The 71st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards are weeks away and it’s time to narrow down who I believe SHOULD WIN and WILL WIN at this years Emmys. Let’s take a look at Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.
Nominees:
- Amy Adams – Sharp Objects
- Patricia Arquette – Escape at Dannemora
- Aunjanue Ellis – When They See Us
- Joey King – The Act
- Niecy Nash – When They See Us
- Michelle Williams – Fosse/Verdon
Should Win: Amy Adams, Sharp Objects
I really wish HBO decided to premiere Sharp Objects within the voting window of the 2018 Emmy Awards because it would’ve swept everything in last years category. Unfortunately, so much time has passed since Sharp Objects was at the forefront of everyone’s mind, Adams’ performance is just forgettable and that’s an absolute shame. Adams gave a solid performance as Camille Preaker, a troubled journalist who returns to her small hometown to investigate a murder, only to be greeted with residual trauma caused by her mother (Emmy Award nominee Patricia Clarkson). Adams’ performance is only overshadowed by time. HBO Executives must be kicking themselves for holding onto Sharp Objects for the 2019 awards season because they missed out on numerous opportunities for Emmy wins due to unforeseen competition being released in 2019.
Any Adams is a bona fide movie start with six Academy Award nominations and nine Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nominations a piece. Emmy voters love to reward movie stars and Adams returning to television was her perfect moment to win her first Emmy after on her first nomination – but only if Sharp Objects was a 2018 nominee. Last years nominees in this category were exceptionally weak, to the point that Regina King won for Netflix’s Seven Seconds, a project that was originally intended to be a series only to be canceled and smartly repackaged as a limited series. Adams could’ve easily won in this category last year, but I just don’t see that happening within this stacked category.
Will Win – Patricia Arquette, Escape at Dannemora
I don’t foresee a lost for Arquette at the Emmys. I must admit, Escape at Dannemora wasn’t my favorite limited series this year, but at the end of the day I’m not a voting member of the Television academy so I can only comment as a viewer. On the other hand, Arquette’s transformative portrayal of real life prison guard Joyce “Tilly” Mitchell, who assisted in the escape of of inmates form Clinton Correctional facility was a complex performance that quickly shifts between villainous and vulnerability at an alarmingly impressive pace.
To bet against Arquette in this category is a fools bet. She’s been unstoppable at the guilds this year, already winning a Golden Globe, SAG Award and Critics Choice Award for Escape at Dannemora. This wouldn’t be her first time sweeping during an awards season for an acclaimed role. Arquette won a Golden Globe, SAG, BAFTA and Oscar for her 2014 movie Boyhood. Arquette is also an Emmy for her NBC/CBS drama series Medium (2005) ,and also has a nomination in Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her role in Hulu’s The Act. An Emmy win here is just about inevitable.
Watch the 71st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards Sunday, September 22nd at 8/7c on Fox.
TV Talk With JWalk 