Just as the swallows return to Capistrano, so do we here at Casting Networks take a few days right before the Emmy Awards to discuss the acting and casting nominations and make our predictions.
While we are certainly experts in this area, we will warn you that Emmy voters can be mysterious and capricious in their voting. Although we have confidence in our predictions, we take no responsibility for any losses resulting from wagers.
All kidding aside, we salute the nominees and are excited about this year’s batch, so please strap yourself in and enjoy our lead-up to the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards!
What You’ll Find in This Article
- Outstanding Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: the Nominees
- A Closer Look at the Nominees
- The Contenders: The Penguin and Adolescence
Outstanding Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: the Nominees
It seems like every year there is a show that captures everyone’s attention and becomes something of a cultural phenomenon. Last year, for instance, it was Baby Reindeer. The year before that, it was Beef. It’s a standard thing, and inevitably, that show wins a ton of awards and becomes a part of the zeitgeist.
This year, though, there’s more than one of those, and they happen to be up against each other in this very category, that being Outstanding Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
The nominees are:
- Adolescence (Shaheen Baig),
- Black Mirror (Jina Jay, Jeanie Bacharach, Corinne Clark, Jennifer Page),
- Dying for Sex (Jeanie Bacharach, Jessica Daniels),
- Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (Tiffany Little Canfield, Josh Einsohn, Bernard Telsey)
- The Penguin (Cindy Tolan, Suzanne Ryan).
Just a note ahead of time: having spoken to many of the nominees, it’s hard to pick against anyone, because every one of them is a gem. But this is a competition, and someone has to win, so we might as well jump into the fray.
A Closer Look at the Nominees
The work Jeannie Bacharach and Jessica Daniels did in Dying for Sex was sterling, and the casting of Jenny Slate as Nikki Boyer, who tells the story of her dying friend Molly, was especially inspired.
We can talk about Michelle Williams all day, but that’s a layup. She’s great in literally everything, and we know what we’re getting with her by now. Slate, on the other hand, has grown as an actress in front of us (and more about her when we hit that category in a few days), and her resulting acting nomination confirms that.
The rest of the cast, including Rob Delaney, Jay Duplass, Kelvin Yu, David Rasche, and many more, is a pleasure to watch.
The work Bacharach does with Jina Jay in Black Mirror is similarly impressive. The show’s enduring cultural relevance is largely due to creator Charlie Brooker’s twisted mind. Still, it’s undeniable that the cast of the anthology series is a major part of its success.
That high level of material certainly attracts a matching level of talent. However, it’s still a challenging task to manage that kind of content, especially when people are only working on a single episode at a time. It’s actually fairly stunning that this is the first time the show has ever earned a nomination in this category.
Then there’s Monsters, put together by the Telsey Office team of Bernie Telsey, Tiffany Little Canfield and Josh Einsohn. Putting Javier Bardem in the role of José Menendez was inspired, as was the casting of Cooper Koch as son Erik. Both earned well-deserved nominations of their own, and the work of the Telsey Trio should surprise no one. It’s consistently amazing.
But really, I think this comes down to a two-horse race, and one of them is a flightless waterfowl.
The Contenders: The Penguin and Adolescence
The two shows that were the year’s biggest phenomena were The Penguin and Adolescence. True, Colin Farrell’s title character first showed up on the big screen in 2022’s The Batman.
Still, no one else in the cast did, and the casting of Cristin Miloti alone would have been enough for me to throw a nomination at Cindy Tolan and Suzanne Ryan. The fact that the rest of the cast was so deep and strong only solidified it.
The other is Adolescence. The Netflix show is one of those incredible series that is sometimes terribly hard to watch, and something of a downer, but that takes nothing away from the incredible piece of work it is. Shaheen Baig earned her first-ever Emmy nod for discovering the astonishing Owen Cooper, who plays Jamie Miller, the young lad accused of murder in the show.
Again, there are also talented performers like Erin Doherty, Christine Tremarco, Faye Marsay, Ashley Walters and Amélie Pease, just to name a few (and that doesn’t include star Stephen Graham, who co-created the series).
Adolescence is perhaps the only show anyone could say had a bigger response than The Penguin. The question is, did enough people see it and suffer through its darkness to reward it? Ultimately, I think the answer to that is going to be yes.
Who Should Win: Adolescence (by a hair over The Penguin)
Who Will Win: Adolescence
Final Takeaways
The Emmy race for Outstanding Casting in Limited or Anthology Series or Movie this year highlights the power of fresh discoveries, strong ensemble chemistry and bold choices that resonate culturally. For actors navigating this competitive landscape, understanding how casting decisions shape careers is crucial. Here are some practical takeaways to keep in mind as you build your path forward.
- Be open to challenging, complex roles that showcase your range and leave a lasting impression.
- Seek projects with strong casting directors; they can connect you with transformative opportunities.
- Focus on ensemble work, as even smaller parts alongside great casts can elevate your visibility.
- Stay adaptable for anthology or limited series where you might only appear in a single episode but can still make a big impact.
- Build relationships with casting professionals known for discovering new talent, as their eye can be your breakthrough.
In this year’s Emmy nominations, the standout factor is casting’s role in shaping cultural sensations and launching careers. Aligning yourself with the right projects and champions behind the scenes is just as important as your performance on camera. Keep honing your craft and be ready when opportunity knocks.
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