What do Laura Linney and Ricky Gervais have in common?
Ricky Gervais ("Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale") and Laura Linney ("John Adams") are the only Emmy winners among the 10 performers competing in the lead acting races for miniseries and movies. Linney won both of her previous Emmy nods –- for this category in 2002 ("Wild Iris") and for guesting on the finale of "Frasier" in 2004. In just three years, Gervais earned seven Emmy nominations with two wins — for producing the American version of his hit Brit sitcom "The Office" in 2006 and for acting in the series version of "Extras" last year.
With his four nods today (for writing, directing, producing and starring in this "Extras" telefilm) bringing his nomination count up to 11, Ricky Gervais equals the total of the other nominees (with the exception of Linney). Among his category contenders, double Oscar winner Kevin Spacey ("Recount") as well as Oscar nominees Ralph Fiennes ("Bernard and Doris") and Paul Giamatti ("John Adams") are Emmy newcomers while Oscar nominee Tom Wilkinson ("Recount") had only a sole Emmy nod before his double nomination today (he picked up a supporting nom for "John Adams" as well.)
Among the actresses, Oscar winner Judi Dench ("Cranford") competed once in this category ("The Last of the Blonde Bombshells," 2001) while Oscar winner Susan Sarandon ("Bernard and Doris") had two losing bids as guest actress in a comedy series ("Friends," 2001, and "Malcolm in the Middle," 2002). Phylicia Rashad made Tony Award history in 2004 when she became the first African American to win lead actress in a play for "A Raisin in the Sun." Before today's nod for the telefilm version of that classic drama, Rashad had only a pair of Emmy nods back in the 1980s for "The Cosby Show." And Oscar nominee Catherine Keener ("An American Crime") is a newcomer to the Emmy Awards.
Minor note, Gervais actually has four nominations, not three. He also has one for producing the Extras finale.
Posted by: Andrew | July 17, 2008 at 05:33 PM
Phylicia Rashad actually had two Emmy noms: the one in 1985 for "The Cosby Show" under her maiden name Phylicia Ayers-Allen and one in 1986 after she married sports broadcaster Ahmad Rashad and changed her name.
Posted by: D. Johnson | July 17, 2008 at 03:53 PM