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12.13.21
The 28th Annual
SAG Awards Outstanding performances by male actors on television
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BACKSTAGE, vol. 62, no. 34 (ISSN#53635 USPS#39740) IS A WEEKLY PUBLICATION, WITH OCCASIONAL DOUBLE ISSUES IN MARCH, MAY, SEPTEMBER, FEBRUARY, JUNE, AUGUST AND DECEMBER AND ONE ISSUE PUBLISHED IN APRIL AND JULY (except the fourth week of December) by Backstage LLC, 45 Main St., Brooklyn, NY 11201, $3.99 per copy, $99 per year. Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn, NY 11256 and additional mailing offices. Printed in USA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Backstage, 45 Main St., Ste. 416, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Publication Mail Agreement No. 40031729. ©2017 Backstage LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Backstage LLC: Joshua Ellstein, Chief Executive Officer.
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“TED LASSO”: COURTESY APPLE TV+; “SUCCESSION”: MACALL B. POLAY/HBO; “GENIUS: ARETHA”: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC/RICHARD DUCREE
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
vol. 62, no. 34 | 12.13.21
Cover Story
Prospecting for Gold Your official guide to the 2020 Oscar nominations page 16
The Green Room 6 Broadway’s audience boom 8 This week’s roundup of who’s casting what starring whom
10 Annie Murphy reflects on “Schitt’s Creek”
Advice
Contents 13 CRAFT
Survive and thrive
NICK MOHAMMED ON “TED LASSO”
13 #IGOTCAST
Mark Beauchamp
Awards Contenders 14 SECRET AGENT MAN
The power of intention 6 Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Features
18 Outstanding Performance by a Male 4 Actor BACKSTAGE in a Drama 5 Series WITH... David Alan Grier
“TED LASSO”: COURTESY APPLE TV+; “SUCCESSION”: MACALL B. POLAY/HBO; “GENIUS: ARETHA”: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC/RICHARD DUCREE
26 Outstanding Performance by a Male in aTHE Limited Series 12 Actor MEET MAKER
Cathy Yan, “Birds of Prey”
director Features
12 TV 14 PERFORMANCES BY MEN THE ESSENTIALISTS
BRIAN COX ON “SUCCESSION”
EVERY ACTOR SHOULD SEE Jeremy Woodhead, Some ofhair Hollywood’s most and makeup designer noteworthy share their favorite 15 television IN THE ROOM WITH male performers Victoria Thomas 14 THE ACHIEVEMENT OUR DREAM BALLOT OF 21 A LIFETIME And the 2020tidbits, Oscar and SHOULD Our favorite quotes, photos have from gone SAG’sto… televised Life Achievement Award 32 ASK AN EXPERT 24 TV AUDITIONS 101on principal and Amy Russ The CDsbackground behind “Mare of work Easttown,” “The White Lotus,” and more on how actors can book Casting television work 22 New York Tristate 30 BIG FIGHTS ON California THE27 SMALL SCREEN As television becomes more 28 National/Regional cinematic, so does its pulsepounding stunt work Cover illustration by John Jay Cabuay.
Cover designed byACTOR: Ian Robinson. 32 WHAT MAKES AN
TV EDITION Your favorite performers’ “I am an actor” speeches
COURTNEY B. VANCE ON “GENIUS: ARETHA”
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On the cover: Terry Papoulias/shutterstock. com. Cover designed by Ian Robinson.
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Letter From the Editor
JASON SUDEIKIS ON “TED LASSO”
“TED LASSO”: COURTESY APPLE TV+; “WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS”: RUSS MARTIN/FX; “SPECIAL”: COURTESY NETFLIX; RODRIGUEZ: CAITLIN WATKINS
Hello again, fellow binge watchers, As primetime awards shows draw near, Backstage is here to provide the info you need to be in the know. In this special issue, we break down the male television performances you’ve heard about for months, the ones that might’ve slipped your mind, and the ones you may not have even heard of yet. Look to us for the inside scoop on the most impressive comedy, drama, and limited series actors of the year (on Pages 6, 18, and 26, respectively). We’ll tell you what we love about Jason Sudeikis’ work on “Ted Lasso” and Harvey Guillén’s on “What We Do in the Shadows,” and why Ryan O’Connell’s turn on “Special” is one of the most touching performances of the season. Plus, we explain why there’s so much buzz about Brian Cox’s titanic performance as Logan Roy on “Succession.” And let’s not forget the standout stunt work happening on the small screen (Page 30), as well as key insights from some of the season’s busiest casting directors (Page 24). It’s an essential examination of the awards-worthy acting landscape ahead of the SAG Awards; so without further ado…
HARVEY GUILLÉN ON “WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS”
Happy exploring!
Briana Rodriguez Editor-in-Chief
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RYAN O’CONNELL ON “SPECIAL”
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● Male
Comedy Series
ANDRE BRAUGHER ON “BROOKLYN NINE-NINE”
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HE TIME HAS COME TO BRUSH UP ON THE YEAR’S top television contenders—if not for the upcoming SAG Awards nominating window, then at least for bingeviewing purposes. There’s a lot of golden age TV content out there, and the talented comedic actors here represent the best of the best. If you’re looking for small-screen acting that will make you laugh, read on for 2021’s top male comedy series contenders!
Anthony Anderson
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seasons and counting. The naturally funny Anderson’s ability to pull off both modes continues to impress, as do those moments when he digs deeper.
with screen stalwart Gillian Anderson. Helping his fellow students through the growing pains of puberty and love, his character proves that schools should universally embrace comprehensive sex education; we’d all do better with a little Otis in our lives.
Asa Butterfield
Don Cheadle
“Sex Education” Characters don’t get much more charming than Otis Milburn, and the same can be said for Butterfield’s star-making performance. A longtime child and teen actor, Butterfield has the gargantuan task of co-leading “Sex Education”
Andre Braugher
“Brooklyn Nine-Nine” Captain Raymond Holt is so quietly nuanced that he’d be right at home in a prestige drama. In
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“Black Monday” If you enjoy the idea of Cheadle snorting a line of cocaine and then high-fiving a robot butler, “Black Monday” is the comedy for you. This wild ’80s throwback from Showtime stars Cheadle as the suave Maurice Monroe, a stockbroker who has the world backstage.com
JOHN P. FLEENOR/NBC
“Black-ish” Juggling a growing family, career, and fostering his kids’ sense of Blackness in the lily-white surroundings of upper-middleclass suburbia, Anderson’s Dre Johnson has been equal parts modern philosopher and swaggering goofball on ABC’s hit sitcom for seven wonderful
fact, the more seriousness and subtlety Braugher brings to the character, the more hilarious his line deliveries become. Opposite the over-the-top Andy Samberg and the rest of the beloved crew at the title precinct, Braugher continues to make playing unamused highly amusing.
