Friday, March 29, 2024

Predicting The 2021 Emmy Award Winners: Outstanding Comedy, Drama & Limited Series/TV Movie Supporting Actress

By Amanda Spears 

If you remember from last year’s Emmys and my Golden Globe, SAG Awards, and Oscars predictions, I try my best to leave emotion out of making my predictions. I’m going to take you television fans through how to make your Emmy predictions and win your pool methodically. Next up in this series of articles is Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy, Drama, and Limited Series/TV Movie.

Six years ago, the Emmys moved to a plurality vote replacing the more level playing field of 80-100 person panels ranking the nominees. Since we spend more time watching television than a film, it’s easier to let our personal preferences affect our predictions as we try to manifest a win for our favorites.

The acting categories are where stats can only take you so far – instinct and buzz also matter. Let’s take a look at how to predict the winners for Outstanding Comedy, Drama, and Limited Series/TV Movie Supporting Actress. A trend in the Supporting Actress races has emerged across the board. Can the frontrunners be stopped? These races have such a clear frontrunner that I will not be taking you through how to make your predictions methodically. Instead, we will look at the pros and cons of the frontrunners along with those who will try to spoil their party.

Outstanding Comedy Supporting Actress Nominees
Aidy Bryant – “Saturday Night Live”
Hannah Einbinder – “Hacks”
Kate McKinnon – “Saturday Night Live”
Rosie Perez – “The Flight Attendant”
Cecily Strong – “Saturday Night Live”
Juno Temple – “Ted Lasso
Hannah Waddingham – “Ted Lasso

Outstanding Drama Supporting Actress Nominees
Gillian Anderson – “The Crown
Helena Bonham Carter – “The Crown
Madeline Brewer – “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Ann Dowd – “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Aunjanue Ellis – “Lovecraft Country”
Emerald Fennell – “The Crown
Yvonne Strahovski – “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Samira Wiley – “The Handmaid’s Tale”

Outstanding Limited Series/TV Movie Supporting Actress Nominees
Renée Elise Goldsberry – “Hamilton
Kathryn Hahn – “WandaVision
Moses Ingram – “The Queen’s Gambit
Julianne Nicholson – “Mare of Easttown
Jean Smart – “Mare of Easttown
Phillipa Soo – “Hamilton

We’ll be looking at these races based on the strength of the frontrunner—most like to win to most likely to be upset.

Final Outstanding Drama Supporting Actress Predictions
1. Gillian Anderson – “The Crown
2. Helena Bonham Carter – “The Crown
3. Madeline Brewer – “The Handmaid’s Tale”
4. Ann Dowd – “The Handmaid’s Tale”
5. Aunjanue Ellis – “Lovecraft Country”
6. Samira Wiley – “The Handmaid’s Tale”
7. Yvonne Strahovski – “The Handmaid’s Tale”
8. Emerald Fennell – “The Crown

Anderson’s performance as Margaret Thatcher, The Iron Lady and first female Prime Minister of England, has proven unbeatable. So far this year, Anderson has won a Golden Globe, SAG Award, and Critics Choice Award. It’s Anderson’s SAG Award that’s most important, not just because her peers decide it but because she was the choice over her two lead co-stars Olivia Colman and Emma Corrin. When Anderson wins, she’ll make history as the first person to sweep: Globe, SAG, and Emmy Award for two different series, as she accomplished this feat for “The X-Files” in 1997. Sometimes, I hate when I’m right, and Bonham Carter is definitely that exception. Like many, I expected Bonham Carter to win the Emmy in this category for her heartbreaking performance as Princess Margaret, but that was not to be. I also predicted that to be her best chance as she’s unfortunately been eclipsed by Anderson. The rest should just be happy to be amongst the nominees.

Final Outstanding Comedy Supporting Actress Predictions
1. Hannah Waddingham – “Ted Lasso
2. Hannah Einbinder – “Hacks”
3. Rosie Perez – “The Flight Attendant”
4. Juno Temple – “Ted Lasso
5. Kate McKinnon – “Saturday Night Live”
6. Aidy Bryant – “Saturday Night Live”
7. Cecily Strong – “Saturday Night Live”

This should easily be Waddingham’s first Emmy victory for her fierce portrayal of Rebecca, the owner of the Richmond Football Club. Waddingham has picked up the Critics Choice Award but was snubbed by the Golden Globes and SAG Awards. These snubs should be only minor hiccups on her path to Emmy glory. That is as long as “Hacks” isn’t about to play spoiler and Einbinder steals her trophy. Einbinder is acting royalty; her mother Laraine Newman was one of the original cast members of “Saturday Night Live” and a past Emmy nominee, and her father Chad Einbinder has appeared in everything from “Dr. Doolittle,” “Arrested Development” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” Typically, Einbinder may have been more of a threat since her series started airing closer to voting but, “Ted Lasso” has just begun airing season two, giving voters a new look at Waddingham’s hilarious performance.

Final Outstanding Limited Series/TV Movie Supporting Actress Predictions
1. Kathryn Hahn – “WandaVision
2. Jean Smart – “Mare of Easttown
3. Julianne Nicholson – “Mare of Easttown
4. Renée Elise Goldsberry – “Hamilton
5. Moses Ingram – “The Queen’s Gambit
6. Phillipa Soo – “Hamilton

Why is Hahn the most likely of the frontrunners to be upset? It’s simple: she’s playing a Marvel Villain in a series that mostly takes place in sitcoms throughout the decades. But, there isn’t a winner as comedic to win in Emmy history—this category likes its drama. If not Hahn, then who? Next on the list are the ladies of “Mare of Easttown,” each with their own pros and cons. For Smart, she is expected to win Lead Actress in a Comedy for “Hacks,” so they may want to spread the wealth around, but on the pro side, she does have a lot to do throughout the series, and given the performances are night and day they may not feel bad about sending her home with two trophies. Also helping Smart is that this is her third nomination after previously being nominated for “Fargo” (2016) “Watchmen” (2020), and the academy may feel it’s time to award her for her work in Limited Series. Nicholson gives a heart-wrenching, memorable performance, but the con is you have to wait till the last half hour of the final episode to see this performance. Should Nicholson and Smart split the vote, and Hahn’s not the voter’s choice, this could give Goldsberry a chance to steal the prize. But Goldsberry has already won a Tony and Grammy Award for her performance in “Hamilton.” The Television Academy has had no problem nominating performers for their Tony-winning roles. They just typically don’t win an Emmy: Bryan Cranston (“All the Way,” 2016); Audra McDonald (“Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill,” 2016); Cicely Tyson (“The Trip to Bountiful,” 2013) Phylicia Rashad (“A Raisin in the Sun,” 2004); and McDonald (“A Raisin in the Sun,” 2004). If this category is going for a considerable upset, look no further than Ingram, who co-stars in the expected Limited Series winner—”The Queen’s Gambit.” If you’re looking to make a bold prediction in one of the Supporting Actress races, Limited Series/TV Movie is the category to do so.

Do you agree or disagree with my logic? What are you predicting to win the Emmys for the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy, Drama, and Limited Series/TV Movie categories? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or on our Twitter account. Stay tuned for more articles on the Emmys as I finalize my predictions for the 2021 Emmy Awards taking place on September 19th.

You can follow Amanda and hear more of her thoughts on the Emmys and TV on Twitter at @msamandaspears

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