It’s no secret that one of Emmy’s worst blunders in recent memory was to deny Steve Carell a trophy for his iconic performance as buffoonish boss Michael Scott on NBC’s “The Office.” Indeed, Carell lost Best Comedy Actor six times between 2006 and 2011, just one shy of the category record shared by John Goodman, Hal Linden and Matt LeBlanc. Now that Carell is back in the awards conversation thanks to his Netflix comedy “Space Force,” could Emmy justice finally be served?
According to Gold Derby’s 23 Emmy Experts from major media outlets, an even dozen predict Carell will be nominated for playing General Mark R. Naird, Chief of Space Operations for the new military branch. These 12 Experts are: Debbie Day (Rotten Tomatoes), Eric Deggans (NPR), Tim Gray (Variety), Libby Hill (Indiewire), Matthew Jacobs (HuffPo), Kelly Lawler (USA Today), Mary Murphy (Gold Derby), Lynette Rice (Ent. Weekly), Jazz Tangcay (Variety), Peter Travers (Rolling Stone), Ken Tucker (Yahoo) and Matt Webb Mitovich (TVLine).
That translates to 13/1 odds for Carell to win the top prize, behind six other leading actors: Eugene Levy (“Schitt’s Creek”), Ted Danson (“The Good Place”), Ramy Youssef (“Ramy”), Larry David (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”), Michael Douglas (“The Kominsky Method”) and Don Cheadle (“Black Monday”). See more of our Experts’ odds.
“Space Force” marks the return of Carell to comedic television alongside his “The Office” co-creator Greg Daniels. However, Carell has already been seen on our television screens and mobile devices since the fall thanks to the Apple TV+ drama “The Morning Show.” Yep, that means it’s possible Carell will be recognized with two lead nominations at the 2020 Emmys: Best Comedy Actor for “Space Force” and Best Drama Actor for “The Morning Show.”
Gold Derby readers have been dishing Carell’s “Space Force” performance all week in our TV forums. “Carell was very good,” writes Thatnerdgreg. “Contrary to what some people said before, his performance doesn’t feel anything like Michael Scott, as the character is completely different … I’m still predicting a Carell nomination. He’s not a lock, but people love him.” What do YOU think?
Be sure to make your Emmy nominations predictions today so that Hollywood insiders can see how their shows and performers are faring in our odds. You can keep changing your predictions as often as you like until just before the nominees are announced on July 28. And join in the thrilling debate over the 2020 Emmy Awards taking place right now with Hollywood insiders in our TV forums. Read more Gold Derby entertainment news.
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