Tag Archives: Emmy

The 2014 Emmy Nominations!

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It’s Emmy Season, and this morning’s announcement of the 2014 nominees got everyone talking!

Several factors combined to make the 66th Primetime Emmy race one of the most exciting in recent history. For starters, we’re seeing more and more shows from ‘alternative’ platforms snag nominations, such as Netflix’s Orange is the New Black and House of Cards. Amy Poehler’s quip at the January Golden Globes about how “… (Netflix won’t) be feeling so smug in a couple of years when Snapchat is up here accepting Best Drama” carries a ring of truth.

Netflix's has two hit series racking up nominations.
Netflix has two hit series racking up nominations.

Additionally, HBO’s hugely successful True Detective surprised many when it became clear that they would vie for nominations in the drama category, instead of the mini-series/movie category as originally expected. This puts them into direct competition with long-time favorite Breaking Bad, which has been sweeping all other awards this year since its series finale in 2013. It’ll be fascinating to see which (if either) of these heavy hitters takes home the most coveted statues for best drama or best acting.

Will Bryan Cranston lose his Emmy to Matthew McConnaughey or Woody Harrelson?
Will Bryan Cranston lose his Emmy to Matthew McConnaughey or Woody Harrelson?

The show with the most recognition, however, is HBO’s ever-shocking Game of Thrones, with 19 nominations. Fargo follows close behind with 18 nominations in the miniseries/movie category. Orange is the New Black holds the most nominations for a comedy with 12.

The show with the most nominations... and swords.
The show with the most nominations… and swords.

Of course, with each category being so competitive, there are bound to be a few snubs. Modern Family’s Sofia Vergara, usually a favorite, was left off the list of noms for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (although co-star Julie Bowen grabbed a spot.) The absence of Orphan Black’s Tatiana Maslany from the nominations also infuriated fans. Finally, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and its star Andy Samberg took home this year’s Golden Globes for Best Comedy and Best Actor in a Comedy, yet were conspicuously denied any love from the Emmys.

Any other snubs you can think of? Leave them in our comments!

The Emmy Awards will air on August 25, 2014, on NBC. Until then, let us know – who do you think deserves to go home with an Emmy?

By Digital Film Academy Blog Manager Sara McDermott Jain

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The Iconic Ruby Dee Dies at 91

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For many, the allure of a life in the arts stems from the possibility of becoming a legend. The right role and the right story can permanently catapult an actor into the public consciousness.

For Ruby Dee, the iconic actress and civil rights activist, her legend stemmed not just from her break-through roles and wonderful performances, but also from the important part she played off-screen in shaping America’s civil rights movement and fighting for equality up until her death last Wednesday, June 11, 2014. Dee was 91 years old.

ruby_dee

Born in 1922, Dee was just 18 when she landed her first role in a Harlem production of On Strivers Row. From those humble beginnings, she went on to  multiple roles on Broadway, television, and in film, starring opposite such heavy-hitters as Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, and James Earl Jones.

She was the first black woman ever to play a lead role at the American Shakespeare Festival, or on such popular soap operas as Peyton Place and Guiding Light. Her acting achievements earned her an Obie Award, a Drama Desk Award, five Emmy nominations (with one win for Decoration Day),  a Grammy, two Screen Actors Guild awards, the NAACP Image Award, Kennedy Center Honors, the National Medal of Arts, and the National Civil Rights Museum’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Then, at the age of 83, she garnered an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress in 2007’s American Gangster, playing the mother of Denzel Washington.

Dee and Washington in American Gangster.
Dee and Washington in American Gangster.

As important as Dee’s acting career was to her, it always went hand-in-hand with her activism. In fact, she saw no separation between the two, commenting once that if actors could be image makers, “Why can’t we image makers become peacemakers, too?” When she met Ossie Daivs in 1945 and they married in 1948, she found a lifelong partner in her devotion to both the arts and activism.

The two were married for 56 years, becoming one of Hollywood’s most enduring and romantic couples. Together, they made great strides for civil rights, forming close friendships with Martin Luther King, Jr., Harry Belafonte, and Malcolm X, just to name a few. Dee famously emcee’d the 1963 March on Washington. Together, she and Davis received the National Medal of Arts in 1995, were inducted into the NAACP Hall of Fame in 1989, and received SAG Lifetime Achievement Awards in 2000.

Davis and Dee accept their Lifetime Achievement Award at the 37th Annual SAG Awards.
Davis and Dee accept their Lifetime Achievement Award at the 37th Annual SAG Awards.

Davis passed away in 2005.

Proving what a special place Dee held in the heart of the entertainment community, she was thanked twice during the recent Tony Awards on June 8, 2014, first by six-time winner Audra MacDonald, and then by Kenny Leon, the winning director of A Raisin in the Sun. Both were influenced by Dee’s talent and passion.

What sort of mindset led to Dee’s lifelong success and contentment? As she said in a 1988 interview regarding her and Davis:

“We believe in honesty. We believe in simplicity. We believe in a good breakfast when we can get it. We believe in not going heavily into debt. We believe in education. We believe in love. We believe in the family. We believe in Black history, and we believe in involvement.”

To read more about Ruby Dee, please check out the following articles:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/celebrities/ruby-dee-actress-and-civil-rights-activist-dies-at-89/2014/06/12/d4c3e4d2-f250-11e3-9ebc-2ee6f81ed217_story.html

RIP Ruby Dee (1922-2014)

 

By Digital Film Academy Blog Manager Sara McDermott Jain

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