4 potential Emmy shockeroos to watch out for on Sunday night: Brie Larson, Tom Hollander …
The 76th Primetime Emmys are almost upon us, with the remaining 25 categories to be presented on Sunday, September 15, 2024. (The other 99 races were doled out last weekend at the Creative Arts Emmys.) Gold Derby is currently predicting that “Shōgun,” “The Bear” and “Baby Reindeer” will each add five more trophies to their individual tallies, but I think we could be in for a surprise or two (or four!) when the envelopes are eventually opened during ABC’s three-hour ceremony. Read on to see my Top 4 potential Emmy shockeroos to watch out for on Sunday night.
Brie Larson (“Lessons in Chemistry”) for Best Movie/Limited Actress
While the vast majority of Gold Derby’s Experts, Editors and Users forecast a Jodie Foster triumph for “True Detective: Night Country,” I believe Larson has the edge in this red-hot lead actress race. The “Room” Oscar winner delivers a career-best performance as a 1960s chemist-turned-TV-chef named Elizabeth Zott in the Apple TV+ hit. Larson runs the gamut of emotions as she deals with sexism in the workplace, the death of a loved one, and balancing her work and family lives. Voters absolutely love when characters grow and evolve over time, so don’t be surprised if Larson claims the trophy for doing just that as Elizabeth. She’s also a producer on “Lessons in Chemistry,” so she received two Emmy noms this year — plus, the show is already a winner as it took home a music award last week.
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Tom Hollander (“Feud: Capote vs. The Swans”) for Best Movie/Limited Actor
The British actor stands out for undergoing the most notable physical transformation of the year for his portrayal of American novelist Truman Capote. FX’s “Feud” earned bids for costumes, hair and makeup at the Creative Arts Emmys (the costumes prevailed), proving that voters approved of Hollander’s overall appearance. Also don’t forget the way he mimics Capote’s body language and emulates his high-pitched, nasally voice. The fact that he portrays a real-life person on a Ryan Murphy-produced series also boosts his chances, as he could very well follow in the Emmy-winning footsteps of Ewan McGregor (“Halston”), Darren Criss (“The Assassination of Gianni Versace”) and Courtney B. Vance (“The People v. O.J. Simpson”).
Ayo Edebiri (“The Bear”) for Best Comedy Actress
TV’s reigning comedy supporting winner is now competing up in the lead actress race for FX’s “The Bear,” due to her increased screen time in Season 2. She’s back again as Sydney Adamu, the fan-fave sous-chef under Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), and has submitted the “Sundae” episode to Emmy judges, in which Sydney spends the day sampling food across Chicago. It’s a great showcase for her as an actress, plus it allows her to really bring the funny. With “The Bear” winning a whopping seven trophies last weekend en route to a new Emmy record, it’s looking extremely possible that Edebiri can beat the odds and claim victory over the category’s front-runner, Jean Smart. But beware: the “Hacks” star is undefeated in this race, winning the gold in 2021 and 2022.
Steven Zaillian (“Ripley”) for Best Movie/Limited Directing
“Baby Reindeer” is expected to win five Emmys on Sunday for limited series, actor (Richard Gadd), supporting actress (Jessica Gunning), writing (Gadd) and directing (Weronika Tofilska). That would bring its total to seven after taking home the trophies for casting and picture editing at the Creative Arts. However, be prepared for Zaillian to upset in the directing contest, considering the fact that “Ripley” already won a trio of tech races (cinematography, sound editing and visual effects). Zaillian has the benefit of directing all episodes of the Netflix limited series, so he doesn’t have to submit a single one for consideration. He’s also a well-respected filmmaker with seven Emmy nominations under his belt and an Oscar win for writing “Schindler’s List” (1993).
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