Emmy Snobs and Surprises: Wandavision, Michael K. Williams

Emmy voters didn’t love “WandaVision” as much as the rest of us.

While Marvel Studios’ Disney Plus series won three awards at the Creative Arts Emmys last weekend – for production, costume design, and music – the action series was banned from the Primetime Emmys altogether, which has took place in a tent in Los Angeles on Sunday evening. Fans and critics alike loved last winter’s inventive show, in which Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) finally came to terms with her grief over losing Vision (Paul Bettany).

“WandaVision” didn’t win any major awards on Sunday night, after receiving 23 nominations in total, turned out to be the biggest snub in the series. The series was set to win at least two awards for its acting: Kathryn Hahn and Bettany were heavily cited as favorites in their categories for limited drama series.

Biggest winners from Sunday’s show? “The Crown” and “The Queen’s Gambit”, which won a total of 11 awards each, including previously awarded technical awards. And the biggest winner of all was Netflix, which produced both shows, and received its first wins in the series categories after years of near misses.

Here are the most surprising victories of the evening.

Tobias Menzies defeated Michael K. Williams for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama

One of the sure bets for the Emmys was that Williams, who died aged 54 in early September, would finally win his first Emmy for “Lovecraft Country,” after receiving five nominations. (Although that number should have been higher for his defining career portrayal of Omar Little – the terrifying, queer stick-up man – on HBO’s “The Wire.”)

But alas, it doesn’t seem like enough voters saw the HBO sci-fi series, which was canceled after one season. Instead, the Emmys crammed another trophy on “The Crown,” presenting the award to Tobias Menzies for playing Prince Philip, even though he had a smaller role in Season 4 than in Season 3 of. the Netflix series.

Perhaps the most surprised of all was Menzies himself, who didn’t bother to stay awake all night and attend the remote satellite reception of “The Crown” from London for the British actors. .

Kate Winslet for “Mare of Easttown”

For most of the Emmy season, the frontrunner of the extremely Competitive actresses in a limited series category leaned towards Anya Taylor-Joy in “The Queen’s Gambit”. After all, rising star Taylor-Joy as an orphan chess prodigy – who is also a pill addict and alcoholic – was an acting feat. And “The Queen’s Gambit” was the surprise hit Netflix limited series that no one had seen coming in fall 2020.

But cut to that spring, and came Winslet as Mare in the springtime obsession with HBO’s limited series “Mare of Easttown” – with her Delco accent and her shattered life. Winslet played Mare as a die-hard sleuth investigating a murder in her hometown outside Philly, where she knows every person – and must navigate the suspects closest to her. This was Winslet’s second Emmy victory for an HBO project: she also won in that same category for “Mildred Pierce.”

And speaking of “Mare” upsets, Julianne Nicholson for “Mare of Easttown”

Before Sunday’s Emmys, Hahn was the overwhelming favorite for her double Big Bad role on “WandaVision” – she even sang, for god’s sake!

But the Academy’s surprises started early and in the third prize of the evening, Nicholson won the award for Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Film, for her portrayal of Lori in “Mare of Easttown” by HBO. As Lori, Nicholson plays Mare’s best friend (Winslet), who is her rock and soundboard as Mare’s life crumbles. But after learning that Lori’s young son Ryan is the killer Mare is chasing – well, you’ll just have to watch the finale again to see the amazing things Nicholson does, both with Cameron Mann’s Ryan and with Winslet.

Turns out it was Julianne from the start.

Ewan McGregor wins for “Halston”

McGregor, who had previously been nominated in the Limited Series category for “Fargo”, won his first Emmy for “Halston”. He delivered a transformative performance as a 1970s fashion designer, who struggled with addiction at the peak of his career.

But McGregor was seen as an underdog, as Ryan Murphy’s “Halston” on Netflix met mixed reviews when it premiered in May: Bettany was the frontrunner for “WandaVision”.

Olivia Colman was not there favorite – but she won anyway

The lead actress’ bet odds in a drama predicted that Mj Rodriguez (“Pose”) or Colman’s “Crown” co-star Emma Corrin (who played Princess Diana) would win this trophy. And either of those winners would have been historic, as Rodriguez would have been the first transgender winner in a major acting category, and Corrin would have been the first openly non-binary winner.

But Colman, who played Queen Elizabeth in Seasons 3 and 4 of “The Crown,” was undeniable. Even though she was surprised, she said in her acceptance speech: “I would have put money on that. not event.”

.. and Josh O’Connor too

O’Connor won the Golden Globe in January for playing a young Prince Charles, so his victory – in the middle of a night of “Crown” domination – was no complete surprise. But Billy Porter was due to rehearse – after winning last year for “Pose” – for his final season as New York Grandmaster of Ceremonies Pray Tell.