CarterMatt Awards 2018: Lauren German, Vanessa Ray, Sophie Skelton, Sarah Drew among Underrated Actress nominees
Welcome to the 2018 CarterMatt Awards! This is our seventh annual year-end series where we as a site celebrate some of the best that TV has to offer! Our staff collectively hand-picks nominees across a wide array of different fields, and then leaves it up to you to declare the winner. We’ve had a fun time over the years with these awards and creating some fun debate throughout the month of December. Hopefully, this time around is no exception!
Today we’re discussing Underrated Actress — like Underrated Actor, this is a category that we have featured in the CarterMatt Awards for years, and what we love about it is that it affords us the opportunity to celebrate people who are often under the radar. These are people who have given us some outstanding performances, but for whatever reason, don’t get the awards love that they deserve. That’s the only criteria we have here — none of our picks have been nominated for an Emmy or a Golden Globe over the past twelve months. After all, they are labeled “underrated” for a reason!
The nominees
Sarah Drew, Grey’s Anatomy – Are we still sad that she is gone from the series? Absolutely, but there is no denying in our mind that she left with one of her strongest storylines in quite some time. We saw April Kepner be put through all sorts of anguish and turmoil over the second half of season 14, whether it be physical (nearly losing her life) or mental (her struggle with her faith). This was a story about someone being dealt numerous blows and then having to find the right way in which to emerge from all of it stronger. Drew handled the material beautifully and in a way that perfectly suits who we know April to be.
Lauren German, Lucifer – German has long been outstanding as Chloe Decker, a character who has constantly been faced with big challenges — she has a tough job, and on this past season alone she was forced to take on everything when it comes to Marcus Pierce and then also receiving some rather shocking news regarding Lucifer Morningstar in the closing minutes of the season 3 finale. She certainly had her fair share of fun character moments (think in terms of the high school episode), but it’s hard to look back on those final season 3 episodes in particular and think that she was anything short of brilliant.
Miranda Rae Mayo, Chicago Fire – We do think that the past year or so has presented Mayo with some of her toughest material since first joining the show. Just think about everything that we’ve seen from Stella Kidd as of late in between her life being on the line, trying to be there for Kelly Severide after the loss of his father, or just continuing to do some of what she does best in the midst of a difficult time at the firehouse with Gorsch and all of the other issues this season. Mayo brings humor to Stella when she needs it, but also a ton of empathy, compassion, and also a determination to get the job done.
Candice Patton, The Flash – Some of her scenes this fall with Grant Gustin and Jessica Parker Kennedy this fall have been top-notch as Patton has taken on some fascinating material. Iris West-Allen is typically the sort of character who has a great deal of control and understanding of the world around her; yet, she’s had to contend now with the fact that her daughter is around in the present and apparently, the future version of herself does things that she cannot even fathom in a million years. We had a chance to see a vulnerable, emotional side to Iris this fall, and while we love seeing her as a journalist and a team leader, it is another welcome dimension to explore.
Vanessa Ray, Blue Bloods – To date, this has been Ray’s biggest season of Blue Bloods and really, it has not even been close. She’s had an opportunity to take on a different side of Eddie Janko as a fiancée, someone who has something new to fight for and also someone with an entirely new family in the Reagans. We’ve seen a funny side of her at the dinner tabl,e but also still some of her passion and determination out in her field. This season has allowed us to see Ray bring out so many different dimensions to this character — we understand what drives her as a cop, but also what motivates her in life and what makes her vulnerable.
Caterina Scorsone, Grey’s Anatomy – Scorsone is a former winner in this category, and yet time and time again she remains unheralded for her work as Amelia Shepherd. She’s consistently brilliant in that she’s taken on so much dark material, whether it be a brain tumor, romantic turmoil, or addiction, and then still finds a way on the other side to offer up some element of lightness and humor. This season has also been incredibly fun in that we’ve seen a more maternal side for Amelia as she’s fought to get Betty’s life on track — she’s always cared for others as a doctor, but there is a different emotional gear here and seeing her fight for that is nothing short of a pleasure.
Sophie Skelton, Outlander – This is Skelton’s best year Brianna by far and to think, the majority of her most meaningful content is still to come. This is a character who has searched far and wide in the present in order to find a sense of self, and in the coming episodes you are going to see a sudden transition for her as she seeks out a way to also help her mother in the past. Her search for identity will still be somewhere within her head, but you’ll also get a chance to see some of the determination that is present in her biological parents. Sophie brings so much drive and humanity to this role that you yearn for her to have more screen time; with many episodes still to come this season, many of those wishes could be granted.
Eleanor Tomlinson, Poldark – Finally, we turn to one of the unsung heroes of Poldark, a woman who has excelled in finding a way to take on the role of Demelza across several different years in her life. She’s someone who can be extremely kind and caring, but is also far from a pushover in moments of conflict. She knows what she wants and demands the utmost from those around her. While her story with Ross across season 4 was painful at times, it led to many powerful monologues from Tomlinson and also a chance to see her stretch herself even more as a performer as Demelza took on more of a leadership role in Cornwall.