Thu Sep 17 15:09:00 EDT 2015
Who will win outstanding supporting actor in a drama series? Your guess may be as good as ours.
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Ursula Coyote/AMC Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut in "Better Call Saul."
It may be early in the 2015 Emmys race, but this category is another in which a frontrunner is difficult to identify. Only two of last year's nominees returned (Peter Dinklage and Jim Carter) in a major shakeup (no John Slattery, Mandy Patinkin or Jon Voight?), meaning there is a lot of new blood in the game. But does that mean any of the previous nominees hold an edge?
Certainly Peter Dinklage has the fan support from "Game of Thrones, " but he's already won the trophy and the franchise hasn't seen a lot of Emmys love since. Can Jim Carter pull off another surprise win for "Downton Abbey" after Joanne Froggatt's win at the Golden Globes? Or maybe Alan Cumming — who is back here for the first time since 2011 for "The Good Wife" — can manage an upset?
Maybe, but they'll have to survive an onslaught of hungry newcomers. Jonathan Banks looks to capitalize on some "Better Call Saul" love (he's been nominated here before for the same role on "Breaking Bad, " a series that won three of the last five trophies in this category), while Ben Mendelsohn ("Bloodline") and Michael Kelly ("House of Cards") are both aiming to make Netflix proud. It should definitely make for an interesting envelope opening.
Below are predictions for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series from both Indiewire Awards Editor Peter Knegt and TV Critic Ben Travers. Check back as they might very well change 'em up between now and September, and stay up-to-date on all the races with our predictions in all the categories here.
The nominees:
Jonathan Banks, “Better Call Saul”
Jim Carter, “Downton Abbey”
Alan Cumming, “The Good Wife”
Peter Dinklage, “Game Of Thrones”
Michael Kelly, “House Of Cards”
Ben Mendelsohn, “Bloodline”
Ben's predictions:
Will win: Jonathan Banks, "Better Call Saul"
Could win: Ben Mendelsohn, "Bloodline"
Should win: Ben Mendelsohn, "Bloodline"
Shoulda been here: John Slattery, "Mad Men"
Peter's predictions:
Will win: Jonathan Banks, “Better Call Saul”
Could win: Peter Dinklage, “Game Of Thrones”