“BLACK MONDAY”: NICOLE WILDER/SHOWTIME; “BREEDERS”: MIYA MIZUNO/FX
FYC: Male Actor in a Comedy Series
DON CHEADLE ON “BLACK MONDAY”
at his fingertips and craves more. Watching this one-of-a-kind leading man, you’ll want even more, too.
Carl Clemons-Hopkins
“Hacks” Marcus could have been a cursory, literally subservient role, receding into the background among larger-than-life women. Instead, Clemons-Hopkins (who made Emmys history this year as the first nonbinary person to be nominated for best supporting actor) makes the character a drily funny, confident, self-starting— and dare we say sexy?—presence that we miss whenever they’re not around. You’re rooting for Marcus to get out from under Deborah’s (Jean Smart) thumb from the moment the pair’s hot-and-cold dynamic is established.
Larry David
“Curb Your Enthusiasm” As much as we hate the fictionalized Larry David, we love the performance given by the real man. How can one person find so many fresh ways to express hilarious outrage? Over a decade
after HBO’s “Curb” first began, we find ourselves elated to have his dumbfounded character wreaking havoc in Hollywood season after cringeworthy season.
Michael Douglas
“The Kominsky Method” Hollywood acting coach Sandy Kominsky has seen better days. Douglas, however, is giving one of his best performances to date. He demonstrates funny or touching chemistry with all of his scene partners, including Sarah Baker, Nancy Travis, and the many other actors playing Sandy’s students. This season, opposite Kathleen Turner, in particular, Douglas creates a kind of onscreen magic.
Martin Freeman
“Breeders” Like so many men, “Breeders” hero Paul has trouble balancing partnership, fatherhood, and sanity, try as he might. Freeman, himself a father of two and a co-creator of the FX comedy, taps into the trials and tribulations of parenting in surprising, funny, and cringe-inducing ways; it hits close to home for fellow
JOHN P. FLEENOR/NBC
“BLACK MONDAY”: NICOLE WILDER/SHOWTIME; “BREEDERS”: MIYA MIZUNO/FX
DAISY HAGGARD AND MARTIN FREEMAN ON “BREEDERS”
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● Male
Comedy Series
CECILY STRONG AND KEEGAN-MICHAEL KEY ON “SCHMIGADOON!”
guardians of the young. Parents, you’ve been warned.
Brett Goldstein
HARVEY GUILLÉN ON “WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
“Mr. Corman” Apple TV+’s dearly departed but well-loved “Mr. Corman” saw Gordon-Levitt taking the reins as creator, writer, director, executive producer, and star. As the series’ titular Josh Corman, the leading man ably inhabited the slightly neurotic but well-meaning psyche of a musician who pivots to public school teaching as he navigates anxiety, love, and relationships with family and friends.
How I Got My SAG Card: Bob Odenkirk “I got my AFTRA card from being on ‘Saturday Night Live.’ I was a writer there, but I did a few one-line roles, which they’ll sometimes have writers do. Ben Stiller got me my SAG card [for] ‘The Ben Stiller Show.’ ”
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Harvey Guillén
“What We Do in the Shadows” Guillén’s Guillermo de la Cruz stands out as the human among vampires you can’t help but root
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Nicholas Hoult
“The Great” Tony McNamara’s Hulu dramedy works because of, not despite, its historically inaccurate flourishes. Embodying that spirit most of all is Hoult as Russian Emperor Peter III, following up his irreverently haughty work in “The Favourite.” Opposite Elle Fanning as Catherine the Great, he’s an exemplary scene partner: dry, unruffled, and hilariously imperious without stealing focus.
Keegan-Michael Key
“Schmigadoon!” Key’s Josh, a surgeon in a relationship with Cecily Strong’s Melissa, is your typical emotionally repressed dude. Watching the feelings that emerge from him in comedic bursts when the couple becomes trapped in a magical, musical town makes for hilarious TV. Among this chameleonic actor’s many skills is the ability backstage.com
“SCHMIGADOON!”: COURTESY APPLE TV+; “WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS”: RUSS MARTIN/FX
“Ted Lasso” “Ted Lasso” centers and celebrates all things sincere, daring to find humor in hope. Its earnest tone makes Roy Kent—the perpetually furious, repressed, aging footballer brought to life by the Emmywinning Goldstein—all the more hilarious. Under all that foulmouthed rage, there’s a sensitive man in crisis, which Goldstein reveals over the course of a subtle and effective character arc.
for on this Emmy-nominated comedy hit. His adorable, sweaterclad familiar hopes to become a bloodsucker himself despite discovering he’s a descendant of Van Helsing; the actor is particularly great at making this hilarious conflict clear while slaying vampires to protect his master, Nandor (Kayvan Novak), on early Season 2.
● Male
Comedy Series
MAX JENKINS AND RYAN O’CONNELL ON “SPECIAL”
to embody the role of the party pooper; his frustration at the frivolity around him, while played for laughs, is also utterly believable.
William H. Macy
“Shameless” Macy has been nominated, justifiably, for many awards over the years for his turn as Frank Gallagher on this Showtime dramedy. He was in rare form on the series’ final season, showing us new elements of his considerable abilities. Frank is still an erratic deadbeat dad, but the legendary actor has entered more and more calculated territory with the character, finding fresh ways to ground someone who’s often high as a kite.
Steve Martin
“Only Murders in the Building” Martin’s charming return to the spotlight as co-creator and star of “Only Murders in the Building” proves that the comedy legend has not missed a step. His washed-up actor Charles is the glue that holds this series’ main trio together. His performance is so wholesome and energetic that it begs the question: Is a Steve Martin renaissance upon us? “Mythic Quest” There are times when you won’t be able to stand McElhenney’s video game creative director Ian Grimm. But then he’ll do something that has you in stitches, and you’ll stop wishing he was a boss you could vanquish at the end of a level. The actor makes it clear, in surprisingly touching moments, that there’s more to this narcissist than meets the eye.
