Oscar champ Kathy Bates (1990 Best Actress, “Misery”) has been bested in her nine previous Emmy bids. This year, she contends for both Comedy Guest Actress (“Two and a Half Men”) and Drama Actress for the second and final season of “Harry’s Law.”
Perhaps she will benefit from the golden touch of “Harry’s Law” creator David E. Kelley. He consistently tackles controversial moral and legal issues that make for compelling viewing by the Emmy jurors. Indeed, thirty performers have won Emmys for playing characters he created. Repeat champs such as Kathy Baker (“Picket Fences”), James Spader and William Shatner (“The Practice,” “Boston Legal”) bring this total to an even more staggering 38 … and counting! VIEW GALLERY
Critical reaction to “Harry’s Law” was generally positive though some critics chided Kelley for the inconsistent tone of the show. However, Bates received raves for her performance as Harriet “Harry” Korn, a patent lawyer who starts up a make-shift law practice in a shoe store in the seedy part of Cincinnati, Ohio. While she lost her Emmy bid last year, Paul McCrane won Guest Drama Actor for his recurring role on the show.
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This year, Bates has submitted the series finale, “Onward and Upward.” Her character delivers a passionate speech in front of the judge, convinces a colleague not to quit, cries in a cemetery over her dead ex-husband, and — the kicker — even sings.
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Kelley has 10 of TV’s top honor of his own, having won for producing and writing some of the medium’s biggest hits. Known for a quirky style of writing that showcases his characters, he crafts shows which resonate deeply with viewers and voters.
He took home three Emmys in a row for Best Drama Series “L.A. Law” (1989 – 1991) and then won back-to-back for “Picket Fences” in 1992 and 1994. He contended the following two years as part of the team on “Chicago Hope” before prevailing for “The Practice” in both 1998 and 1999. That last year saw Kelley make Emmy history when his other TV show “Ally McBeal” won Best Comedy Series. Though he contended in the drama race twice more for “The Practice” and two times for “Boston Legal,” those Emmy bookends in 1999 were his last victories.
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