CarterMatt Awards 2019: Stana Katic, Katheryn Winnick, Caitriona Balfe, Regina King among Top Actress nominees
Today we’re discussing Top Actress and we are recognizing some of the strongest performances of the past twelve months. There have bee some wonderful, layered work done from all of the nominees this year. Sometimes, they made us laugh and at other points, they brought us to tears. No matter what they were doing, the end result remained the same — compelling entertainment and a drive to see whatever they do next in 2020.
Now, let’s get to sharing the Top Actress nominees…
Shohreh Aghdashloo, The Expanse – Chrisjen Avasarala may very well be one of the most entertaining characters on all of TV. She’s highly intelligent, calculating, biting, funny, but also formidable and understands the heavy weight on her shoulders. Every scene she’s in, Shohreh knocks it completely out of the park. She grounds the political atmosphere of The Expanse and makes every single scene a gem.
Caitriona Balfe, Outlander – Balfe remains the engine of Outlander. Claire Fraser’s point of view sets the table, and her strength and devotion to others is inspirational. She gives so much of herself constantly and through the end of season 4, we saw that with her attempts to rescue Roger with the help of Jamie and Young Ian. Caitriona’s never been afraid to push Claire and explore new boundaries, and that continues to make her story so exciting to watch.
Jodie Comer, Killing Eve – We’re sure that years from now, Villanelle will be remembered as one of the best TV characters of this generation. This is a deeply terrifying role that, somehow, still oozes with layers and complications. We knew that Comer was capable of great things from her time on The White Princess, but here she’s found a way to elevate herself once more.
Alycia Debnam-Carey, Fear the Walking Dead – 2019 was one of the best years for Debnam-Carey as Alicia Clark, as she was a fighter, incredibly vulnerable, reflective, and also a leader. She’s allowed this character to become the centerpiece of the AMC show in a really exciting way and that level of evolution is exciting for the future.
Lauren German, Lucifer – Season 4 is arguably German’s strongest season, at least in terms of the material she was able to tackle. Sure, you had the humorous moments out on cases, but also a frantic and desperate search for understanding after she learned the truth about Lucifer. Then, you had the gut-wrenching performance in the season finale amidst the exploration of how she actually feels about the title devil. All of it worked, and left us very excited for where season 4 will take us.
Stana Katic, Absentia – Katic’s in a difficult position as Emily Byrne, having been ineligible from the Emmys over the past couple of years for a wide array of reasons. Yet, there’s no mistaking that she has delivered outstanding, chilling work. Emily’s haunted, hunted, and often walking a thin wire to keep her life intact. Stana captures everything that this character would be feeling, bringing you into her world while also preserving the mystery.
Regina King, Watchmen – We knew from the very first episode of the HBO saga that this would be another award-worthy performance from King, and that was before we started to see some of the twists and turns midway through the season! She’s the perfect actor for the story being told, one that is very much about identity, what it means to be “super,” and how very few things within this complicated world ever truly go away.
Katheryn Winnick, Vikings – Much like Balfe, Winnick’s had the opportunity to play so many different variations of the same character over the years. We’ve had a chance to see Lagertha the wife and mother, the warrior, the Queen and now as the broken woman who is done with it all. She’s done it all with this character throughout six seasons and, in the process, managed to make us care and relate to her every step of the way. She’s taken on every dimension with the power and determination we crave.
Photo: Starz