Culkin, but I've rooted for Macfadyen for the past 3 seasons. For me, Culkin is a lot like Aaron Paul on Breaking Bad - the goofy, likable, younger character. But it's been a delight to see Macfadyen subtly portray an unexpected journey over the three seasons of the show.
I think it would be difficult for voters not to vote for Young-Soo. He makes the show. If the series isn't going to win any big prizes (I don't see it winning the top prize or any above the line categories) this might be the best chance to award it. Plus all the other people nominated can be rewarded later- something that the Emmys do. This is the only chance to give a trophy to Young-Soo.
Nobody deserves more than Culkin!
Nobody!
He's simply the best!
Maybe, maybe, the MVP in "Succession".
Lots of strong options here but I have to join what I'm happy to see is a chorus here to say Culkin owned this season of Succession and richly deserves the win.
I am curious how Squid Game will do with all their nominations. I think you're right in that Oh Young-Soo has a good chance of winning here. The marbles episode is such a great acting showcase all around. I think him and Lee Yoo-Mi (in Guest Actress) have a strong shot of winning with their character arcs and roles in this episode.
Park Hae-So is great in the show, as well. I don't know if his submitted episode is as great an acting showcase as the other nominees from the show.
Although the entire cast is terrific, Culkin is the live wire that sparks "Succession" and keeps it from being a repetitive bore that it threatens to become. It's basically the "Dallas" boardroom over and over again, but without the fun of Sue Ellen's alcoholism or Bobby and Pam's courtship. Culkin and Braun are the very welcome comic relief in a very dour show.