Chris Messina has put together an impressive list of TV credits over the last 20 years, but he hasn’t been nominated for an Emmy. Could that change this year with his supporting role in the HBO limited series “Sharp Objects”? A couple of the Expert journalists we’ve polled think he will.
As of this writing, Ed Martin (Media Village) and Stacey Wilson Hunt (Gold Derby) are betting on Messina to make the cut for Best Movie/Mini Supporting Actor. He plays Detective Richard Willis, a big-city cop who becomes involved with a troubled reporter (Amy Adams) as they both try to solve a brutal murder in the small town of Wind Gap, Missouri.
This isn’t the first time Messina has been featured on a show on the Emmy radar. He guest-starred multiple times on “Law and Order,” had recurring roles on “Six Feet Under,” “Damages” and “The Newsroom” and starred on Mindy Kaling‘s “The Mindy Project.” That last role earned him two Critics’ Choice nominations for Best Comedy Actor (2014-2015), but the television academy only ever nominated the sitcom once for its costumes.
According to our overall odds based on the combined predictions of all of Gold Derby’s users, “Sharp Objects” is one of the top three contenders for Best Limited Series, but most of the acting attention for the show has been focused on its female cast — understandable since the series is primarily about the fraught relationships between women. Adams ranks third in our odds for Best Movie/Mini Actress, and her on-screen mom Patricia Clarkson is the front-runner for Best Movie/Mini Supporting Actress.
The good news for Messina, though, is that as the most prominent male cast member in “Sharp Objects,” he might rally substantial support in his category from voters who are especially enthusiastic about the series as a whole. That could be especially true if voters are familiar with the rest of his resume and consider him due for his first nom. Are our renegade Experts right that he’ll get it?
Be sure to make your Emmy predictions today so that Hollywood insiders can see how their TV shows and performers are faring in our odds. You can keep changing your predictions as often as you like until just before nominations are announced on July 16. And join in the fun debate over the 2019 Emmy taking place right now with Hollywood insiders in our television forums. Read more Gold Derby entertainment news.
