Emmys 2019: Supporting Actress, Limited Series — Dream Nominees
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ELIZA SCANLEN, SHARP OBJECTS
WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: Scanlen was new to American audiences when she appeared as Amma Crellin, and it would have been easy for powerhouse co-stars Amy Adams and Patricia Clarkson to overshadow her. But Scanlen effortlessly stole every scene she appeared in, oscillating between Amma's childlike innocence at home and the wild, sensual energy she brought to Wind Gap's streets at night. Even in a cast stacked with big names, Scanlen easily emerged as Sharp Objects' most mesmerizing star.
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ELIZABETH REASER, THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE
WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: Of all the Crain children, Shirley is the toughest sell: She's abrasive and judgmental, quick to cut down her siblings and slow to forgive them. But in Reaser's capable hands, Shirley also was an incredibly relatable woman whose vulnerability peeked through the defenses she'd built since her mother's traumatic death. It's been more than 10 years since the Academy recognized Reaser's talents, and her turn in the Netflix horror drama is the perfect chance to scare up some Emmy love again, don't you think?
Episode 101
PATRICIA ARQUETTE, THE ACT
WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: Anytime Hulu's ripped-from-the-headlines drama cut to Arquette, her hair a tangle of curls, her voice little more than a whisper, we didn't see her. We only saw Dee Dee Blanchard, the lost soul driven by opportunism and Munchausen syndrome by proxy to make daughter Gypsy ill. Add to that feat the way Arquette managed to create a monster that we pitied as much as despised, and her inclusion among our Dream Emmy nominees was as likely as Dee Dee's murder.
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PATRICIA CLARKSON, SHARP OBJECTS
WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: In the flawless triumvirate of female performances that anchored HBO's Gothic murder mystery, Clarkson played the role of the evil queen... and we're still shuddering at the thought of her. As overbearing mom Adora, Clarkson was positively chilling, hiding her passive-aggressive barbs behind a veneer of old-world gentility before her truly sinister secrets came to light. Her vicious battles with Amy Adams' Camille were riveting, and Clarkson's brutal honesty cut all the way down to the bone.
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VANESSA HUDGENS, RENT
WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: The sheer amount of verve that Hudgens brought to the live(-ish) musical is award-worthy on its own merit. Add in her gorgeous vocal chops and sharp comedic timing, and you've got a performance that put us — to quote the theme of Maureen's performance-art — over the moon. Hudgens' slinky, energetic half of the "Take Me or Leave Me" duet was perfect; here's hoping the Emmy Powers That be were as captivated as we were.
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VICTORIA PEDRETTI, THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE
WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: Poor, poor Nell. That was the thought running through our minds for much of Hill House's first season, largely due to Pedretti's achingly sensitive turn as the tortured Crain daughter. Need we remind Emmy voters of Nell's wedding? Or her fatal return to Hill House, including a heartbreaking "dance" with her husband? Or her emotional reunion with her siblings in the finale? All of those scenes were elevated by Pedretti's expressive face and tender portrayal of Nell, who was the bent-necked heart of Hill House all along.