They’re at the forefront of their series—and the Emmy pack.
****
In this era of Peak TV(!), I found it surprisingly easy to narrow down my 14 lead actor nomination picks. While some great performances were left on the back-up list, the struggle on this ballot wasn’t as real as some of the others.
Let’s get to it, then: the third of my five Emmy Dream Ballots where the actors who take center stage, well… take center stage.
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
- Donald Glover, Atlanta (FX)
- John Goodman, Roseanne (ABC)
- Bill Hader, Barry (HBO)
- Eric McCormack, Will & Grace (NBC)
- Thomas Middleditch, Silicon Valley (HBO)
- Tracy Morgan, The Last OG (TBS)
- Chris O’Dowd, Get Shorty (Epix)
Behind My Ballot: As the hottest multi-hyphenate around, Donald Glover tops my list for not only skillfully tackling the complexity of Earn’s wayward professional and personal paths, but for his epic and literally haunting turn as creep show Teddy Perkins in one of the year’s most surprising and talked-about episodes of TV.
Then there’s the trio of comeback kids. Goodman was better than ever as a Midwestern blue collar everyman in his show’s reboot, interweaving dark humor with frustrated rage culminating in a tour-de-force scene in the Conner’s flooded basement in the season finale. Meanwhile, McCormack was the only member of his ensemble to mine the emotional depths and pathos that come with being an aging single gay man more than 10 years after we last saw Will, avoiding caricature where others couldn’t resist. And though his was a return of a different kind, Morgan—in his first major role since a debilitating car accident—paints a surprisingly complex portrait of a recent ex-con after so much one-note work in the past.
As for the guys of HBO, Hader seamlessly teeters on a tightrope as a hit man hiding his true identity whose life gets a lot more complicated than he bargained for, while Middleditch humorously hit rock bottom as his tech company dreams seemingly unraveled right in front of him.
That leaves O’Dowd, who brings it home as a former mobster trying to bully and blackmail his way into Hollywood with one foot still stuck in his past life in a leading role that really showcases his comedic range.
Almost a Contender: Anthony Anderson, Black-ish; Fred Armisen, Portlandia; Hank Azaria, Brockmire; Jason Bateman, Arrested Development; Ted Danson, The Good Place; Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm; Zach Galafinakis, Baskets
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
- Jason Bateman, Ozark (Netflix)
- Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us (NBC)
- James Franco, The Deuce (HBO)
- Kit Harington, Game of Thrones (HBO)
- Matthew Rhys, The Americans (FX)
- J.K. Simmons, Counterpart (Starz)
- Milo Ventimiglia, This Is Us (NBC)
Behind My Ballot: Let’s start with Bateman, who heads up his show and directed his own excellent performance in the series’ pilot, shedding his usual straight man persona in a compellingly out-of-his-comfort zone role that really delivers on the darkness.
Both Brown and Ventimiglia give everything they’ve got on This Is Us, the former having won last year for his modern day portrayal and the latter utterly deserving for building a character who, as we finally (FINALLY!) found out how he died, emotionally slayed every person with a pulse who caught even five minutes of his richly grounded performance.
Being grounded was a major challenge for both Simmons and Franco, each of whom brought to life twins in dual performances that never felt like a special effects-infused spectacles. Not only did it not take me out of the story, but they way each uniquely handled their doppelganger was subtle and inspired. *
That leaves Harrington and Rhys, my two nominees who have been playing their characters the longest. Much credit is due to Harington for continuing to make his role in a dragon-filled world in which he returned from the dead as real as possible. And yet, Rhys—in his final act as a Russian spy with a conscience—battled his dragons internally, serving angst, anger, ennui and utter panic through a staid façade that never cracked but always allowed viewers a glimpse beneath the Cold War training to see the soul of the man.
Almost a Contender: Donald Sutherland, Trust; Ed Harris, Westworld; Freddie Highmore, The Good Doctor; Jeffrey Wright, Westworld
*Side note: I recognize and respect that some folks have soured on Franco because of the sexual misconduct allegations against him. I sympathize with potential victims and am a big supporter of the #MeToo movement, but by including him, I’ve chosen to let his work stand on its own. Feel free to discuss.