Emmys 2019: Amy Adams, Florence Pugh, Ruth Wilson among Actress in Limited Series / Movie favorites
Welcome to CarterMatt’s 2019 Emmy Preview series! This is an annual tradition that we’ve done on the site since 2013, where we highlight some of the best from the TV world. These choices were voted on by our staff, and they represent what the ideal Emmy nominations would be for each category. To go along with that, we then ask you which one of our choices you most want to see recognized with a nomination. It’s strictly for fun, but it’s one of our favorite polls to run and it’s a great way to get the word out there about shows and performers during this key campaign window.
The category of choice today is Actress in a Limited Series/Movie, which we have to wager is one of the most competitive ones that we’ve ever seen. This is a venue now where big-name performers come to TV, given that it allows them stellar material while also the freedom to go and do other things after the fact — there are no contracts that bind them and because of that, there is a great deal of creative flexibility. Every single person here was nothing short of outstanding, and we think that any of the five would be a worthy winner.
Below, you can see our choices for this category — following the description of our “nominees,” you can find the poll to vote for your favorite. (We’re also including some other popular contenders within that poll to widen the field — Connie Britton from Dirty John and Emma Stone from Maniac.)
Voting Rules – Voting will remain open until Monday, July 15 at 1:00 p.m. Pacific time, which is the day before the official nominations are announced. The length of the poll coincides with both Emmy campaigns and lead-up to the official nominations being announced. You can vote however often you’d like; for more technical information if you’re having issues, check out the bottom of this article.
Amy Adams, Sharp Objects – HEre’s how insane this category is this year — we feel like at least eight times out of ten, if not more, Adams wins this award running away with it. Here, it’s possible that she only finishes in third place. That says something about the sheer amount of competition that is here, but it doesn’t take anything away from what she brought to Sharp Objects and her ability to immerse herself into Camille’s dark, traumatizing world.
Patricia Arquette, Escape at Dannemora – This seven-episode series was a work of art on Showtime, and one of those few examples of a series that actually became more and more popular as it went along. Arquette’s transformation as Tilly Mitchell is a big part of the reason why. Everything from her physical movements to her line readings was nothing short of spectacular, and there’s a reason why so many are projecting her to be the favorite.
Florence Pugh, The Little Drummer Girl – Pugh is, by far, the least-known of the five performers we’ve chosen for this category. Nonetheless, she’s still a wonderful sleeper choice for what she brought to this series as Charlie, a young woman who finds herself entrenched in the world of espionage and is forced to make some near-impossible choices along the way. It’s a perfect exhibition of range, capability, and willingness to adapt a character in what is an incredibly short period of time.
Michelle Williams, Fosse/Verdon – Williams completely embodied Gwen Verdon through all of the FX limited series’ run, bringing the performer’s highs and lows to the small screen while also showing her capacity for love. Williams’ career these days is mostly constituted of movie roles, but this proved once again that she is one of entertainment’s greatest chameleons — and it’s also a reminder of how far she’s come since Dawson’s Creek so many years ago.
Ruth Wilson, Mrs. Wilson – There’s certainly been a lot made about the historical connection that Wilson had to this role and what it meant to her as a person. We also don’t want to forget in here anything in terms of just the sheer power and range that she delivered in it. This has been an incredible past twelve months for her in between The Affair, a return to Luther, and now this work, a pinnacle of her career as a television performer.