Nick Mohammed
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BETH DUBBER/NETFLIX
“Ted Lasso” Nathan Shelley’s evolution from team water boy to Ted’s assistant coach to cocky egomaniac is one of this hit comedy’s most fascinating arcs. Mohammed’s character comes into his own, with all the ups and downs that journey entails, expertly charted by an actor who doesn’t need to do much to steal a scene.
“TED LASSO”: COURTESY APPLE TV+; “KENAN”: CASEY DURKIN/NBC
Rob McElhenney
JASON SUDEIKIS AND SARAH NILES ON “TED LASSO”
Ryan O’Connell
“Special” Based on his own life as a gay man with mild cerebral palsy, O’Connell’s gem of a Netflix sitcom shone especially bright in its second season. As we follow fictional Ryan through a separation from his mother (Jessica Hecht) and a similarly fraught romance, we want to hug him and roll our eyes in equal measure. O’Connell is terrific at keeping the off-kilter laughs coming.
Paul Reiser
“The Kominsky Method” Plenty of comedic material has been mined from the dynamic between a man and his girlfriend’s father; Reiser deserves credit for capitalizing on this trope and then some. As Martin Schneider, the man who’s dating Sandy’s (Douglas) daughter Mindy (Sarah Baker), the veteran actor takes prickly situations in unexpected directions, zigging when you think he’ll zag.
BETH DUBBER/NETFLIX
“TED LASSO”: COURTESY APPLE TV+; “KENAN”: CASEY DURKIN/NBC
Martin Short
“Only Murders in the Building” Short’s silly charisma as a downon-his-luck Broadway director obsessed with true crime on “Only Murders in the Building” demonstrates how dark comedy should be done, layering lightness on top of the show’s heavier subject matter. Throughout the first season, Short expands his character beyond goofy comic relief with well-acted heartache that keeps the audience rooting for him to succeed.
Jason Sudeikis
“Ted Lasso” Sudeikis showcases the kind of charisma you can’t fake. His everyman vibe and whip-smart comedy chops have never found a better home than in the role of Ted Lasso, an upbeat American football coach hired to head up an English football team. The sophomore season of the Emmy winner’s Apple TV+ series went beyond fish-out-of-water comedy, allowing its leading man to set the bar high. backstage.com
Drew Tarver
KENAN THOMPSON AND DANNAH LANE ON “KENAN”
“The Other Two” Poor Cary Dubek. Channeling the spirit of every actor who’s ever endured a humiliating audition or gotten oh-so-close to a dream gig, Tarver hits the high water mark of onscreen self-loathing. Season 2 of Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider’s satire of modern-day fame sees Tarver oscillating between fleeting hope and crushing, cringeworthy shame, making the audience both laugh harder and feel for him more deeply.
Kenan Thompson
“Kenan” The long-gestating sitcom “Kenan” offers further proof that Thompson is one of his generation’s most gifted comedians. Flexing acting muscles he doesn’t often get to exhibit on “Saturday Night Live,” he gives widowed father and morning show host Kenan Williams a three-dimensional interiority. He makes private moments as clear as those opposite his co-stars, including Don Johnson, Chris Redd, and Kimrie Lewis.
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Some of Hollywood’s most noteworthy share their favorite male television performers PHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE
“Andrew Scott is just—I don’t know how that man does what he does. He’s charisma personified, mainly because he’s so alive in the moment. He knows the power of a look, and he knows how to really look at you. He will look at you like he’s in love with you. I mean, I paid him to look at me like he was in love with me, which I’ll never regret.”
SER’DARIUS BLAIN
“The entire series of ‘Game of Thrones’ is a lesson in the power of stillness. Everybody has such an incredible presence on that show.”
DAVEED DIGGS
“One of the things I enjoy most is the totality of David Suchet’s Hercule Poirot, of which there are many, many films and episodes. He’s adapted every Agatha Christie Poirot story. I am obsessed with them and have seen them all. And because of that, I have had this sort of rich experience of watching a really great actor adapt to a character over a very long time.”
PAAPA ESSIEDU
“Jharrel Jerome on ‘When They See Us.’ The show itself is amazing, but his performance is so nuanced, heart-wrenching, and noble. So much of it is just him by himself. He’s performing in solitary isolation, which is amazing.”
MICHAEL CHE
“Richard Pryor live, I think, is the greatest display of comedy ever shown or captured. I watch it every so often just to beat myself up as to what I’m not as a performer. It’s the best comedian that’s ever lived doing his best work. Anybody that wants to do comedy should watch how he’s able to tell a story with his entire body.”
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BLAIN: DFREE/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; “GAME OF THRONES”: COURTESY OF HBO; DIGGS: GA FULLNER/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; “HERCULE POIROT”: TRINITY MIRROR / MIRRORPIX / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; CHE: WENN RIGHTS LTD / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; PRYOR: SEE THEATER NETWORK / RONALD GRANT ARCHIVE / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; ESSIEDU: ALPHA PHOTO / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; "WHEN THEY SEE US": ATSUSHI NISHIJIMA/NETFLIX; WALLER-BRIDGE: KATHY HUTCHINS/SHUTTERSTOCK..COM; "FLEABAG": SOLOVYOV
5 TV Performances by Men Every Actor Should See
The Achievement of a L Since its inception, SAG-AFTRA has presented its Life Achievement Award to 56 performers who shaped the industry. In 1995, George Burns became the first to have his televised at the newly minted Screen Actors Guild Awards. We’ve rounded up our favorite quotes and other tidbits from a few of the 27 actors who have received the award since the ceremony’s launch. Clint Eastwood
George Burns Burns’ acceptance of his Life Achievement Award at the age of 99 marked his final TV appearance.
“This is heavy. Where’s Schwarzenegger when you need him?”
James Garner
Robert Redford
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
2000
2001
2002
2003
Julie Andrews
2004
2005
2006
Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee
Elizabeth Taylor Angela Lansbury
1999
Karl Malden
Kirk Douglas
Husband-and-wife collaborators Davis and Dee met while co-starring in the 1946 play “Jeb.” They were married in 1948.
“The great news is, girls, the opportunities are out there for us at all ages…. I feel absolutely galvanized to keep going and strike out for new career goals. After all, a career, as far as I’m concerned, is still a work in progress.”
Shirley Temple
Sidney Poitier
As a child actor, Temple was one of Hollywood’s biggest and most bankable film stars from 1934–1938.
