2012 Emmy preview: ‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘Breaking Bad’ in Supporting Actor hunt
For our newest installment looking ahead at the 2012 Emmys, we have a category that is going to turn out to be quite a good one. Why? You have so many great actors who play supporting roles on drama series, and in any other year many of them could win.
However, this easily has to be one of the most-competitive categories in recent years, and there are quite a few snubs that even we aren’t pleased about.
The deserving nominees
Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones” (HBO) – If you ask around, Dinklage is the consensus pick to win this award — and based on Tyrion Lannister’s final two episodes of season 2, he’s certainly deserving. The irony here really is that Dinklage is the closest thing the show has to a lead at this point, and could have made a case for being submitted in that category.
Giancarlo Esposito, “Breaking Bad” (AMC) – The only person who should really have a tangible chance of beating Dinklage for the trophy. What makes this race particularly interesting is that Esposito may be better off being the sole “Breaking Bad” nominee than with Aaron Paul joining him — there are a good many voters who don’t love the show’s graphic violence, and it has a polarizing effect.
As for Esposito’s performance, though, it’s impossible to be polarized about one of the most terrifying characters we have seen on TV in Gus Fring.
Vincent Kartheiser, “Mad Men” (AMC) – We know that the Emmys love John Slattery, but this was really the year of Pete Campbell. We saw him weasel his way into a deal to get Jaguar courtesy of the deal he (and his partners) struck with Joan, and he also had a bizarre sort of romance with Beth — a character who did not even end up remembering him after she went for electroshock therapy. We want to dislike Pete, but Kartheiser makes it impossible.
Joel Kinnaman, “The Killing” (AMC) – In the midst of everyone deciding to hate “The Killing,” it’s been lost just how fantastic of a performance Kinnaman has given this year as Holder. He’s been the quiet anchor of this series throughout season 2, and without him we’re not sure we would care as much about the Rosie Larsen case.
John Noble, “Fringe” (Fox) – Season 3 was to us the season of Anna Torv. Season 4, meanwhile, was the season of John Noble. He has a slim chance of actually getting nominated, but shouldn’t sci-fi get a little bit of love with a character as complex as Walter is?
Robert Carlyle, “Once Upon a Time” (ABC) – There’s been some confusion as to whether or not Carlyle is submitting as a lead or a supporting actor — but we’re including him here mostly because this is where he really should be.
Does Rumpelstiltskin have a real shot at this? It’s unlikely with people like Peter Dinklage in the mix, but without his delightfully evil sort of charm, we don’t know where “Once Upon a Time” would be.
Honorable mentions: Robert Sean Leonard (“House”), Aaron Paul (“Breaking Bad”), Jared Harris (“Mad Men”), Walton Goggins (“Justified”), Michael Pitt (“Boardwalk Empire”)
The likely nominees
Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones” – As we’ve said, Dinklage is the hands-on favorite to win this. The fact that he is the reigning champ also proves he is in the heart of voters already.
Giancarlo Esposito, “Breaking Bad” – Considering that both Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul have won Emmys before for this show, you have to give Esposito a serious shot.
Aaron Paul, “Breaking Bad” – At the same time, Paul’s past history also works for him. The problem? It’s not so much that Jesse had a bad year — but Esposito’s Gus had an even better one.
John Slattery, “Mad Men” – We wonder if they are going to show Slattery’s rear end on the Emmys as we saw it during the “Mad Men” finale Sunday night. While we know the voters love him, that was unfortunately the biggest highlight from Roger Sterling’s story this past season. Give it to Vincent Kartheiser or Jared Harris instead.
Mandy Patinkin, “Homeland” (Showtime) – “Homeland” is looking to become an Emmy darling this year and Patinkin is a big reason for that. While he may not be on our list, it’s hard to argue against this nomination.
Josh Charles, “The Good Wife” (CBS) – Meanwhile, we will make a case against “The Good Wife” using the same critique we have over the past few weeks — the show was off its game at times during season 3.
