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BBC / KILLING EVE
Sandra Oh is the first Asian American actress nominated for an Emmy as lead actress in a dramatic TV series. |
IN A HISTORIC DOUBLE WHAMMY, two Asian actors made history when they were both nominated for Emmy's this morning (July 12), the first time AAPI actors were -- at the same time -- received nominations for lead roles in male and female categories.
Sandra Oh was nominated in the category of Lead Actress in a Drama series for her role as British MI5 agent Eve Polastri in Killing Eve, a BBC America production. It was the first time that an Asian actress has been nominated for a lead role.
Darren Criss received a nomination in the category of Lead Actor in a Limited Series for his unsympathetic portrayal of the killer, Andrew Cunanan, in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.
They are the first actors of Asian descent to receive nominations in the same year for their work in lead roles in the 70-year history of the Emmy awards, which are given for outstanding performances on American television.
The Canadian-raised actress Oh previously received five nominations for her supporting role as Dr. Christina Yang (the best friend stereotype) in ABC's Grey's Anatomy, which she left after 10 years. Despite the acknowledgement of her noteworthy performances, she never won the coveted award.
Since the departure of Dr. Yang from Grey's Anatomy, which takes place in a Seattle hospital, the series has been noteworthy for its lack of an Asian or Asian American medical staff in any prominent roles, in contrast to real-life urban medical settings where AAPI doctors, nurses and medical technicians are seemingly all over the place.
The lack of meaty roles for actors of Asian descent is something that Oh thinks about.
“I’ve really been learning a lot about the responsibility of that leadership role,” said Oh to the Los Angeles Times.
“For me, I know I want to make the best of it —be as truthful as possible and also stretch the limits of what we see. We haven’t really seen a character like Eve or someone like myself — an Asian person — play this kind of role before. I take that deeply into consideration. Because if that cuts through, it will have ripple effects. My greatest hope is that it will ripple through and demonstrate that there is a whole world of people who are storytellers and who can be storytellers. It doesn’t have to always remain in the white realm. That’s one of the things I know I represent.”
Previously, the only other time an Asian woman won an Emmy was when Archie Panjabi won the award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2010 for her role as Kalinda Sharma on CBS's The Good Wife.
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HBO
Darren Criss, noted for light-hearted roles, played against type in portraying killer Andrew Cunanan in 'American Crime Story's The Assassination of Gianni Versace.' |
Filipino American actor Criss took a giant risk and completely played against type when he took on the role of the Filipino American Cunanan, who went on a murder rampage in the 1980s that included famous fashion designer Versace. Previously, Criss was best known for his upbeat role in the musical high school drama Glee.
San Francisco native Criss was so effective in portraying Cunanan that voters might find it difficult to vote for such a unlikeable character that drew no sympathy from audiences. But, that is what makes Criss' performance so noteworthy, he managed to show the Cunanan's character flaws while resisting an actor's temptation to draw on emotive heartstrings on behalf of the despicable human being.
British actor Riz Ahmed made history last year as the first actor of Asian descent to win in this same acting category for his performance in HBO's The Night Of.
The 2018 Emmy Awards show will air live on Monday, Sept. 17, on NBC. For the complete list of Emmy nominees, click here.
(Updated, July 12, 5 p.m. to correct Sandra Oh's citizenship and for clarity.)
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