“Along the way, I have accumulated no words of wisdom and have, therefore, arrived with no message of importance. But I will leave you with a simple observation: The rewards were in the journey, and there were many. Because of my traveling companions, the world is better than it was. And because of many of you, I am confident it will be better than it is.”
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THE ACTOR®: COURTESY THE SCREEN ACTORS GUILD; TEMPLE: FEATUREFLASH PHOTO AGENCY/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; DAVIS AND XXXX DEE: EVERETT COLLECTION/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; MORENO: FEATUREFLASH PHOTO AGENCY/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; REYNOLDS AND FISHER: FEATUREFLASH PHOTO AGENCY/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; DE NIRO: COURTESY THE SCREEN ACTORS GUILD
Ed Asner
a Lifetime
995, ur
Mary Tyler Moore “I was 18 years old, determined to make my father proud and prove to the sisters at Immaculate Heart High School that I would, indeed, amount to something. But there was a small problem: It seems there were six other Mary Moores on the SAG pages. Word came back: ‘Want to work in the business? Change your name, sweetheart.’ ”
Charles Durning
THE ACTOR®: COURTESY THE SCREEN ACTORS GUILD; TEMPLE: FEATUREFLASH PHOTO AGENCY/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; DAVIS AND XXXX DEE: EVERETT COLLECTION/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; MORENO: FEATUREFLASH PHOTO AGENCY/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; REYNOLDS AND FISHER: FEATUREFLASH PHOTO AGENCY/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; DE NIRO: COURTESY THE SCREEN ACTORS GUILD
ws
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Rita Moreno Best known for her Oscar-winning role in 1961’s “West Side Story,” Moreno has recently returned to her dancing shoes in Steven Spielberg’s remake of the classic.
Robert De Niro “We, as actors, don’t do it all alone. We can’t do it alone. We depend on each other for collaboration and our work and support and fellowship, both onscreen and off. And for that, I am so grateful.”
Carol Burnett Morgan Freeman
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Dick Van Dyke Ernest Borgnine
James Earl Jones
Debbie Reynolds
Alan Alda
Reynolds’ big night was a Hollywood family affair: Her daughter Carrie Fisher presented while her granddaughter Billie Lourd applauded from the audience.
Betty White After starring with her in that year’s romantic comedy “The Proposal,” Sandra Bullock presented White with this award. White thanked the audience and jokingly said of Bullock, “Isn’t it heartening to see how far a girl as plain as she is can go?”
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Lily Tomlin “Live your life so that when you are being honored for your achievements, the people called upon to make laudatory remarks can feel reasonably honest about their comments.”
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“CAST IS ” EXCEPTIONAL OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A DRAMA SERIES OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
JARED HARRIS
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LEE PACE
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TERRENCE MANN
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
LOU LLOBELL
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LEAH HARVEY
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LAURA BIRN
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION
12/3/21 9:46 AM
● Male
Drama Series
KATJA HERBERS AND MIKE COLTER ON “EVIL”
OW TO WHITTLE DOWN TODAY’S MANY TV DRAMA contenders? Ahead of the Jan. 12 SAG Award nominations announcement, we’ve taken on that difficult task. From reliable favorites on network family dramas to the men leading terrifying thrillers, here are our favorite lead and supporting contenders for your consideration.
Sterling K. Brown
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enthralling characters in TV drama—which is no small feat, especially five seasons in.
Kevin Costner
“Yellowstone” Yellowstone Dutton Ranch owner John Dutton encompasses everything we love about Costner: He can play tough yet kindhearted, bringing nuanced depth and sheer entertainment value to the screen in equal
Mike Colter
“Evil” Colter’s riveting portrayal of paranormal investigator and priest David Acosta may be the main reason this CBS-toParamount+ drama has become
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measure. As John, the actor straddles the genres of twisty family drama and old-fashioned Western perfectly, fighting for his way of life with a righteousness that always feels earned.
Brian Cox
“Succession” Veering from paranoid fury to, well, justified fury on Jesse Armstrong’s tale of the one percent, Cox is clearly having the time of his life—in the role of his career. He has a field day delivering the loathsome manipulations (and utterances of “Fuck off!”) of Logan Roy, backstage.com
ELIZABETH FISHER/CBS
“This Is Us” Playing the multifaceted Randall Pearson means that Emmy winner Brown gets to preach the truth, have mental breakdowns, and occasionally throw out solid one-liners that reveal his superb comedic timing. (Can anyone make dad jokes like he can?) He’s created one of the most
a runaway hit. The bloodier and freakier things get, the more compelling David’s internal war between fact and faith becomes. Colter needs other weird projects like this one. He can inhabit both leading man and character actor with the best of them.
“SNOWPIERCER”: DAVID BUKACH; “AMERICAN RUST”: DENNIS MONG/SHOWTIME
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FYC: Male Actor in a Drama Series
SHEILA VAND AND DAVEED DIGGS ON “SNOWPIERCER”
old-media mogul and sadistic family patriarch. He portrays a man accustomed to bending the world to his will from inside the prison of his own god complex.
Billy Crudup
“The Morning Show” Rising network executive Cory Ellison has access to everything a man could possibly want—money, drugs, women—yet none of it interests him. He is the essence of a privileged, powerful man: always consuming, always wanting more. “Chaos is the new cocaine!” he exclaims with wildeyed glee. Crudup’s performance remains so weirdly riveting, alternating between exhilarated hedonism and sharklike remorselessness, that it demands to be rewatched.
Jeff Daniels
“American Rust” Daniels is a sure-bet star, the kind of actor whose every project you can trust to be captivating. Combining mournful gravitas with flashes of dry humor, his turn as small-town police chief Del Harris is another feather in his cap. He embodies what most preoccupies this page-to-screen adaptation: America, collectively, losing its identity. You can see it in his eyes.
ELIZABETH FISHER/CBS
“SNOWPIERCER”: DAVID BUKACH; “AMERICAN RUST”: DENNIS MONG/SHOWTIME
Daveed Diggs
“Snowpiercer” Diggs is masterful at conveying righteous indignation. On this TNT thriller, he plays Andre Layton, a detective and budding revolutionary aboard a train circling the frozen wasteland that Earth has become in the not-sodistant future. The actor hints at a growing sense of rebellion while maintaining a cool, curious exterior. There’s something so compelling about his voice, as if every word he says has a hidden meaning.