Likely to receive votes: Joel Kinnamin, Walton Goggins, Michael Pitt, Alan Cumming (“The Good Wife”), Ron Perlman (“Sons of Anarchy”)
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Who do you think will end up being the winner of this race? As always, be sure to share your thoughts below! Also, be sure to visit the rest of our Emmy features by hitting up this link.
Photos: Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, HBO
Ted
June 14, 2012 @ 10:33 am
Game of Thrones is good and Peter Dinklage is the best actor in the cast, but none of them hold a candle to anyone in Breaking Bad. Aaron Paul and Giancarlo Esposito both deserve noms, and Paul should take it. Season four was the year of Jesse Pinkman, that guy nailed every scene to the wall.
Criticsview
June 12, 2012 @ 11:05 pm
John Noble does NOT deserve a nomination at all, wat a ridiculous comment.
He was Overacting in the beginning of the season, middle and the end. It was look at me Acting in so many scenes , it turned me off.
In the beginning he needed a phobia and being locked up and 22 scenes lamenting and whining about son, wife and st Claire.
Anna Torv got Nothing, she had to create a new Olivia herself.
Noble still palyed his regular Walter.
Noble only plays the 1 walter, no matter how he wants to sell it: If he gets the lines you get broken, or poor Walter, not otherwise.
Noble needs to have all the writing: the oneliners, the attentionseeking scenes, the tearjerker scenes and this season he even needed to have the storyline of Olivia in the last episodes.
John Noble went complaining after JJ Abrams anounced that teh last part of season 5 would finally be about Olivia, so we got another round of overacting poor Walter in St Claire.
BTW If you want to see a pathetic actor about not getting a nomination, watch John Noble in 2010 Comic Con, with his comments there I saw who he was, a very Emmyneedy actor, and a very Attention needing actor.
Walternate was just the lines he said, and made another Walter, Noble did no doubleacting at all,is only real two walters in 1 scene at the end of 4.20 was sitting on the floor saying sentimental lines.
Where was the acting?
Without the writing Noble is nothing, see his complaining on Walternate
John Noble would never be able to play a character like OLivia Dunham.
Olivia Dunham is far more difficult to play than a Walter.
Anna Torv has been underrated since the begiining, she was great from the start, but if you do not get the writing, not the backstory (4 seasons Olivia and what do we know about her?) how are people going to connect?
Yes season 3 was finally a season where Anna Torv got some decent material, and she should have had the credit for that last year, but did not, Noble claimed it all.
BTW Noble has invented a new form of supporting actor:
Every writing, all the story lines, all the attentionseeking scenes, the tearjerker scenes, have to go to Noble, and everyone has to work for him, and everything has to be about him.
So NO to Noble nomination, did not like him on season 4 at all, but as usual he gets all the credit, even last year when Anna Torv should have had it but he took that as well.
Mary
June 12, 2012 @ 7:06 pm
I agree with Nicki, you see, how can you not even think Aaron Paul deserves a nomination?? I just don’t understand that at all. To me he deserves a nomination and another win.
trs
June 11, 2012 @ 2:26 pm
Robert Carlyle not have a chance? Seriously? He has literally pulled the character of Rumplestiltskin out of the Fairytale pages and made him a three dimensional, larger than life person. You obviously don’t follow the hundreds of thousands of fans of the show who absolutely adore Rumplegold! Robert Carlyle has been a tremendous actor for many years and with this show, Once Upon a Time, his talents are now being introduced to many in the American audience for the first time. I truly hope the Academy does not pass him by because that would truly be a mistake. The way he chews the scenes on this show – both in Fairytale land and Storeybrook and within the confines of a 60 minute show – are truly unbelievable. But like with all shows, the people’s choice usually never wins. Hence, I would rather watch the People’s choice award – as a rule, we usually get it right!
Nicki
June 11, 2012 @ 1:20 pm
Giancarlo Esposito did indeed have a stellar year on Breaking Bad, but if you are discounting Aaron Paul’s chances, then you obviously did not watch “Problem Dog.” That twelve step scene by itself is what Emmys are minted from.