Kyle Chandler is the latest of the strong best actor contenders to join this year’s Emmy race. Chandler, who first rose to prominence with Friday Night Lights burns up the screen in Netflix’s Bloodline, probably his most challenging role to date. Chandler plays the sheriff in town but more importantly the older brother of a troubled family. He’s the “good guy,” like his Friday Night Lights character but is also in the business of hiding lies big and small from other people about the family.
The series has been renewed for a second season and is one of the best things on TV. Chandler may enter the Best Actor race in a big way but his main competition would be Kevin Spacey in House of Cards, another Netflix competing series. There is also Jeff Daniels in The Newsroom to contend with, Bob Odenkirk making a footprint with Better Call Saul, Clive Owen for The Knick, and Terrence Howard for Empire.
The big question this year is going to be whether Jon Hamm will finally win an Emmy for playing Don Draper in this the final Mad Men season. Hamm’s notable but somewhat understated performance has one last chance to receive some much overdue credit.
Unlike film, television divides its power between men and women with strong performances all around.
I would not leave out The Affair’s Dominic West, although the strongest play for that show is Ruth Wilson.
Bob Odenkirk’s brilliant central performance being at times very comic may hurt his chances with Emmy voters as they get confused with genres. Hardy-ha. It definitely should not make a difference though, but it might. Which sucks! Jonathan Banks and Michael McKean have to fill one or two of the Supporting Actor slots too surely. With the Breaking Bad buzz still in the atmosphere, the show could have some real weight behind it.
I agree with you, Robin, but I’m wondering if Saul isn’t left out completely in the big categories. It would be a shame.
I would love to see Hamm walk out with some hardware. I don’t think it will happen, but that consolation prize would feel like a victory.
I’m a die hard Mad Men fan and would love for it to sweep, but I also sort of despise how shows split a season into two to draw it out – it’s kind of cheating in my opinion, when it comes to awards. A network show with 20+ episodes up against 7? Ehh..
I think Hamm has consistently been excellent every season, but I feel like this season has been spreading the love in order to tie up the storylines, so they havent really given Hamm the screen time yet this year to demand the Emmy. Hendricks and especially Moss are looking good for supporting nods tho.
I failed to understand why Homeland weren’t pushing Mandy Patinkin for Lead actor last season,
Are they still putting him in Supporting this season?
If Jon Hamm wins this year, I’ll always wonder if the absence of Cranston and McConaughey lessens the award a little bit since he didn’t have to beat those two for the Emmy.
Are we always going to compare every Best Actor winner to those actors now?
I changed my mind after last night’s episode. I think Hamm has to be the lead at this point.
He’s certainly the sentimental favorite after seven years. Plus, he’s quite good. Plus, there isn’t another candidate who obviously deserves it (ie – Bryan Cranston).
It would be an absolute crying shame if Mad Men finishes its run without one of its actors having ever won an Emmy. I think Slattery, Hendricks, and Moss all stand decent chances if they submit Supporting, respectively. But Hamm should absolutely be considered the frontrunner if he submits “Person to Person.” I’ve yet to see Bloodline, and I’m sure Chandler is good, but he’s also a previous winner (in a year where many think Jon Hamm should have won for in the first place). Also, much like how Chandler won for FNL’s final season, Hamm is up for Mad Men’s final season, and that is a far more beloved show than the former, Emmy-wise. I can see him getting it if it’s played as a consolation award.
I’d also love to see Bob Odenkirk get some recognition for Better Call Saul. Saul Goodman was a great comic foil for Cranston/Paul during the original run of Breaking Bad, but this series has fleshed out his character and let us get to know the true Saul/Jimmy McGill in ways I never expected. If he submits “Pimento” as his episode, I think he stands a good chance (same for Michael McKean. Jonathan Banks will probably submit “Five-O”).