This year’s contenders on the Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie category are consists of two previous winners, three previous nominees, and one first-time nominee. One of them is a Marvel superhero. One of them is a multiple Grammy-winning singer. One of them is Zorro. This is an exciting category and we can’t wait to find out this September 17 about who will follow the steps of last year’s winner, Riz Ahmed. Here’s my analysis and predictions in this category.
Antonio Banderas – Genius: Picasso
Antonio Banderas played the role of Pablo Picasso. This is his second Emmy nomination. He previously got nominated in this category for his performance in And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself. Will he win? Maybe. He is a veteran actor and a bonafide movie star so he has the name recognition already. He is also playing a historical figure which is the kind of performance that the voters usually go for. The downside is that the show doesn’t have any major recognition besides this and the Outstanding Limited Series category. The show also doesn’t have a lot of buzz, unlike the other competitors.
Darren Criss – The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Darren Criss played the role of Andrew Cunanan. This is his second Emmy nomination. He previously got nominated for composing a song on Glee. Will he win? Possibly. It is a transformative performance in which he is playing a very dark character, contrary to his known friendly image. His performance was also critically-acclaimed and even earned a TCA nomination (the only performance from a limited series this year to do so). People might also appreciate the fact that he is a real life half-Filipino playing a half-Filipino character. The show also earned a lot of nominations. The downside is that he is a young actor and voters might go for a veteran.
Benedict Cumberbatch – Patrick Melrose
Benedict Cumberbatch played the titular character. This is his fifth Emmy nomination. He previously won for his performance in Sherlock: His Last Vow. Will he win? Possibly. He is playing a character who was abused in his childhood and also trying to overcome his addictions and demons, which is the kind of role that voters go for. He also won before in this category which means that he is on their radar. He has a lot of scenes that are considered as “Emmy bait.” The downside is that the show didn’t receive a lot of nominations, unlike its competitors. The support might not be big.
Jeff Daniels – The Looming Tower
Jeff Daniels played the role of John O. Neill. This is his fifth Emmy nomination. He is also nominated this year for his supporting role in Godless. He previously won for his leading role in the drama series The Newsroom. Will he win? Not highly likely. The show surprisingly didn’t earn a lot of nominations. He is also nominated in another performance where he is most likely to win and the voters might not give him multiple wins in one night. Although, he is playing a historical figure and an American hero which is the kind of role that the voters usually go for.
John Legend – Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert
John Legend played the role of Jesus Christ. This is his first Emmy nomination, and he is also nominated this year for producing the live special. Will he win? Maybe. The aforementioned special was critically-acclaimed, including Legend’s performance. He also has the name recognition as he is a well-known singer. He is also playing a widely loved religious figure. The downside is that it’s a theatrical performance that voters usually don’t go for.
Jesse Plemons – Black Mirror: USS Callister
Jesse Plemons played the role of Captain Robert Daly. This is his second Emmy nomination. He previously got nominated for his performance in the second season of Fargo. Will he win? Maybe. He is playing a twisted character in which he appears to be good when we see him in the beginning of the episode. As it progresses, we realize that he is actually bad. He is also in an Outstanding TV Movie frontrunner. He has received an acting nomination before which means that he is on the radar. The downside is that his performance only last for one episode, unlike most of his competitors.
VERDICT: My prediction right now is Darren Criss of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. He has the most critically acclaimed performance and he appears to be the safest frontrunner in this category.
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