The time has come to crown the best of television’s best. Before the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards, which will be held virtually on Sept. 20, Backstage is rounding up every nominee in the major acting categories with a refresher on their stellar performances, how they earned the Television Academy’s recognition, and why we couch potatoes at Backstage can’t stop thinking about them. Read on for your 2020 Emmy acting voting guide—and pick your favorites along with us!
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Jeremy Irons, “Watchmen”
As much as audiences are left wondering just what Irons is doing for the majority of Damon Lindelof’s “Watchmen,” they’re also struck with the question: Just how does Irons do it? A consummate stage and screen actor with an indelible voice and presence, he brings the exact authority and domineering intellect required of this mysterious role. By the end, he’s just about stolen the show.
Hugh Jackman, “Bad Education”
To call “Bad Education” Jackman’s best-ever onscreen work would verge on sacrilege, given his bona fides as an entertainer of all stripes. But it’s justified; his performance as Frank Tassone, the real-life superintendent of a Long Island school district, is so deliciously dastardly, you can’t help but want him to get away with embezzlement.
Paul Mescal, “Normal People”
Heartfelt, devastating, so vulnerable you almost can’t bear to witness it—Mescal in this miniseries adaptation of Sally Rooney’s hit novel checks so many boxes of what makes a great performance. Opposite Daisy Edgar-Jones, with whom he generates the kind of turbulent chemistry it usually takes years to develop, he stakes his claim as a star to watch.
Jeremy Pope, “Hollywood”
As one of the aspiring storytellers of this miniseries’ titular town, Pope has us rooting for him to make it big from his first moments as Archie Coleman. For modern audiences, we know his screenwriting success will require an uphill battle; how wonderful that Pope’s Archie is full of enough earnest determination to pull it off.
Mark Ruffalo, “I Know This Much Is True”
Playing opposite yourself as twins might sound like a dream acting job. But it comes with risks: You have to pull off the illusion seamlessly, making the audience forget they’re seeing one performer, and you can’t ever verge on gimmickry. Ruffalo avoids such issues with astonishing precision in this adaptation of Wally Lamb’s novel, imbuing both brothers with distinct interiorities as well as magnetic physicalities.
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Cate Blanchett, “Mrs. America”
One of this TV season’s greatest treats was watching Blanchett scheme. Actors could study her performance as Phyllis Schlafly, and should—as long as they remember no one could ever replicate her distinct subtleties. Her exquisitely multilayered work as the conservative queen of the 1970s, a woman seeking power and finding her voice as she advocates for policies that would prevent fellow American housewives from doing the same, is only elevated by her restraint.
Shira Haas, “Unorthodox”
Calling Haas’s part in this critically acclaimed drama a leading role hardly feels sufficient. In practically every frame, the actor carries this story of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish woman fleeing Brooklyn for a secular life in Berlin. The weight of the stakes facing her Esty Shapiro is visible on her subtly expressive face.
Regina King, “Watchmen”
We shouldn’t be surprised that King has added “vigilante action hero” to her legendary résumé; it’s obvious by now that there’s no role she can’t handle. Her work as Angela Abar, aka the fabulously kick-ass Sister Night, stakes King’s claim for yet another Emmy. It’s a performance that manages to ground shocking twists and the roller coaster of emotions that go with them in the weird, all-too-timely world of Damon Lindelof’s limited series.
Octavia Spencer, “Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker”
How did a hair-care pioneer become America’s first Black female millionaire? Watching Spencer bring to life Madam C.J. Walker and rooting for her every step of the way, we’re reminded that history’s groundbreakers were usually ordinary people clinging to a dream with equal parts hope and grit. Based on the biography written by Walker’s great-great-granddaughter A’Lelia Bundles, this limited series is a fabulous showcase for Spencer, who is finally getting the lead roles she’s long deserved.
Kerry Washington, “Little Fires Everywhere”
What a spectacular return to TV drama this is for Washington, one of those Hollywood stars who can straddle the line between juicy melodrama and multilayered subtlety. Her work as Mia Warren, a newcomer to the picture-perfect suburban neighborhood of Reese Witherspoon’s Elana Richardson, makes this small-screen adaptation of the best-selling Celeste Ng novel all pleasure, no guilt.
