Golden Globes 2019: Darren Criss, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alexander Skarsgard, Richard Madden, John Legend top Limited Series wishlist
Here at CarterMatt, we’re getting back into the swing of things again with our own annual Golden Globes Preview Series! Our team has huddled together and come up with our own list of personal picks across some important categories, and over the next couple of weeks we’ll be sharing many of them alongside polls for you to vote for to show your support. We want this to be a fun, interactive way to help campaign for shows during this process and have some fun discussion along the way about some of the best that TV has to offer.
Just a reminder – These are not the actual Golden Globe nominees. These are just our personal picks that we hope will bring attention to these shows and actors during campaign season — that includes our focus today in Actor in a Limited Series / TV Movie.
Voting Rules – Vote however often you’d like! (If you are having trouble, there are instructions at the bottom of the page.) Voting will remain open until Friday, November 30 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific time. This allows the debate to continue for most of the campaign period. The actual nominations will be announced come December 6.
Darren Criss, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story – Playing a person like Andrew Cunanan is not an easy thing to do. We are talking here about both a serial killer and someone with a deep history of trauma and pain. Serial killers often start killing because of a series of terrible events in their lives that lead to a descent. This entire series was about this descent and Criss delivered one of the performances of his career as we watched the makings of this murderer. It was gut-wrenching at times, but there really is no other way you would want this particular story to be told. Darren put every element of himself into this, and fought to make his Cunanan both painstakingly real and equally devastating.
Benedict Cumberbatch, Patrick Melrose – This role proved to be yet another reinvention in the career of Cumberbatch, a man who has already reinvented himself many times over as everything from a noted investigator to a bona fide superhero. In this role, he was a troubled man who, amidst the backdrop of addiction, had to find ways to show growth and recovery. This was a series that encompassed everything from comedy to drama that hit you hard; Melrose was written as a person who could not control a series of highs and lows, brought on in part by his own self-destructive behavior. From start to finish, Cumberbatch was able to hit every note and completely disappear into this part.
John Legend, Jesus Christ Superstar – To call this role challenging is an understatement, mostly because of the legacy that lies in front of you the moment that you take it on. There’s musical brilliance in Legend as an artist, but this musical event was about so much more than that. It was about hitting the right tone and tackling the performances with the right undercurrent of emotion — it also had to carry forward the message of one of the most well-known events in history. Legend did everything that you could want with his performance top to bottom, and beyond just that, he found a way to do all of it live. Suffice it to say, this is worthy of every ounce of praise it receives.
Richard Madden, Bodyguard – While this was far from Madden’s first role since being Robb Stark, David Budd may end up being a role that is equally as iconic as his one from Game of Thrones. Here, he is taking on a role of a protection officer with enormous demons, someone lost in their own clouds of the past and struggling to figure out what the boundaries and the responsibilities are of the job. Madden had to be relatable here both as the bodyguard but also at times as a lover, a father, and a veteran suffering from PTSD. His motives were at times all over the map. Yet, Richard turned in arguably the performance of his career here as we felt through David through every single phase of his battle to just make it through every day.
Alexander Skarsgard, The Little Drummer Girl – Finally, let’s take a look at what is another great performance from Skarsgard following his work on Big Little Lies. In this limited series (which you will have a chance to see on AMC later this month — it’s already on BBC One in the UK), Skarsgard shines as Gadi Becker, an intelligence officer who is dealing with a difficult past. It hangs over him, but he also finds himself working to bring in a woman named Charlie (Florence Pugh) into a larger spy operation. He is in many ways a mentor, but in other ways a person who is just fighting for some sort of reality and understanding. It’s a different sort of role than anything Alexander has played before and he delivers in just about every scene.
Related News – Be sure to get some more news when it comes to the Golden Globes!
Other critical favorites
Keep your eyes out during the campaign for some other actors including Jared Harris (The Terror), Hugh Grant (A Very English Scandal), Antonio Banderas (Genius: Picasso), Jonah Hill (Maniac), and Benecio Del Toro (Escape at Dannemora).
Now, your turn
Let us know your personal nomination picks now! (Photo: Golden Globes.)
I can’t see the poll; what do I do? – If you are on mobile, scroll to the bottom of the page and click to view the non-AMP version. If that does not work, give the poll a moment to load! On some mobile browsers, it may take a moment.
How can I vote more than once? – If you are having trouble casting multiple votes, try switching your browser, your device, or visiting the page under private browsing or incognito mode. There should be many handy guides online explaining how to do so if interested. (Photo: Golden Globes.)