Mark Duplass
“The Morning Show” There’s an art to playing harried: It involves a wide-eyed, tense-yetmobile physicality, and Duplass has it down pat. Watching his backstage.com
daytime TV producer Chip Black undergoing stress so intense that it often verges on absurd, you may end up feeling anxious yourself. Duplass harnesses his natural decency to subtle effect; amid all the antics Chip must deal with, you always sense his loyalty, especially to Jennifer Aniston’s Alex.
JEFF DANIELS ON “AMERICAN RUST”
Paul Giamatti
“Billions” Only four-time SAG Award– winning powerhouse Giamatti could tackle the role of Chuck Rhoades, a viciously sharp New York attorney embroiled in a battle of wills with Damian Lewis’ scheming hedge fund manager. As he skirts the limits of the law for what he calls “the greater good,” we can’t help but root for Chuck, even as his tenuous claims to heroism start to crumble beneath his feet.
Michael C. Hall
“Dexter: New Blood” One of the foremost figures in the TV antihero canon is back.
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● Male
Drama Series ANTHONY MACKIE AND EMILY VANCAMP ON “THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER”
Hall once again lures us into the twisted world of forensic analyst and hypercompetent serial killer Dexter Morgan, 10 years after the original Showtime drama’s conclusion. Now, he’s innocent shopkeeper Jim Lindsay, trying to resist the pull of sinister happenings both without and within. Hall reminds us he can play that duality with delicious intrigue.
Hemsworth’s Thor, this time, Hiddleston stars on his own Disney+ spinoff series, again turning the villain into a lovable figure. His quick quips come with genuine charm, allowing for outstanding character development that makes the show’s nonlinear plot digestible for viewers.
Tom Hiddleston
“The Good Doctor” What makes “The Good Doctor” stand out isn’t just its refreshingly character-focused approach to the medical drama genre; it’s the sheer power of Highmore’s portrayal of autism and savant
“Loki” Hiddleston’s portrayal of mischievous god Loki is finally getting the critical acclaim it deserves. Though he usually plays second fiddle to Chris
Freddie Highmore
LEE JUNG-JAE ON “SQUID GAME”
Lee Jung-jae
“Squid Game” American audiences may not yet know him by name, but Lee is one of the most recognizable breakout actors of the year. As the protagonist of “Squid Game,” the South Korean series that’s become Netflix’s most-watched hit, he portrays the desperation of a man willing to do anything to save himself and his mother, while finding moments of offbeat humor amid the bloodshed.
Anthony Mackie
“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” While he’s been working consistently for years, Mackie BACKSTAGE 12.13.21
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is finally getting his due with Disney+’s “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” He pulls from his Juilliard training to bring grounded humanity to even the most fantastical superheroic circumstances. This Marvelcertified star has you in his corner from frame one, helping usher in the MCU’s post–“Avengers: Endgame” generation.
Max Minghella
“The Handmaid’s Tale” Moments of beauty and optimism pack a powerful punch on the otherwise bleak saga that is “The Handmaid’s Tale.” As Commander Nick Blaine, Minghella is responsible for one such scene, made all the more moving by its suddenness: Sharing a boldly romantic kiss with Elisabeth Moss’ June, Minghella makes the case that this character’s heart will win out over his strategic mind. backstage.com
“SQUID GAME”: NOH JUHAN/NETFLIX; “THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER”: CHUCK ZLOTNICK
syndrome. He leads one of ABC’s most fascinating procedurals like the doctor he plays: reliably, with a sure hand. We’re betting this rising Hollywood star will only continue to ascend.
● Male
Drama Series DYLLÓN BURNSIDE AND BILLY PORTER ON “POSE”
Lee Pace
How I Got My SAG Card:
Billy Porter
Evan Peters
“Pose” Everyone on this sequined and stunning series deserves accolades aplenty, but the performance that may most lodge itself in your heart is Porter’s Emmy-winning turn as Pray Tell. With countless friends and lovers dying of AIDS, he’s entrenched in sadness and unimaginable fear;
“It was either Papa John’s or Sour Patch Kids or a Moviefone commercial. It was one of those three, because around that time, I did those and was able to Taft-Hartley and then finally get the card.”
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yet he projects joy without ever coming off as saccharine. We’re finally mining the depths of this veteran theater actor’s abilities.
Justice Smith
“Generation” “Generation” star Smith gives one of the liveliest performances currently to be found on the small screen. Leading the HBO Max drama’s pack of ne’er-do-well Gen Z-ers as queen bee Chester, he’s bold, confident, and a little damaged; he also wears his queerness on his sleeve—decked out in gender-bent fashions, no less. Chester gives Smith welcome opportunity to chew scenery and sends him on the kind of personalgrowth journey that we wish we could see more of on TV.
Jeremy Strong
“Succession” “Succession” is a story of extremes, of people flying too backstage.com
“FOUNDATION”: HELEN SLOAN; “POSE”: ERIC LIEBOWITZ/FX
“Foundation” Pace is hubris personified as Brother Day, the cloned ruler of the ancient Galactic Empire on this Apple TV+ sci-fi series. Moving his body like it’s a holy relic, arms outstretched as though all are privileged to look upon him, the actor emanates unshakable confidence and menace. It’s a treat to watch Pace show the cracks forming in that veneer, proving that there are no gods among men.
“GODFATHER OF HARLEM”: COURTESY EPIX; “THE HANDMAID’S TALE”: SOPHIE GIRAUD/HULU
LEE PACE ON “FOUNDATION”
BRADLEY WHITFORD ON “THE HANDMAID’S TALE”
close to the sun and plummeting to unimaginable depths—often multiple times in a single episode. Its most psychologically broken player, the driven, hardheaded Kendall Roy, may also be its most relatable. That’s because the Emmy-winning Strong imbues this drug-addicted man-child with raw impotence underneath all his braggadocio.
Justin Theroux
“The Mosquito Coast” Theroux turns Apple TV+’s “The Mosquito Coast” into a true family affair, starring on this adaption of his uncle Paul Theroux’s classic adventure novel. He plays Allie Fox, an idealistic inventor who uproots his family and moves to Latin America, in his mind freeing them from the United States’ industrial commercialism—until the government tracks him down, that is. Through it all, the actor does a fine spin on Indiana Jones, with charm, smarts, and brawn to spare.