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, “Watchmen”
Abdul-Mateen does more than bare it all on “Watchmen”—though he got plenty of deserved attention for doing so! Over the course of nine episodes, we watch the actor toggle between being the supportive better half to King’s Angela and the stoic, all-knowing (but emotionally plaintive) Dr. Manhattan. He brings such depth to each, doing exactly what a seasoned supporter should do: elevating everyone around him by bringing his best to the table.
Jovan Adepo, “Watchmen”
A surprise but deserving nominee from the stacked “Watchmen” ensemble, Adepo will take your breath away on Episode 6, which finds him sharing the screen (and a role—literally) with King as they retrace the traumatic origin story of the first-ever vigilante, Hooded Justice. Adepo commits more than just physical brawn to the high-concept premise and showcases the varied ways that wounds can fester into violence.
Tituss Burgess, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend”
Was Burgess given all of the funniest material on Netflix’s “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” or does he turn every one of Titus Andromedon’s antics into comedy gold on his own? In this interactive TV movie special, Burgess proves as whip-smart with his punchlines as he ever was, upping his game (and, really, it is all a game) yet again.
Louis Gossett Jr., “Watchmen”
An award-winning talent known for “An Officer and a Gentleman” and “Roots,” Gossett is again getting well-deserved buzz for his layered performance as Will Reeves, who begins the series by calmly murdering Don Johnson’s Tulsa police chief and revealing the unspoken ties that bind him with King’s Angela Abar. Better than ever at age 84, Gossett sinks his teeth into the role; his delivery of the line “Wounds need air” is Emmy-worthy in itself.
Dylan McDermott, “Hollywood”
Actors are usually allowed to have quite a bit of fun in a Ryan Murphy production, but McDermott seems to be taking that license to the next level with his portrayal of Ernie West. As a slick pimp who runs his business out of a gas station and revels in taking customers “to dreamland,” McDermott chews scenery to alarmingly entertaining effect.
Jim Parsons, “Hollywood”
Who knew Parsons could be so slimy? The actor transforms into the scheming talent agent Henry Willson, luring actors into his corner in a bid for power that’s sometimes thrilling and sometimes disturbing to watch. Under Henry’s cruel veneer, perhaps fueling it all, there’s a distinct shame that Parsons showcases in the most unexpected moments.
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Uzo Aduba, “Mrs. America”
At this point in Emmys history, it’s a fact: If Aduba can be nominated, she will be, and for good reason. Whether in a character-driven role like on “Orange Is the New Black” or as real-life Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm—the first Black woman ever to run for president—on this stunning limited drama, Aduba always acts with equal parts head and heart.
Toni Collette, “Unbelievable”
Collette wears her no-nonsense detective, Grace Rasmussen, with ease, instilling in viewers the trust she requires to successfully shepherd them through this twisty investigation of a serial rapist. Grace doesn’t care about being liked, but you can’t help but root for her as she tracks down the bad guy.
Margo Martindale, “Mrs. America”
If anyone has the requisite chutzpah to play lawyer and politician Bella Abzug, it’s Martindale, whose portrayal on “Mrs. America” is one with whom you wouldn’t wisely argue. Formidable and ferocious but loving, it’s yet another stellar performance from one of the all-time great character actors of Golden Age TV.
Jean Smart, “Watchmen”
Gunning down a masked vigilante within moments of her introduction and dryly calling him a joke, Smart’s scathingly sarcastic Laurie Blake sucks up the spotlight in all her scenes. “Watchmen” is designed to give its actors twists and heel turns to play with; Smart only needs an arched eyebrow to flip a scene upside down. It’s the latest in a long line of superb performances.
Holland Taylor, “Hollywood”
In this alternate history of post-WWII Hollywood, some studio bigwigs are—gasp!—women. Watching Taylor as Ellen Kincaid, an executive with an eye for talent, you’re reminded how frustratingly rare the phenomenon still is. You also revel in Taylor’s stateliness and her ability to deliver a line like it’s born out of her.
Tracey Ullman, “Mrs. America”
Some actors on “Mrs. America” were cast in part for their resemblance to their real-life counterparts (Rose Byrne as Gloria Steinem was inevitable). But Ullman delivers one of the miniseries’ most effective—and infuriating—performances, despite looking nothing like Betty Friedan. It’s a testament to the actor-comedian’s ability to mine pathos from the preposterous.
This story originally appeared in the Aug. 20 issue of Backstage Magazine. Subscribe here.
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