Thursday, July 25, 2024

BENJAMONSTER AWARDS 2024: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited/Anthology Series

Today's award is Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited/Anthology Series!

Past Awards in This Category: 2023   2022   2021   2020

This year's nominees are...

SARAYU BLUE as Hilary Starr in Expats (Prime Video)











EMMA CORRIN as Darby Hart in A Murder at the End of the World (FX/Hulu)











JODIE FOSTER as Liz Danvers in True Detective: Night Country (HBO)











JESSICA GUNNING as Martha Scott in Baby Reindeer (Netflix)











BRIE LARSON as Elizabeth Zott in Lessons in Chemistry (Apple TV+)













JUNO TEMPLE as Dot Lyon in Fargo (FX)











And the Winner Is...
JODIE FOSTER
True Detective: Night Country (HBO)
Academy Award winner Jodie Foster returned to TV for her first series regular role in fifty years and she nailed it with her turn on True Detective: Night Country. She played an antihero type that is usually played by men. She was a good cop but she wasn't really a good person. Her mix of grizzly toughness, deadpan humor and general "I don't give a crap" disposition made her a very dominating presence throughout the season. I was infinitely more interested in the story every time Foster was on the scene. Her portrayal of Liz Danvers could have sustained years of a show, not just a season of an anthology series.

Thoughts on the Rest of the Nominees:
This was a strong category with many great performances. In addition to Foster, there's another Oscar winner on the list. Brie Larson was the reason Lessons in Chemistry worked as well as it did with a very thoughtful and interesting performance. Jessica Gunning was unhinged as Martha in Baby Reindeer and a key reason why the story worked so well. Emma Corrin and Sarayu Blue were the best parts of their uneven shows (A Murder at the End of the World and Expats). But this category really came down to Foster and Juno Temple. It was hard to not award it to Temple, who showed new range and depth as the feisty protagonist in the fifth season of Foster. She would have been an equally worthy winner.

Tomorrow: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series!

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