“FOUNDATION”: HELEN SLOAN; “POSE”: ERIC LIEBOWITZ/FX
“GODFATHER OF HARLEM”: COURTESY EPIX; “THE HANDMAID’S TALE”: SOPHIE GIRAUD/HULU
Forest Whitaker
“Godfather of Harlem” If you’re looking for a good old-fashioned gangster drama— gritty and violent yet smartly written and acted—Whitaker has got you covered on this hit Epix series. As the latest star to portray 1960s Harlem crime lord Bumpy Johnson, Whitaker serves more emotion and depth than you might expect from such a notorious crook; count on an actor of his caliber to surprise you at every turn.
Bradley Whitford
“The Handmaid’s Tale” Leaning into the unnervingly eccentric portion of his career, Whitford continues to make his Emmy-winning turn as the duplicitous Commander Lawrence must-see TV. He maneuvers his performance on a dime, eliciting audience sympathy, loathing, and downright shivers. The reason the Season 4 finale’s twist is so immensely satisfying comes from the journey Whitford has taken us on—a karmic arc bending, finally, toward justice. backstage.com
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ANTHONY MACKIE, AMY AQUINO, AND SEBASTIAN STAN ON “THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER”
TV Auditions 101
Casting directors behind “Mare of Easttown,” “The White Lotus,” and more on how actors can book television work
Felicia Fasano
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Sarah Finn
“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” “Hawkeye” Finn, the CD behind the SAG Award–eligible “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” and “Hawkeye,” reminds actors of the many factors outside their control when auditioning for a role. “There’s no trying to figure it out,” she says. “Just trust that we have your best interests at heart, and we’re listening to our directors and our producers and our screenwriters, and we [have] the job of putting this all together.” Finn adds that if an actor loses out on a role, that doesn’t mean they won’t be cast in the future. “Our job really is to take the long view and remember people and what their talent and creativity is.”
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Avy Kaufman
“The Chair,” “Dopesick,” “Mare of Easttown” Kaufman recommends that actors learn as much as they can about the process on both sides of the table. Casting internships and audition-reading jobs are great opportunities for actors to learn more about the inner workings of building an ensemble. “Keep your ears open and your mouth closed, and pay attention,” she advises. Being a reader, in particular, allows actors “to walk into a room and see what the process is like, and see who gets a job and why they get the job.” You can put that knowledge to use next time you’re called in for a role.
Anne McCarthy
“Midnight Mass” McCarthy, who recently cast Netflix horror hit “Midnight Mass,” knows that filming self-tapes can make you feel like you’re pouring your heart out and sending the contents into the
backstage.com
COURTESY MARVEL STUDIOS
“Kevin Can F**k Himself” Television offers more opportunities for new actors than film, in that they are often hired to join an already established ensemble for guest arcs and recurring characters. When an actor is auditioning for one of these jobs, Fasano says that preparing the sides is only half of the equation. The CD, who cast “Kevin Can F**k Himself,” starring “Schitt’s Creek” Emmy winner Annie Murphy, advises, “If it’s a show that’s on the air, watch the show so you have an idea of
the tone. I can’t tell you how many times [actors will] come in and have no idea, and that’s not right. You had time; you could have checked out 15 minutes.”
“MIDNIGHT MASS”: EIKE SCHROTER/NETFLIX ; “THE WHITE LOTUS”: MARIO PEREZ/HBO
B
ehind each of our favorite television series is a talented casting team, finding the perfect actors to bring the story to life. For performers interested in screen work, there’s never been a better time to join the ranks of television’s finest. Read on for advice from the CDs responsible for some of the year’s biggest shows.
By Matthew Nerber
COURTESY MARVEL STUDIOS
“MIDNIGHT MASS”: EIKE SCHROTER/NETFLIX ; “THE WHITE LOTUS”: MARIO PEREZ/HBO
RAHUL KOHLI ON “MIDNIGHT MASS”
void. But she says that her team watches every tape that comes in, even those from unrepresented actors. “You never know where you’re going to find a diamond in the rough, so we have actors reaching out to us directly all the time,” she says. When casting “The Haunting of Hill House” for Netflix, she remembers seeing about 3,000 tapes. “Sometimes, with the volume of it, they may not hear back; but we do watch everything, and we do keep specific feedback so we remember everyone,” she says. When it comes to direction for self-tapes, it’s important to her that actors have all the information they need to succeed. “We usually give them very specific instructions when they’re going on tape so that they’re not operating in a vacuum,” she says. “We give them very specific character breakdowns and direction on what to do so that they’re not handicapped.”
NATASHA ROTHWELL AND JENNIFER COOLIDGE ON “THE WHITE LOTUS”
Meredith Tucker
“The White Lotus” Tucker is the CD for one of this year’s most talked-about shows, HBO’s “The White Lotus,” from creator Mike White. She says that while it’s important for actors to have a handle on the audition process, they shouldn’t wait for someone else to give them permission to start working. “It’s always hard to get your foot in the door, but I think the thing that’s great now is that there are so many means to make your own product if you have a digital camera,” she says. Tucker also recommends that actors take smaller gigs before setting their sights on more high-profile jobs, even suggesting that they keep their “eyes open for nonunion stuff on Backstage.”
backstage.com backstage.com
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Limited Series
MURRAY BARTLETT ON “THE WHITE LOTUS”
E
NTERTAINMENT HISTORIANS MAY LOOK BACK ON 2021 as a particularly notable year for limited and anthology series on the small screen. As evidenced by the list of contenders we’ve assembled here, there’s enough talent to make the task facing SAG Awards Nominating Committees a tricky one. Read on for some of the worthiest male performances we can’t stop raving about.
Murray Bartlett
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Bobby Cannavale
“Nine Perfect Strangers” Playing a former football star– turned–drug addict, Cannavale’s role on Hulu’s psychedelic “Nine Perfect Strangers” explores trauma on multiple levels. Though his friend and co-star Melissa McCarthy coaxed him into joining the star-filled cast, Cannavale didn’t need anyone’s help when it came to building the relatable, woeful Tony. He captivates audiences.
“The Underground Railroad” Playing despicable characters requires a fine-tuned balance from actors; watching Barry Jenkins’ American slavery–era opus, it’s easy to see why Edgerton jumped at the chance to take on this one. His slave catcher Arnold Ridgeway inspires fear, to be sure, alternating between quiet menace and towering outrage. But there’s a sense of purpose underneath—a nuance demanded of such a villainous role. Edgerton rises to the occasion and then some.
