The nominations are in for the 2014 Primetime Emmy Awards. Over the next few weeks, I'll be going through several of the major categories and offer my predictions on who will win this year. Next up, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie.
The nominees are: Burton & Taylor's Helena Bonham Carter; Return to Zero's Minnie Driver; American Horror Story: Coven's Jessica Lange & Sarah Paulson; The Trip to Bountiful's Cicely Tyson; and The Spoils of Babylon's Kristen Wiig.
1. CICELY TYSON - THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL (LIFETIME)
There's a precedence with The Trip to Bountiful of the leading woman walking away with the top acting prize no matter what medium it is in. It's already won an Oscar and a Tony throughout the years. And now, it has the strong chance of adding an Emmy to that strong history. Tyson is a proven actress with the Emmys - having been nominated eleven times and winning three times. All of that seems like it will add up to a win here.
2. JESSICA LANGE - AMERICAN HORROR STORY: COVEN (FX)
This is one of the few races this year that I just can't really get that excited about. There's no clear frontrunner and there's no one who I feel needs to win. Everyone does adequate work in their respective nominated series - but I don't feel anything special happened amongst these nominees. Lange could very easily win her second trophy for American Horror Story even though she had far better material in the first two years.
3. SARAH PAULSON - AMERICAN HORROR STORY: COVEN (FX)
I was confused by Paulson's Coven character all season long. It didn't seem like the creatives knew what they were doing with her until the finale - and then it all just felt rushed. I'm still upset she didn't win for Asylum last year. So, maybe voters could make up for it? I don't know.
4. HELENA BONHAM CARTER - BURTON & TAYLOR (BBC AMERICA)
Will voters ever recognize a program from BBC America with a win? I don't know. But Helena Bonham Carter is a respectable movie star. And yet, the movie couldn't get into the main race which likely means Carter got nominated because enough people recognized her name. But recognition could also easily lead to a win for her.
5. KRISTEN WIIG - THE SPOILS OF BABYLON (IFC)
Voters love giving Wiig Emmy nominations. Her nod for The Spoils of Babylon proves that they'll embrace her without being a part of the Saturday Night Live machine. It would be funny if she had to leave the late night sketch comedy series to finally get a win. I don't see it happening because the miniseries didn't get any other nominations - despite a high-caliber cast.
6. MINNIE DRIVER - RETURN TO ZERO (LIFETIME)
If an actress from a Lifetime movie is going to win, it's likely going to be Tyson. That's nothing against Driver's work in this movie. It's just the feeling I get when I look at this race.
1. CICELY TYSON - THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL (LIFETIME)
There's a precedence with The Trip to Bountiful of the leading woman walking away with the top acting prize no matter what medium it is in. It's already won an Oscar and a Tony throughout the years. And now, it has the strong chance of adding an Emmy to that strong history. Tyson is a proven actress with the Emmys - having been nominated eleven times and winning three times. All of that seems like it will add up to a win here.
2. JESSICA LANGE - AMERICAN HORROR STORY: COVEN (FX)
This is one of the few races this year that I just can't really get that excited about. There's no clear frontrunner and there's no one who I feel needs to win. Everyone does adequate work in their respective nominated series - but I don't feel anything special happened amongst these nominees. Lange could very easily win her second trophy for American Horror Story even though she had far better material in the first two years.
3. SARAH PAULSON - AMERICAN HORROR STORY: COVEN (FX)
I was confused by Paulson's Coven character all season long. It didn't seem like the creatives knew what they were doing with her until the finale - and then it all just felt rushed. I'm still upset she didn't win for Asylum last year. So, maybe voters could make up for it? I don't know.
4. HELENA BONHAM CARTER - BURTON & TAYLOR (BBC AMERICA)
Will voters ever recognize a program from BBC America with a win? I don't know. But Helena Bonham Carter is a respectable movie star. And yet, the movie couldn't get into the main race which likely means Carter got nominated because enough people recognized her name. But recognition could also easily lead to a win for her.
5. KRISTEN WIIG - THE SPOILS OF BABYLON (IFC)
Voters love giving Wiig Emmy nominations. Her nod for The Spoils of Babylon proves that they'll embrace her without being a part of the Saturday Night Live machine. It would be funny if she had to leave the late night sketch comedy series to finally get a win. I don't see it happening because the miniseries didn't get any other nominations - despite a high-caliber cast.
6. MINNIE DRIVER - RETURN TO ZERO (LIFETIME)
If an actress from a Lifetime movie is going to win, it's likely going to be Tyson. That's nothing against Driver's work in this movie. It's just the feeling I get when I look at this race.
