Wow this year’s Emmy Awards were full of laughs, musical numbers, surprises, and fun little things going on with the performances, show, and people there in general. I have a few favorite parts of this year’s award show but mostly loved seeing people who’s performances have really touched and moved me to be acknowledged on such a large scale. This year has been full of television that continues to amaze me and put myself and so many other actors at such a great position in our careers: there is so much opportunity out there! So many amazing shows waiting to be cast, and so many epic tales that are going to be told!
With that, here are the wins I was most excited to see:

1)             John Lithgow: The Crown. Apart from this show being one of the most well acted and produced things I have EVER seen (all about the British method of acting where every single breath and eyelash bat means something exact and very specific). I thought John Lithgow’s performance as Winston Churchill was absolutely astounding and every single last detail was perfectly thought out. Everything he did was exactly planned out, thought through, and rehearsed, and then thrown away and put freshly and anew on screen like he had never done it before. It was amazing.
2)             Julia Louis-Dreyfus: Veep. There is nothing I love more than a smart comedy that whips people and situations into shape while making a social commentary that is so light-handed, you don’t even need to be aware of what is going on in the news today. This, to me, is Veep. The performance given by Julia Louis-Dreyfus is so consistently amazing and completely on point. She’s like a whirlwind of excitement, devastation, and hilarity walking in and out of every single scene and she is definitely one of the actresses I personally look up to the most.
3)             Donald Glover: Atlanta. This guy has been one of my biggest inspirations since the beginning of his time in NYC where he was a writer on 30Rock fresh out of college. He is simply astounding in his work ethic and dedication to producing the art that inspires him and the messages he feels are important to get out there. This show is so nuanced with so many statements about the world we live in today that come together so nicely, and really make you think, all while laughing and having a great time doing it. There is nothing that I love more than to see an artist get to create what they are TRULY passionate about, and Donald Glover is one of those people.
4)             Laura Dern: Big Little Lies. Talk about an inspiring career; Lara Dern is one of those people that I just cannot get over how amazing the span of their career is no matter what I do. The films, the TV shows, everything. She is someone who was seriously amazing taste in the projects she is a part of and is very inspiring in that she stays true to herself as an actress and is always telling the stories that are important to her. She did a great job in this limited series and I really thought it was an excellently told story.

      There are so many great shows on television right now and so many amazing stories out there to be a part of. Be excited! I am excited for all of us in the acting world; the more great stories there are, the more we have a chance to tell them. Make your voice heard and keep working until your dreams come true. I know I am!