Rihanna may have lost all eight of her Grammy nominations on Sunday night, February 12, but she may have another unexpected avenue to awards gold later this season. She appears in the final season of “Bates Motel” as Marion Crane, possibly the most famous murder victim in cinema history. Watch her and more in the new trailer above. “Bates Motel” returns for its last batch of episodes on February 20 on A&E.
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For the past four seasons “Bates Motel” has told the story of teenage Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore) and his dysfunctional relationship with his mother Norma (Vera Farmiga) before the events of the classic Alfred Hitchcock film “Psycho.” At the end of the fourth season in 2016 Norman finally killed his mother by carbon monoxide poisoning in an attempted murder-suicide. Norman survived the attempt, but still hallucinates the sinister specter of his mother.
So now it seems that “Bates Motel” has finally caught up to “Psycho,” which is bad news for Marion Crane, but may be good news for Rihanna. In the 1960 film, Marion goes on the run after stealing money from a client. She unluckily winds up at the title roadside establishment where she is murdered in the shower by Norman. The film earned four Oscar nominations, including Best Director for Hitchcock and Best Supporting Actress for Janet Leigh as Marion. Could Rihanna have similar luck at the Emmys?
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“Bates Motel” has struggled for Emmy attention over the years, earning just three nominations in its first four seasons, but we know it’s on the radar. In its first season Farmiga earned a bid for Best Drama Actress, and then after a three year drought it picked up noms for Best Cinematography and Best Music Composition in 2016. The show has also been recognized at the Critics’ Choice Awards, where Farmiga has been nominated three times and Highmore twice. Farmiga also earned a 2013 Television Critics Association nomination for Best Individual Achievement in Drama.
Rihanna has had only a few acting credits before this, including the poorly received action film “Battleship” (2012) and the animated film “Home” (2015), but she wouldn’t be the first musician to find awards success acting on TV. Justin Timberlake has four Emmys for “Saturday Night Live,” including two for Best Comedy Guest Actor (2009, 2011). Cyndi Lauper won Best Comedy Guest Actress for “Mad About You” in 1995. And most recently Lady Gaga was awarded the Golden Globe for Best Movie/Mini Actress for “American Horror Story: Hotel” in 2016.
Are you looking forward to Rihanna’s debut? Watch the new “Bates Motel” clip above, vote in our poll below, and discuss this series and more in our forums.
