Emmy Predictions 2019 - Who Will and Should Win for Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie?

The nominations have been announced for The 71st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. So now, it's time to speculate on who will and should win in each major category. Next up for analysis is Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie.

The Nominees Ranked By Which Should Win:

1. Ben Whishaw for Amazon's A Very English Scandal - "Episode 3"
2. Paul Dano for Showtime's Escape at Dannemora - "Part 7"
3. Asante Blackk for Netflix's When They See Us - "Part One"
4. Stellan Skarsgård for HBO's Chernobyl - "Please Remain Calm"
5. Michael K. Williams for Netflix's When They See Us - "Part One"
6. John Leguizamo for Netflix's When They See Us - "Part Three"

Amazon may have debuted A Very English Scandal well over a year ago but it's important to remember just how stellar Ben Whishaw actually was. His performance was so unique and specific. He was playing a man whose life was so tragic but told in an uplifting way that outlined his priorities in ways that could easily be understood despite the damage created as a result. It was a satirical story prone to outrageousness but Whishaw brought so much heart to the proceedings as well. That is a change of pace in this category. All of these shows and performers incorporated some dark material. When They See Us was vital to see but also difficult to watch. The story itself may have proven more integral than the actual acting from any singular performer. But it's a true testament that so many were actually nominated by the Emmy voters this year. It was a terrific ensemble where everyone brought so much no matter how much screentime they actually had. Chernobyl was similarly a difficult show to get through because of its subject matter. The acting was of a high enough caliber with the storytelling doing such a searing job highlighting the failings of the overall system. Skarsgard was integral to all of that. Paul Dano served a pivotal purpose to Escape at Dannemora as well. Again, there was such great storytelling on display in the limited series this past year in television. In fact, all of these nominees would essentially be deserving winners.

The Nominees Ranked by Which Will Win:

1. Paul Dano for Showtime's Escape at Dannemora - "Part 7"
2. Ben Whishaw for Amazon's A Very English Scandal - "Episode 3"
3. Michael K. Williams for Netflix's When They See Us - "Part One"
4. John Leguizamo for Netflix's When They See Us - "Part Three"
5. Stellan Skarsgård for HBO's Chernobyl - "Please Remain Calm"
6. Asante Blackk for Netflix's When They See Us - "Part One"

Because When They See Us got so many acting nominations, it gives the sense that those actors will have the advantage. But it may also be difficult to see how the voters rally around one in particular. Michael K. Williams and John Leguizamo have been favored by Emmy voters in recent years thanks to The Night Of and Waco. And yet, that name recognition and visibility may not make them better off in the race than their younger co-star Asante Blackk who broke through in a major way. Of course, the entire younger ensemble did that with only one of them truly having a huge spotlight moment late in the series. So again, it's hard to make the argument that one of these supporting actors from When They See Us deserves it more than the other. That may create the opportunity for one of the other nominees to sneak in with a victory. Plus, the voters may want to spread the wealth amongst the many great limited series that aired this year. So, is this a category where Chernobyl, A Very English Scandal or Escape at Dannemora can win simply because it's unlikely to happen elsewhere? They have many other opportunities for victory though. It's easy to believe that all of those shows will walk away with at least one trophy apiece. But again, was the specific character work Paul Dano and Ben Whishaw brought to their shows enough to put them over the edge? They may clearly be the most active performances based on the specific episode submissions. But the voters for this category will also see the majority of When They See Us which may only help one of those nominees. Again, it's really tough to get a good reading on what might happen here.

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with my predictions? Let me know in the comments below!