The 76th Primetime Emmy Award nominations were announced Wednesday (July 18), with several Canadians receiving a nod.
Coming off his Oscar win for supporting actor in Oppenheimer, Robert Downey Jr. was tapped for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for his multiple-character performance in the Toronto-based Rhombus Media production The Sympathizer (pictured).
The limited series, based on the novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen, counts Don McKellar (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World) as co-showrunner and executive producer. The series was a copro with Rhombus, HBO and A24.
“The project itself is super Canadian because of Don McKellar’s involvement,” Rhombus founder and president Niv Fichman previously told Playback Daily. Other Canadians include actors Fred Nguyen Khan and Duy Nguyen, along with Sandra Oh. The B.C. born actress starred in McKellar’s 1998 film Last Night, and he helped get her on board.
Palm Royale (Apple TV+) received 11 nominations, including Outstanding Comedy Series. The period comedy is executive-produced by Toronto-headquartered Boat Rocker Media, Jaywalker Pictures, Aunt Sylvia’s Moving Picture co., Wyolah Entertainment Inkshares and Apple Studios.
Elsewhere, Canadian performers racked up nominations, including Toronto’s D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (Reservation Dogs) vying for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series alongside Hamilton, Ont.’s Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building) who now has 17 nominations over his career so far. While London, Ont.’s Ryan Gosling got a nod for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for hosting NBC’s Saturday Night Live.
Behind the camera, the art department team behind FX series Shogun got recognized for Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Period or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More). The production designer, Helen Jarvis is from the U.K., but art director Chris Beach hails from Toronto, and set decorators Lisa Lancaster and Jonathan Lancaster are from Vancouver, where the epic was filmed.
Fellow FX series What We Do in the Shadows, which is shot in Toronto, got the nod in two creative arts categories. Toronto production designer Shayne Fox and her team, including art directors Jody Clement and Aaron Noël and set decorator Kerri Wylie, received a nomination for Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half Hour). While the show’s Toronto team, including costume designer Laura Montgomery, Kay Jameson, costume supervisor and assistant costume designers Amy Sztulwark and Anna Viksne, got the nod for Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-fi Costumes.
The 76th Emmy Awards will be broadcast on ABC (U.S.) and CTV (Canada) on Sept. 15.
Image courtesy of Bell Media