Golden Globes 2017: Sarah Paulson, Lily James, Kerry Washington top TV Movie / Limited Series actress picks
We’re continuing along our Golden Globes Preview Series today with a category that we think is really stuffed full of variety today in Actress in a Limited Series / TV Movie. This past year’s brought us everything from true-life stories to remakes to original products, and the entries are coming from everywhere from Los Angeles to Great Britain.
One note we should make before posting our list of nominees is that “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life” is on the ballot for the Globes, but we haven’t seen it yet and it would be unfair to nominate them here simply because we like “Gilmore Girls.” Therefore, this could change in our mind over the coming weeks.
In addition to sharing our personal picks below, we’ve also got a poll attached! In there, you can tell us who you think deserves to win. Voting will remain open until November 30 at noon, and we’ll announce the results formally the next day. The official Golden Globe nomination announcement will come on December 12, less than 30 days before the ceremony airs on January 8 on NBC.
Actress in a Limited Series / TV Movie
Lily James, “War and Peace” (History / Lifetime) – James is best known for being on “Downton Abbey” and starring in the big-budget live-action “Cinderella” movie, but her role in this Tolstoy adaptation is her finest work to date. Emotionally gripping and relatable regardless of the era, James brought such a dynamic range and spirit to this that you could not help but be magnetized by it.
Sarah Paulson, “The People vs. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story” (FX) – A wonderful performance as Marcia Clark. As a matter of fact, it was so wonderful that it may be easy to say that this is the strongest performance of the entire year in any category. The rest of the nominees tonight are fantastic, but we do still feel like she’s got a really good shot at taking this home.
Anika Noni Rose, “Roots” (History) – Like so many other performers in this miniseries, Rose faced the hurdle of trying to match the quality of what had come before. She did that, while at the same time creating her own stamp on one of the most powerful stories of our time. We know that this miniseries has a far-reaching cast, and while we appreciated all of them, we would’ve been more than happy to get exponentially more of her than what we received.
Lili Taylor, “American Crime” (ABC) – Probably the most overlooked of any lead actress on this list, and it’s probably even more true because “American Crime” aired so early in the year. Still, Taylor brought so much power and emotion to this performance that it proved to be incredibly magnetic to watch.
Kerry Washington, “Confirmation” (HBO) – Washington completely embodied Anita Hill in the HBO movie, which allowed her to show so many different sides and emotions that we don’t see as “Scandal.” It’s probably that we have a chance to line up one role so closely next to the other that we’re able to say with even more confidence that this role is all the more special.