Why Alia Shawkat deserves an Emmy nom for The Old Man
Alia Shawkat deserves an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for The Old Man season 1.
On July 12, we are going to find out the TV shows and performers from the last year of TV (June 1, 2022, to May 31, 2023, to be exact) who are being feted with Emmy nominations. While we don't have a vote, What to Watch wants to stump for a handful of our favorites that deserve recognition at the 2023 Emmys.
Specifically, we're going to be looking at some of the less heralded shows and actors. We know Succession season 4, The White Lotus season 2, Ted Lasso season 3 and Abbott Elementary season 2 are going to be among the most nominated shows, but there are plenty of award-worthy candidates that have entertained us this past year.
Check out what other shows and performances the What to Watch staff feels are deserving this year:
Why Damson Idris deserves an Emmy nom for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Why Interview with the Vampire deserves an Emmy nom for Outstanding Drama
In this case, let us make the case why Alia Shawkat should have her name called on Emmy nomination morning.
She stood toe-to-toe with Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow
Most TV fans are probably familiar with Shawkat's career, which saw her breakout in the role of Maeby Funke on Arrested Development, lead the cult hit show Search Party and appeared in a number of popular shows and indie movies over the last 20 years. But her work in The Old Man was easily among the best of her career, accentuated by the fact that she went toe-to-toe with acting legends Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow.
Shawkat and Bridges never got to share the screen together, only speaking on the phone, but each actor carries the appropriate emotion of a father and daughter trying to protect each other. It is in her scenes with Lithgow, though, that Shawkat really pops. Particularly this scene from The Old Man season 1 episode 5.
It is mesmerizing to watch Shawkat teeter between absolute rage and heartbreak at a man who has become like a second father to her; if she lands a nomination, it would be shocking if that's not her Emmy clip. While there are fun action scenes throughout The Old Man, this scene with Lithgow remains one of the top three moments in the entire first season.
Both Bridges and Lithgow are predicted by most pundits to make the cut of nominees in their respective categories (Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Bridges, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Lithgow), but Shawkat should not be forgotten as the third member of The Old Man's impressive acting triumvirate.
Her character's rich and continually unfolding history
Another amazing aspect of Shawkat's performance is the journey that her character goes on. We first meet her as a dedicated member of Lithgow's inner circle in the spy world, only for layer upon layer to be peeled back. She is actually the daughter of Bridges' character, working in the government as a kind of mole. We learn bits and pieces of her complicated relationship with her deceased mother through dream sequences. Then it's revealed in the final moments of the season that she is actually the daughter of the presumed villain of the series, Faraz Hamzad.
Shawkat does an incredible job portraying all the different dimensions of Angela, with each major reveal adding more meaning to each choice she has made.
All of Shawkat's top competitors for a nomination were terrific, but not all of them had to take their character on a journey as complex and revealing as Shawkat did with Angela.
Let's go beyond the same shows getting all the noms
Looking at the current odds for the top contenders in Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, per GoldDerby, three shows and its performers dominate: The Crown season 5's Elizabeth Debicki and Lesly Manville, Better Call Saul season 6's Rhea Seehorn and Carol Burnett, and The White Lotus season 2's Aubrey Plaza, Meghann Fahy and Jennifer Coolidge (who previously won an Emmy for her role as Tonya).
If all of them receive Emmy nominations, then seven of the eight slots in Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series will go to just three shows. As far as filling the eighth spot, Succession's (which is going to rack up nominations left and right) J. Smith-Cameron and Yellowjacket season 2's Christina Ricci are the other top contenders, both of whom have previously been nominated for their roles in these shows.
Again, we're not disparaging any of these performances, but it would be great to see the Emmy's actually recognize a broad spectrum of shows rather than just three or four that everybody already knows about. If you're supposed to be recognizing the best that TV had to offer, expanding the number of shows that your nominated performers come from makes it look like you've watched watched more than just a few things this year.
Specifically in the case of Alia Shawkat, not only would she be a nice change of pace as someone from The Old Man, but a nomination would mark her first ever at the Emmys for a career that has spanned more than 20 years and featured many memorable roles already.
Nominations for the 2023 Emmys are going to be announced on July 12, with the current date for the Emmys ceremony slated for September 18. You can watch The Old Man season 1 right now on Hulu.