Will Ferrell
“The Shrink Next Door” Yes, Ferrell is funny and we all know it. What makes his latest performance notable are all
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the surprises, both silly and dramatic, that he still has up his sleeve. Building upon our preconceptions and edging into less straightforward, more vulnerable territory as a neurotic man-child pulled willingly into his therapist’s schemes, Ferrell turns the real-life Marty “Easy Mark” Markowitz into a fascinating character.
Oscar Isaac
“Scenes From a Marriage” “Scenes From a Marriage” isn’t just a performer-centric project— it’s an acting gauntlet. Those who undertake such a story need to prepare for an emotional marathon. At this point in his meteoric career, Isaac can be counted on to pull it off. His backstage.com
“THE WHITE LOTUS”: MARIO PEREZ/HBO
“The White Lotus” Amid a starry cast, Bartlett takes center stage on HBO Max’s hit satire “The White Lotus” as Armond, the people-pleasing manager of a swanky Hawaiian resort. As viewers watch his vices get the best of him, Bartlett’s delivery of growing unease and snickering grins (paired with an unmatched mustache) creates a character that audiences hate to see but love to watch.
Joel Edgerton
“SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE”: JOJO WHILDEN/HBO; “HALSTON”: ATSUSHI NISHIJIMA/NETFLIX
FYC: Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
OSCAR ISAAC ON “SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE”
loving, furious, heartbroken Jonathan is thoroughly believable; he’s real enough to be the subject of what feels like the most intimate documentary ever.
Joshua Jackson
“Dr. Death” It’s no wonder podcasts based on real-life stories are being adapted into miniseries; they allow actors like Jackson to indulge in the wildly dramatic extremes of true crime. As Christopher Duntsch, a neurosurgeon who mutilated and even killed his patients, the actor credibly swings between intense arrogance and cold-hearted numbness. By this Peacock series’ conclusion, any trace of the warm, relatable presence we often associate with Jackson is long gone.
“THE WHITE LOTUS”: MARIO PEREZ/HBO
“SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE”: JOJO WHILDEN/HBO; “HALSTON”: ATSUSHI NISHIJIMA/NETFLIX
Michael Keaton
“Dopesick” Danny Strong’s Hulu miniseries rips the opioid crisis straight from the headlines and renders it distressingly real. “Dopesick” features an ensemble of real and composite figures who were mired in the still-urgent epidemic. As Samuel Finnix, a doctor hooked on the very drugs Big Pharma has pushed on his ailing patients, the always-brilliant Keaton is the actor who humanizes this saga— and breaks your heart—the most.
KELLY BISHOP AND EWAN MCGREGOR ON “HALSTON”
Hamish Linklater
“Midnight Mass” Linklater is operating on multiple levels as Father Paul Hill, the mysterious priest newly arrived on this series’ Crockett Island. Without giving anything away, he builds a compelling character arc—from gentle to disconcerting—and guides us deeper into this brainy horror story’s secrets. His halting delivery of passionate sermons makes for some of the most organic onscreen acting of the season.
Ewan McGregor
“Halston” Oozing fabulousness, McGregor’s iconic fashion pioneer Halston is another convincing and compelling turn in a career full backstage.com
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● Male Female
Limited Series
Jaden Michael
“Colin in Black and White” In light of the historic reckoning for racial equity we’ve seen over the past year, pro footballer Colin Kaepernick’s story of activism has never been timelier. He gets the Netflix treatment with Ava DuVernay at the helm and a perfectly cast young star. Portraying the high school experiences around race and athletics that shaped Kaepernick into the man he is today, Michael is a boy wonder, doing the source material proud while preaching a message the world needs to hear.
Clive Owen
“Impeachment: American Crime Story” We’ve long known that SAG BACKSTAGE 12.13.21
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Award winner and Oscar nominee Owen can act, but color us impressed with his uncanny embodiment of one of American history’s most divisive politicians. His Bill Clinton isn’t one that you’d find on “Saturday Night Live,” and in this strangerthan-fiction FX dramatization of his years-spanning sex scandal and subsequent trial, that’s a good thing.
Evan Peters
“Mare of Easttown” After a decade of reliably stellar work on the small screen— especially in the Ryan Murphy TV-verse—Peters’ turn as smitten detective Colin Zabel finally notched him his first Emmy nomination and win. His halfsmiling, prodding delivery of the line, “How do you know what I want?” offers sweetness matched with despair—especially knowing the character’s fate that soon followed.
Aaron Pierre
“The Underground Railroad” Pierre captivates us from the first backstage.com
“COLIN IN BLACK AND WHITE”: COURTESY NETFLIX; “MARE OF EASTTOWN”: MICHELE K. SHORT/HBO
of them. Watching him onscreen, you get the sense that this is an actor who understands artistry at its core: here a touch of sexy suaveness, there a glimpse of creative fire in his eyes. The Emmy winner makes this titan of industry somehow both familiar and unknowable.
EVAN PETERS ON “MARE OF EASTTOWN”
“THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD”: ATSUSHI NISHIJIMA
JADEN MICHAEL ON “COLIN IN BLACK AND WHITE”
AARON PIERRE ON “THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD”
moment he appears onscreen as Caesar, an enslaved man in antebellum Georgia plotting his escape in this gorgeous, ambitious miniseries. Though the character (spoiler alert) only appears in a handful of episodes, Pierre’s performance leaves an indelible impression of a brilliant, magnetic human robbed of reaching his potential by a wicked world.
Paul Rudd
“The Shrink Next Door” Rudd unveils more and more layers to titular psychiatrist “Dr. Ike,” and it’s what enables this true-life miniseries to do the same. Case in point: the awe he expresses as he realizes that his patient-cumfriend is, in fact, wealthy. As the wheels turn in Ike’s head and he resolves to continue overstepping boundaries to achieve his dream of a luxe life, it’s apparent there’s nothing predictable about his manipulative games.
