Best Directing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special
PROJECTED ORDER OF FINISH
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story — “The Man Who Would Be Vogue” (Ryan Murphy) — podcast Godless (Scott Frank) The Looming Tower — “9/11” (Craig Zisk) Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (David Leveaux and Alex Rudzinski) Twin Peaks (David Lynch) Paterno (Barry Levinson) Patrick Melrose (Edward Berger)
Best Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special
PROJECTED ORDER OF FINISH
Godless (Scott Frank) Black Mirror: USS Callister (Charlie Brooker and William Bridges) Twin Peaks (Mark Frost and David Lynch) Patrick Melrose (David Nicholls) The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story — “House by the Lake” (Tom Rob Smith) American Vandal — “Clean Up” (Matthew McManus and Kevin McManus)
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story FX The crowning achievement for Eryn Krueger Mekash and her team was turning Edgar Ramirez into the legendary, titular designer. “To make him look even more like Gianni, his lip shape was changed, his nose shape was changed, and that was all done with highlight and shadow,” she says. While the pressure of recreating some of the most iconic figures of the ’90s was a challenge, some tasks were lighterhearted than others. “Robyn Beauchesne, who was the department head with me, covered all of Ricky Martin’s tattoos. He had tons of them and he was always shirtless or in a Speedo, so we all pitched in,” laughs Mekash. “That was really fun.”
Emmy web ad for The Assassination of Gianni Versace | 9 April 2018
Watch Gold Derby Editors Tom O’Neil & Joyce Eng clash over their Emmy predictions for the drama & TV movie/mini races
Will “Handmaid’s Tale” win Best Drama Series again? Or can “Game of Thrones or even “The Americans” take it down? Watch Gold Derby editors Joyce and Tom dish the strong chance that “Americans” star Matthew Rhys has to pull off an upset over incumbent champ Sterling K. Brown (“This Is Us”) for Best Drama Actor. They also handicap the races for Best TV Movie and Limited Series. | 1 August 2018
(*ACS: Versace / Limited Series talk begins at 18:00)
There were some pretty powerful limited series and movies released over the past year, and Darren Criss leads the way for best actor for his gripping performance in The Assassination of Gianni Versace.
Darren Criss -200 Benedict Cumberbatch +180 Antonio Banderas +1200 John Legend +1200 Jesse Plemons +3500 Jeff Daniels +4000
I’m not sure if Criss is the favorite because of how well he acted or just how intense his series was. Either way, it does feel like some pretty iconic stars are being overlooked here.
Jeff Daniels comes in with the worst odds despite crushing it in The Looming Tower, while Antonio Banderas was surprisingly fantastic (I always felt he was loudly overrated) in Genius.
If anyone is stopping Criss, though, it has to be Benedict Cumberbatch for his work in Patrick Melrose.
I think you can consider other options here, but Riz Ahmed was an explosive newcomer last year in The Night Of, and I think Criss looks like a lock to follow a similar path.
PICK Darren Criss -200
Best Limited Series
This category enters with a landslide favorite, as The Assassination of Gianni Versace was extremely well done from top to bottom and figures to be this year’s The Night Of.
The Assassination of Gianni Versace -1500 Godless +1000 Patrick Melrose +1200 Genius: Picasso +1800 The Alienist +2000
Godless has the next best shot here, but this is hands-down The Assassination of Gianni Versace’s Emmy to lose.
PICK The Assassination of Gianni Versace -1500
Best Supporting Actor – Limited Series/Movie
Jeff Daniels has developed into such a great actor that his footprint is felt all over the 2018 Emmy Awards.
He’s nominated for his part in The Looming Tower, but he enters this category as the clear favorite.
Jeff Daniels -650 Edgar Ramirez +400 Brandon Victor Dixon +2000 Finn Wittrock +3300 Michael Stuhlbarg +3300 Ricky Martin +3300 John Leguizamo +4000
I don’t think anyone here really has a case to unseat Daniels from the top spot. Ramirez has the next best odds, but the argument for these other candidates comes up pretty frail.
If anything, I’d swing for the fences and roll the dice on John Leguizamo at +4000. He was never properly honored for his impressive work on Bloodline, while he was fantastic in Waco.
A longshot flier bet isn’t a terrible try here, but Daniels looks like a lock.
PICK Jeff Daniels -650
Best Supporting Actress – Limited Series/Movie
If you thought we were done with The Assassination of Gianni Versace, think again.
Obviously, the critics loved this limited series, and it had as much to do with the tense acting as it did with the real harrowing story.
Penelope Cruz hands in yet another strong performance from this limited series, and she’s favored to take home the award for best supporting actress.
I probably wouldn’t go against Cruz here, especially since -150 is a nice price for a sizable favorite.
That being said, Judith Light was also great in The Assassination of Gianni Versace, and Letitia Wright (+3300) is worth a flier for her role in a Black Mirror episode.
I still think this is Cruz’s award to lose, and the value is nice.
Playing Gianni Versace (Ramirez) and his longtime lover Antonio D’Amico (Martin) on FX’s limited series earned Martin his first Emmy nom and Ramirez his second. But the pair will now face off against each other and fellow co-star Finn Wittrock in the supporting actor category. While Ramirez has the best shot for his transformative work as the titular character, the Versace gang could lose out to Godless’ Jeff Daniels.
Darren Criss, Brad Simpson, Alexis Martin Woodall, Ricky Martin, Tom Rob Smith, Edgar Ramirez, Finn Wittrock, Judith Light, Ryan Murphy, Nina Jacobson, and Dan Minahan at the TCA Awards, Show, TCA Summer Press Tour, Los Angeles, USA – 04 Aug 2018
ACS news 