Playing a royal family member is a great way to snag an Emmy. Just ask “The Crown” cast: Claire Foy, Olivia Colman and Josh O’Connor all won for their roles as members of the House of Windsor. The next person who could join this list is Rufus Sewell, who portrays the disgraced Prince Andrew in Netflix‘s “Scoop.” This TV movie depicts the behind-the-scenes story of how producer Samantha McAlister (Billie Piper) landed the “scoop of the decade” — Emily Maitlis‘ (Gillian Anderson) interview with Prince Andrew.
Sewell is the star of the show here, turning in an unrecognizable, transformative performance as Queen Elizabeth‘s second son. Yes, he is caked in makeup and prosthetics but he nails the mannerisms and expressions of Andrew, as well as the voice. Sewell depicts an awkward, out-of-touch man with a searing lack of self-awareness, giving us a complex portrayal of a disgraced royal. Sewell also demonstrates terrific comedic timing, exemplified when his Andrew queries why people are so obsessed with his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein when he “knew Jimmy Saville much better.” It’s this queasy comedy teamed with uncomfortable darkness that makes “Scoop” and Sewell so watchable, as noted by critics.
Tori Brazier (Metro) explained: “Undoubtedly, it’s Sewell as Andrew who is the standout. Although by no means a carbon copy of the Duke of York, he perfectly encapsulates the energy of a baffled, privileged person being asked to do something when he doesn’t quite understand why it’s necessary… He also displays the bonhomie of the prince to excellent effect, as well as poor judgement in its timing occasionally… Here is when Scoop’s mastery of comedy comes into play.”
Taylor Gates (Collider) opined: “Sewell completely disappears into the role, unrecognizable not because of hair and makeup but because of how precisely he captures Prince Andrew’s uncomfortable and discomforting essence. He’s somehow simultaneously stiff and overly relaxed, shy and childlike yet entitled and arrogant.”
John Nugent (Empire) observed: “Focus will inevitably turn to the big, flashy impersonations of the two key players, and Rufus Sewell is undeniably superb as the sweatless, gormless Andrew, unrecognisable under prosthetics. Portrayed here, he is less ‘playboy Prince’, more pathetic little boy caught in the snare of arrested development, who blurts out bizarre sentences like, ‘Mummy combed my hair,’ or ‘Trousers!’ Andrew, who has strenuously denied all charges of wrongdoing, is depicted here as totally unequipped to meet the seriousness of the moment. It is fairly devastating.”
Currently, we are predicting that Jon Hamm (“Fargo”), Andrew Scott (“Ripley”), Richard Gadd (“Baby Reindeer”), Tom Hollander (“Feud: Capote vs the Swan”), Matt Bomer (“Fellow Travelers”), and Tony Shalhoub (“Mr. Monk’s Last Case”). However, don’t rule out Sewell, who recently earned Emmy attention.
He was nominated for Best Comedy Guest Actor in 2019 for “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” showing that he has now placed himself firmly on Emmy voters’ radars. Here, he takes center stage and could make that leap from a guest acting bid to a lead acting nomination. Sewell was also nominated earlier this year for Best Drama Supporting Actor at the Critics Choice TV Awards for “The Diplomat.” That may not seem connected here but the fact that he has another lauded performance in another hit show this year could give his Emmy hopes a boost here.
Sewell is also portraying a real person here, which is a great way to land a nomination in this category. Daniel Radcliffe (“Weird: The Al Yankovic Story”), Taron Egerton (“Black Bird”), Kumail Nanjiani (“Welcome to Chippendales”), Evan Peters (“Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”), Michael Shannon (“George & Tammy”), Sebastian Stan (“Pam & Tommy”), Colin Firth (“The Staircase”), Ewan McGregor (“Halston”), and “Hamilton” duo Lin-Manuel Miranda and Leslie Odom Jr. have all received bids in this category for real-life roles.
Plus, Sewell’s turn is a transformative one. Voters like such performances, too, with the likes of Radcliffe (“Weird: The Al Yankovic Story”), Peters (“Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”), Stan (“Pam & Tommy”), Antonio Banderas (“Genius: Picasso”), Geoffrey Rush (“Genius: Einstein”), and Ewan McGregor (“Fargo”) all receiving recognition for their own such turns.
While it should be noted that Prince Andrew strenuously denies any wrongdoing, he is presented as something of a villainous character in “Scoop.” He certainly isn’t a beloved hero. But Emmy voters like actors who portray darkness, with the likes of Peters (“Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”), Nanjiani (“Welcome to Chippendales”), Firth (“The Staircase”), Hugh Grant (“The Undoing” and “A Very English Scandal”), and Cuba Gooding Jr. (“The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story”) all receiving nominations for depicting varying darkness in their characters.
Voters also love stories about the royal family, with “The Crown” winning a whopping 21 Emmys. That period piece has racked up 18 nominations for acting. Besides the winning trio of Foy and Colman (Queen Elizabeth) plus O’Connor (Prince Charles), others who have contended include Matt Smith and Tobias Menzies (Prince Phillip), Vanessa Kirby and Helena Bonham Carter (Princess Margaret) and Emma Corrin and Elizabeth Debicki (Diana, Princess of Wales). They love this show because it’s meaty, juicy stories about the most famous family in world history. “Scoop” is also a meaty, juicy story about that family, giving the show an almost spin-off feel that could help it here with voters. If “Scoop” tickles voters the same way “The Crown” does, Sewell could benefit.
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