You never know what’ll happen to a cast of actors after they’ve worked on a movie together. But sometimes they end up right back in the same place. That’s the curious case for “The Station Agent,” the breakthrough indie film from 2003 that launched the writing and directing career of future Oscar champ Tom McCarthy (“Spotlight”). Now four of the principal actors from that film are predicted to earn Emmy nominations, and three of them could win: Peter Dinklage, Michelle Williams, Patricia Clarkson and Bobby Cannavale.
Dinklage starred in “The Station Agent” as a man seeking solitude in New Jersey after the death of his friend. There he encounters a hot dog vendor (Cannavale), an artist (Clarkson) and a librarian (Williams) all dealing with their own personal crises. The four of them earned SAG Award nominations for their ensemble performance, along with two other co-stars, Paul Benjamin and Raven Goodwin. Dinklage and Clarkson also earned individual nominations for their lead performances.
Now Dinklage is the front-runner to win Best Drama Supporting Actor at the Emmys for a record-breaking fourth time for his drastically different role as royal advisor Tyrion Lannister, who helped Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) take the Iron Throne and then helped take it away from her again in the last season of “Game of Thrones.” He’s tipped to win by 20 of the 24 Expert journalists we’ve polled.
But he’ll have to watch out for Cannavale in that very same category. Cannavale is himself a two-time Emmy champ (“Will and Grace,” “Boardwalk Empire”) who could win again for his role in “Homecoming” as a sinister supervisor for a shady government facility. He ranks fourth in our predictions with 13/2 odds, and none of our Experts expect him to prevail, but he has surprised us by beating Dinklage before.
Meanwhile, in the long-form categories, Williams is a contender for Best Movie/Mini Actress for playing real life actress/dancer Gwen Verdon in FX’s biographical limited series “Fosse/Verdon.” She trails Patricia Arquette (“Escape at Dannemora”) in our overall odds based on the forecasts of all Gold Derby users, but a majority of the Experts (14 out of 24) say Williams actually has the edge.
And Clarkson is currently the favorite to win Best Movie/Mini Supporting Actress for playing controlling mother Adora Crellin in HBO’s “Sharp Objects.” Clarkson won Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Awards for this performance already, and she’s an undefeated two-time Emmy winner for guest-starring in “Six Feet Under” (2002 and 2006). But she too will have to beware of Patricia Arquette, who is a supporting contender herself for “The Act” in addition to her lead candidacy for “Dannemora.”
So there’s a strong possibility that as many as three “Station Agent” actors will prevail, barring an unprecedented tie for Best Drama Supporting Actor. Perhaps while they’re mingling at Emmy parties for the rest of the night, someone could pitch them “The Station Agent 2.”
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.
