Hayley Atwell (Marvel’s Agent Carter) – Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Out of the five performances on the list, this is probably somewhat of a long shot. Marvel’s golden girl Hayley Atwell is in a unique position compared to other entries. She was given the unheard of task of leading a TV show based on a one shot and featuring characters from the blockbuster, Captain America: The First Avenger without the actual star power himself, Chris Evans. A pretty daunting role for sure but Atwell managed to pull it off with the perfect blend of charm and seriousness. Marvel must have placed a lot of trust in the actress, as many actors would have failed to make the jump from supporting to leading character. Agent Carter secured a second season, but can Atwell land a nomination?
Grant Gustin (The Flash) – Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
After impressing on his initial appearance on Arrow, expectations were high as The Flash landed a pilot, then series order. After the end of sister show Arrow’s second season, many thought it would be hard for the former Glee actor to exist beyond the shadow of Stephen Amells show. The Flash premiered to record breaking ratings and quickly became a show not to be missed. Gustin’s performance is the heart and soul of the show. In the course of the shows freshman season, we’ve seen Gustin deal with the complex relationships he shares with the three father figures in his life, as well as his suppressed feelings for Iris West. The finale, which should be his submission entry, saw some of Gustins best work as he was forced to choose between his mother’s life and fathers freedom and everyone he knew and loved who had supported him in his parents absence. Could Critics Choice Nominations for the show and critic approval propel Gustin to TV’s highest award, possibly? But competition is fierce this year as juggernaut performances in Mad Men, Game of Thrones and Better Call Saul all look like sure things in this respective field.
Tom Cavanagh (The Flash) – Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
One of this TV seasons greatest villains; Cavanagh brought a sense of morality to a character with a single minded goal. It would have been easy to dismiss Wells as a mentor figure who merely served as a plot device to solve problems with science. As the series progressed, the mystery of Harrison Wells began to unravel and we began to see the different sides to the character; the young in-love scientist, the role model and the desperate and determined master plotter. Cavanagh played each layer of the character differently and brilliantly. The impossible was also achieved as Cavanagh made us actually care for a villain. With Wells/ Thawne set to return as a regular in season 2, the mystery is far from over so expect a lot more from Cavanagh in his Emmy worthy performance.
Robin Lord Taylor (Gotham) – Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Since his debut episode, where Detective Gordon threatened to kill ‘Penguin,’ Taylor’s monologue warning of troubled times ahead established him as an immediate scene stealer. Taylor’s performance was intelligent, witty and at times frightening as he took a ruthless approach to get to the top. He managed to hold his own against Jada Pinkett Smith and created fascinating dynamics between his character and the likes of Gordon and his equally wacky mother. Taylor created a version of Penguin which brought to life the character in the way previous on screen appearances never could. He made a somewhat joke character menacing and his portrayal is up there with one of the best Batman villain performances. Gotham may have got a few things wrong in the first season, but Taylors casting was perfect and he’s surely a shoe in for a nomination.
Vincent D’Onofrio (Daredevil) - Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Daredevil proved that Marvel can make good TV shows and D’Onofrio proved that Marvel could make great villains. D’Onofrio’s performance as Hells Kitchen crime boss Wilson Fink is one of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most compelling, gut wrenching, unbelievable performances. The best villains are the one who believe they are morally just and Fisk took that to new extremes. He saw beauty in the chaos and strived to achieve a better city, brutally killing those in his way. D’Onofrio’s Fisk captured his relationships with his right hand man Wesley, his mother and his lover Vanessa. These relationships were just as powerful to watch as the scenes showing unpresented rage. D’Onofrio brings such grace to the role of a man who beheads people with car doors. His magnetic and engrossing performance is sure to have captured the attention of voters but will he land on the ballot paper, come July 16th we’ll know for sure.
This has been a superb year for superhero adaptions on TV, lets only hope this can be reflected in the Emmys. Whilst the five performances above are exceptional, there were plenty more award winning portrayals too. Could we see Jada Pinkett Smith get a statue for her work on Gotham? Does Matt Nable’s guest performance on Arrow merit an award? Share your thoughts and predications in the comments section below.
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