A surprisingly rich and diverse crop of actors join the prestigious Emmy nominee club this year. They include celebrated film thespians Jeff Daniels and Charlotte Rampling, as well as steadily rising TV stars Kerry Washington and Tony Hale. The wide net of first-time nominees also includes iconic rock star Mick Jagger and writer/director Jane Campion. Mega film director and Oscar nominee David Fincher is nominated for House of Cards, a show that scored streaming service Netflix its own Emmy nod—the very first of its kind. SSN brings you a complete list of these first-time honorees and discusses what an Emmy could do for their careers.
Accomplished Actresses Dot this Year’s Best Actress Category
House of Cards has also net Robin Wright her first Primetime Emmy Awards nomination. The actress, who early in her career received three Daytime Emmy noms for her performance on soap opera Santa Barbara, has a rich repertoire of film work but has yet to take home the winged statuette for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
Wright has tough competition as a result of strong performances from Connie Britton (Nashville), Claire Danes (Homeland), Michelle Dockery (Downtown Abbey), Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel), Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men) and Kerry Washington (Scandal).
Oscar nominee Farmiga received her first Emmy nomination this year for playing the mother of Norman Bates in the A&E drama series. Washington, who plays a former White House communications director on Scandal, is only the fifth black woman ever nominated in the category. If she wins, she will become the first African American woman to do so.
The Female Phenomenon, Continued
Despite a bevy of male mainstays, first-time female nominees are particularly prominent among this year’s Emmy crop. Imelda Staunton is up for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for her role as Alfred Hitchcock’s long-suffering wife in the docudrama The Girl. She vies for the Emmy against fellow formidable British thespian and first-time nominee, Charlotte Rampling, acclaimed for her role as a former spy in the Sundance miniseries Restless; a role for which she also nabbed a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination.
Emilia Clarke is finally receiving prominent recognition after three seasons as Daenerys Targaryen, mother of dragons on HBO’s Game of Thrones. She is up for her first Emmy in Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
Carrie Preston nabbed a nom for her work on The Good Wife in the Guest Actress in a Drama Series category. Linda Cardellini of ER fame also received her first nomination for her guest-starring role on Mad Men.
Veteran Daniels Down for the Dramatic Count
Jeff Daniels, best known for his roles in such films as Dumb & Dumber, The Squid and the Whale, and The Hours, is nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of an opinionated news anchor on Aaron Sorkin’s political drama The Newsroom.
He is competing against a strong field that includes Hugh Bonneville (Downtown Abbey), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Kevin Spacey (House of Cards) and Damian Lewis (Homeland).
HBO Comedy Actors Enter Emmy’s Center Stage
Among the first-time nominees in comedy acting categories are a slew of supporting cast members from HBO’s current roster. Though strongly associated with his Arrested Development character Buster Bluth, Tony Hale reaped his first nom for Veep, as did co-star Anna Chlumsky. Rising star Adam Driver was a surprise nominee for Girls.
Darker Content Produces Flock of First-Time Noms
Toby Jones is nominated in the category of Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for his ominous portrayal of Alfred Hitchcock in The Girl. Both Morena Baccarin and Rupert Friend garnered nods for their supporting roles in Showtime’s Homeland. Veteran TV star Harry Hamlin landed his first Emmy nom for his part on AMC’s period drama Mad Men after a long history of TV roles.
The miniseries American Horror Story: Asylum received four nominations, including a first for Zachary Quinto who shares his category with two other newbies: John Benjamin Hickey (The Big C: Hereafter) and Peter Mullan (Top of the Lake).
Prolific Directors and Musicians Inducted Into Emmy Club
David Fincher is one of several directors to receive their first Emmy nominations this year. The illustrious Jane Campion netted noms for writing, directing, and producing Top of the Lake; while David Mamet received noms in the same categories for HBO’s Phil Spector.
Composer and eight-time Oscar winner Alan Menken got his very first Emmy nod in songwriting for his work on The Neighbors. If Menken wins on September 22nd, he will add the award to a display that also includes a Grammy and a Tony. Still, the most unique nomination this year may be for Mick Jagger’s work as producer of Crossfire Hurricane in the category of Documentary or Nonfiction Special.
Emmy and its Uncertain Effect
How will an Emmy nomination and possible win affect the careers of these talented thespians and accomplished artists? If history is any indication, the results are mixed.
For multiple Emmy winners like Jeremy Piven, it’s anyone’s guess whether his statuettes were responsible for opening more doors, as his career had flourished with choice TV and film roles prior to his wins. However, as in the case of Claire Danes, others clearly parlay their Emmy statuettes into professional winning streaks.
Her dual wins last year, for Homeland and the HBO movie Temple Grandin, crowned the revival of Dane’s career, following a lull in the wake of her ‘90s series My So-Called Life. She's nominated again this year for Homeland, alongside co-star and fellow winner Damian Lewis. His win elevated him to greater prominence after his critically praised work on the HBO series Band of Brothers.
Lena Dunham, who was nominated last year for starring in and producing the comedy Girls, failed to win in either category. But her nominations, along with several others for the show, validated her unique approach to comedy, and transformed her from untested newcomer to a respected and much sought-after creator.
If you're wondering who will end up taking home those five-pound statues of pewter, iron, zinc, and gold; that's anyone's guess. Although voters will make predictable choices in many categories, there's always a surprise or two that makes Emmy forecasting more of an art than a science.