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The 2019 Emmy nominations left some jumping for joy and others brooding in disappointment. Whether you agreed with the Emmy nominations or not, though, you have to admit: there's nothing more exciting than a first-time nominee, and the 2019 Emmys are stacked with them. From Billy Porter of Pose to Jharrel Jerome and Asante Blackk from the Ava Duvernay-directed When They See Us, the 2019 Emmy nominations are showing plenty of recognition for both newcomers and veterans, with a fair amount of each representing for first-time acting nominees. Netflix, HBO, FX, and more brought you incredible shows with incredible performances over the last year, and actors from Game of Thrones, Killing Eve, and are nominated at this weekend's 71st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Make sure to tune in, but while you're waiting, check out our list of 10 of this year's first-time acting nominees.
Image via BBC
Category: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Series: Killing Eve (BBC America)
BBC America’s Killing Eve was a surprise early hit, racking up some of the best ratings cable television had seen in a while during its first season. Its critical raves are especially centered on the lead roles of Eve and Villanelle, played by Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer, respectively, and the latter has received her first Emmy nomination. Comer’s Villanelle is an assassin obsessed with Oh’s British intelligence agent Eve; whether or not this obsession is platonic, sexual, or murderous is the beauty in this unpredictable and remarkable performance that is now being recognized by the Emmys.
Anthony Carrigan
Category: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Series: Barry (HBO)
HBO’s Barry continues the meteoric rise of fan favorite Saturday Night Live alum Bill Hader, who both created and stars in the dark comedy about an assassin struggling to live a double life as an aspiring actor. Both Hader and Henry Winkler have already received awards for their roles on the show, and now co-star Anthony Carrigan is receiving his own recognition with a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Carrigan plays NoHo Hank, a member of the Chechen mafia, who have a hilariously cavalier relationship with Barry, especially when informing him of mob matters gone awry. Carrigan’s performance is the comedic highlight of the show, adding levity to an otherwise pretty dark story.
Billy Porter
Category: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Series: Pose (FX)
FX’s Pose made history in 2018 as the show with the largest cast of transgender talent, with over 50 extras reported to be trans, as well as many of the lead roles. The show centers on the ballroom culture of New York City in 1987, which was a safe haven for trans and queer people of color to express themselves and perform in drag for the approval of the community. One of the most lauded roles on the show is Billy Porter’s Pray Tell, a fashion designer and ball emcee who mentors several of the characters. A Broadway veteran, Porter brings the role to visceral life, and was rewarded with his first Emmy nomination for it this year.
Michael McKean
Category: Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Series: Better Call Saul (AMC)
While Breaking Bad was nominated for countless Emmys and won almost twenty of them over its successful run, spinoff Better Call Saul was thought by many to be an unnecessary way to profit off the success of Bad. Thankfully, critics and fans were proven wrong with an engrossing, well-performed show about moral rot, and while the show has been nominated for multiple Emmy’s, it has yet to win any. Character actor Michael McKean finally earned an Emmy nomination for his role as Chuck, the titular character’s brother, a tragic and antagonistic figure who consistently pushes him towards moral grey areas. While Odenkirk has been deservingly nominated several times, it’s great to see McKean be rewarded for his similarly vital work on the show.
Amy Adams
Category: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Series: Sharp Objects (HBO)
Amy Adams is a perennial Oscar contender at this point, earning nominations for several movies, including The Fighter and American Hustle. She’s never won an Oscar, but she may just win an Emmy for her first notable television role (besides Katy from The Office, of course). She starred in the adaptation of Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects, a dark Southern thriller miniseries about a killer of young women and Camille Preaker, the unstable reporter who’s trying to investigate the horrific crimes. Adams’ Preaker is a live wire, prone to sarcastic asides and sudden breakdowns, and it’s electric to watch, thanks to Adams’ performance. Hopefully the Emmys will give her better luck than the Oscars.
Alfie Allen
Category: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Series: Game of Thrones (HBO)
Alfie Allen (yes, Lily’s brother) has built up much goodwill amongst Game of Thrones fans over the run of the series. His Theon Greyjoy was at first reviled when the character betrayed members of his own family and generally acted in his own interest against others. However, the character underwent serious hardship and was soon viewed as a pitiful, but ultimately good person trying to do his best by the later seasons. Though it received mixed reviews from critics, the last season of the show saw Allen specifically at his best and most heroic, with Theon being one of the most praised parts of the show. The last season’s epic battle episode “The Long Night” saw Greyjoy valiantly fighting for his family and has earned his first Emmy nomination, a move that every Game of Thrones fan, even those who were critical of the final season, can agree was rightfully earned.
Michelle Williams
Category: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Series: Fosse/Verdon (FX)
Michelle Williams, a perennial Oscar favorite, nominated for performances in Brokeback Mountain and Manchester By The Sea, enjoys her first Emmy nomination this year for FX’s limited series Fosse/Verdon. Centered on the lives of and relationship between famous Broadway legends Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon, Fosse/Verdon was praised for its lead performances, specially Williams as Verdon, whose accent work and physicality make a difficult role come to life. Fosse/Verdon won over the hearts of Broadway fans, and it might just do the same for Emmy voters.
Hugh Grant
Category: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Series: A Very English Scandal (Amazon Prime)
Hugh Grant is so well known as a movie star that it’s hard to believe he’d ever star in a television series. But Grant surprised fans of his work with a starring role in the Amazon Prime series A Very English Scandal. Based on real life events, the miniseries is a darkly comedic look at British Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe (Grant), who was accused of conspiracy to murder his secret gay ex-lover Norman Scott (Ben Whishaw) in 1979. The scandal created a media circus that eventually led to Thorpe’s resignation. The miniseries earned critical raves, specifically focused on Grant’s out of left field, complex performance, leading to the former rom-com to his first Emmy nomination. While he’s never won an Oscar, Grant might just be able to snag himself an Emmy this year.
Stellan Skarsgård
Category: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Series: Chernobyl (HBO)
A bleak, sprawling miniseries recounting the events in the aftermath of the explosion of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Soviet Union in 1986, Chernobyl was ostensibly a hard sell for audiences. The series managed to accrue much positive buzz among critics and viewers, though, who praised its fascinating and clear-eyed depiction of one of mankind’s greatest disasters yet. The performances are stunning as well, as the characters race to save lives and prevent radioactive fallout, often at the risk of their own health. Meanwhile, Stellan Skarsgård’s Soviet politician Boris Shcherbina works to manage public relations around the disaster and suppress a public backlash. As the series progresses, Shcherbina slowly realizes how corrupt he Russian government is with regards to handling this disaster. This change of heart is telegraphed fantastically by Skarsgård, who has earned his first Emmy nomination for the role.
Jharrel Jerome, Aunjanue Ellis, Asante Blackk, & Marsha Stephanie Blake
Categories: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Series: When They See Us (Netflix)
Created and directed by Ava DuVernay, Netflix’s When They See Us is a searing depiction of the events of the 1989 Central Park jogger case, and the effects on the lives of the five black teenagers who were wrongfully accused of the crime and later exonerated. While hard to watch, When They See Us is vital, well-made television that breathes life into one of the most appalling civil injustices in recent history. When They See Us earned critical raves across the board, with many of its actors receiving first time Emmy nominations for their work. Asante Blackk and Jharrel Jerome (Moonlight) have received Emmy nominations for their work as Kevin Richardson and Korey Wise, two of the wrongfully accused boys, as well as Marsha Stephanie Blake and Aunjanue Ellis as the mothers of two of the other boys. Their performances make When They See Us incredibly moving and affecting, and one more than worthy of the numerous Emmy nominations it received.