Michael Shannon
Courtney B. Vance “THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD”: ATSUSHI NISHIJIMA
“COLIN IN BLACK AND WHITE”: COURTESY NETFLIX; “MARE OF EASTTOWN”: MICHELE K. SHORT/HBO
“Nine Perfect Strangers” We never knew we needed to see Shannon killing a pig while tripping on a hallucinogenspiked smoothie—but as it turns out, we’re all the better for it! Leave it to a character actor of his bottomless talents to sell us on a man who, while grieving the loss of his teenaged son, finds enlightenment on a retreat (thanks to drugs served up by Nicole Kidman as a Russian femme fatale). “Genius: Aretha” The word “complicated” comes to mind when describing C.L. Franklin’s relationship with his daughter, this National Geographic series’ Queen of Soul. That’s why Vance, who can always be counted on to create fleshed-out characters, warts and all, should be commended for illuminating that dynamic in only a handful of installments. He turns the pastor’s larger-than-life pronouncements into some of this season’s most compelling TV. backstage.com backstage.com
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TOM HIDDLESTON, SOPHIA DI MARTINO, AND GUGU MBATHA-RAW ON “LOKI”
Big Fights on the Small Screen As television becomes more cinematic, so does its pulse-pounding stunt work
GOLSHIFTEH FARAHANI AND AZHY ROBERTSON ON “INVASION”
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“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” Marvel’s “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” plays out like a movie across its six episodes, and that’s due in no small part to the stunt work. The series is packed with fights big and small, from close-quarter skirmishes to full-on battles that span entire cities. The stunt team delivers high-octane scenes that live up to the central heroes’ reputations.
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“Invasion” A modern riff on H.G. Wells’ “The War of the Worlds,” Apple TV+’s “Invasion” has the massive scope of a big-budget sci-fi film—and that means plenty of action. From close-call escapes to tense firefights, the stunt team brings its A-game to this globe-trotting series while never distracting from the character-driven stories at its center. “Loki” Marvel’s God of Mischief teleported to the small screen this year, and Tom Hiddleston brought all of the character’s dastardly drama with him. Along with our antihero’s signature powers, “Loki” delivers scene after scene of mind-bending, Marvel-certified action. Timehopping and space travel are just some of the feats the series’ stunt team helps bring to life. “The Nevers” Taking cues from steampunk, “Harry Potter,” and “Penny Dreadful,” HBO’s “The Nevers”
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“LOKI”: COURTESY MARVEL STUDIOS; “INVASION”: COURTESY APPLE TV+
S
eries like “Jack Ryan,” “The Witcher,” and “The Boys” prove that film screens aren’t the only place to find mind-blowing adventures and stunts. Fortunately, the SAG Awards are here to recognize all their hard work. The reigning champ is “The Mandalorian,” but without an eligible new season of that series for the 28th annual ceremony, the field is wide open. Consider these seven standout stunt ensembles when choosing who should go on the nominations ballot.
“WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS”: RUSS MARTIN/FX; “THE WALKING DEAD”: JOSH STRINGER/AMC
By Matthew Nerber
KAYVAN NOVAK ON “WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS”
“LOKI”: COURTESY MARVEL STUDIOS; “INVASION”: COURTESY APPLE TV+
“WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS”: RUSS MARTIN/FX; “THE WALKING DEAD”: JOSH STRINGER/AMC
is a thrilling mix of sci-fi drama and period adventure that layers on truly epic action. The characters in this world have various powers, and the stunt team beautifully weaves supernatural elements into real-world, practical set-ups. From tense confrontations in Victorian London streets to thrilling showdowns, the stunt work on “The Nevers” consistently tops itself from episode to episode.
LAUREN COHAN ON “THE WALKING DEAD”
“Titans” While Marvel has enjoyed the upper hand in the superhero genre for over a decade, shows like “Titans” prove that DC still has tricks up its sleeve. This series, led by Nightwing (Brenton Thwaites), is moody and thrilling. The diverse roster of heroes allows for the stunt team to create highly original sequences. From Beast Boy’s shape-shifting and Raven’s demonic powers to Starfire’s pyrotechnics and Nightwing’s brutal fisticuffs, the fights in “Titans” are always full of surprises. “The Walking Dead” This may be the zombie drama’s last season, but that doesn’t mean the team behind “The Walking Dead” is running out of ideas. Shocking deaths and gory fight scenes abound, bringing everything fans have come to expect to the thrilling conclusion of this long-running horror hit. “What We Do in the Shadows” Based on the cult classic film of the same name, “What We Do in the Shadows” does something unexpected: It turns vampires into some of the funniest characters on television. The stunt team helps them pull it off. The actors fly, fight, crawl up walls, and of course, drink a lot of blood, and it’s always exhilarating to watch.
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What Makes an Actor: TV Edition
These men have one thing in common: the pride and pleasure of being an actor. Known best for lighting up the small screen on series as varied as “Twin Peaks” and “The Office,” they’re five among over 100 performers to help introduce the SAG Awards with an early career story and the traditional proclamation: “I am an actor.”
In 1995, I decided to move to New York to become an actor. It was very exciting and very challenging. It was the highs of getting a gig and the frustration of not—a ton of rejection and never knowing where your next job is going to come from. And now…it’s the exact same thing.
I’m Tony Hale, and I’m an actor.
As a young kid growing up in St. Louis, Missouri, I was constantly told, “You play too much, Kelby; why don’t you quit playing?” I decided not to listen.
My name is Sterling K. Brown, and I’m an actor.
I’ve ridden gigantic sandworms on the planet Arrakis, played keyboards with Jim Morrison onstage at the Whisky, and tracked down Laura Palmer’s killer. My card? Screen Actors Guild.
I’m Kyle MacLachlan. I’m an actor.
My first acting role was one that critics called a courageous and controversial firestorm. In sixth grade, I put my craft and my career on the line and performed the role of Daddy Warbucks with a full head of hair. I was sure that performance would have ruined my chances forever of being here tonight and saying:
When I was a kid, I used to lock myself in the bathroom and create a collection of characters. I thought I was insane!
My name is Rami Malek, and I’m not insane; I’m an actor.
I am John Krasinski, and I am an actor.
HALE: KATHY HUTCHINS/SHUTTERSTOCKCOM; BROWN: IMAGE PRESS AGENCY/ ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; MACLACHLAN: KATHY HUTCHINS/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; KRASINSKI: RON ADAR/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; MALEK: FEATUREFLASH PHOTO AGENCY/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
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backstage.com
3 CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS NOMINATIONS BEST LIMITED SERIES
BEST ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION MICHAEL KEATON BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION KAITLYN DEVER
“FIRST-RATE, OFTEN HEROIC TELEVISION” – SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
