Last year Netflix scored Emmy victories for Best TV Movie and Best Movie/Mini Writing for the “Black Mirror” episode “San Junipero.” Can it pick up more hardware this season with its acclaimed episode “USS Callister”? Gold Derby recently spoke with stars Cristin Milioti and Jimmi Simpson, as well as cinematographer Stephan Pehrsson. Scroll down and click on their names below to be taken to their full interviews.
“This was a dream role. I would do this role for the rest of my life,” reveals Milioti. She plays Nanette, a tech-savvy new employee at a video game company. When head coder Robert (Jesse Plemons) becomes smitten with the new hire he creates a digital clone of her to live like a slave in his own personal copy of the game. His game resembles classic “Star Trek,” but he rules it cruelly as the captain.
One of the most satisfying moments of “USS Callister” occurs when Nanette becomes a captain in her own right. “I’ve been wanting to sit in the captain’s chair of a space ship since I was a little girl,” Milioti says. Playing in that sci-fi sandbox was so enjoyable that Milioti is up for exploring Captain Nanette’s adventures further in a spin-off: “I never knew how badly I wanted to do something like this.” Milioti is a Tony nominee and Grammy winner for her performance in the Broadway musical “Once.” Now she’s on the Emmy ballot for Best Movie/Mini Actress.
Simpson contends for Best Movie/Mini Supporting Actor for his performance as James Walton, the CEO of Robert’s company whose digital clone also becomes trapped inside the game. He received a BAFTA TV Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for the role, which surprised the New Jersey-native. “I had no idea,” he admits. “I have my finger not even close to the pulse of the awards circuit, much less something like the BAFTAs. It’s over there — it’s where they created acting.” In addition to “Black Mirror,” Simpson is also competing in this category for “Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G.,” and for Best Drama Guest Actor for “Westworld.”
Click on any name below to be taken to their full interview:
Cristin Milioti, who plays Nanette Cole
Jimmi Simpson, who plays James Walton
Stephan Pehrsson, cinematographer
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