Actors on Actors on Spirits on Critics

on Prancer on Vixen, etc. etc.

It’s that time of year, friends, it’s all happening. It’s snowing, the semester is ending, the year is ending and of course…awards are starting. Which means award campaigns are also starting because nothing really makes sense, you know? Anywho, this is a little round-up of some Award Season related things! Basically another newsletter that only Daniel will read.

First we’ve got the Film Independent Spirit Awards (February 22nd, 2025) nominees (just the movie ones — I’m lazy).

If you recall from my Gotham Awards newsletter, the Spirit Awards are produced by Film Independent which is a non-profit arts organization — this award show is usually way more fun and less uh….stuffy, let’s say. It also gives a chance to incredible films that might be overlooked by, say, The Academy.

This is not the full list, just some of the ones I am excited about. You can read the whole list here.

Best Feature (award given to the producer)

• Anora
  Producers: Sean Baker, Alex Coco, Samantha Quan

• I Saw the TV Glow
  Producers: Ali Herting, Luca Intili, Dave McCary, Emma Stone, Sarah Winshall

• Nickel Boys
  Producers: Joslyn Barnes, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, David Levine

• Sing Sing
  Producers: Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Monique Walton

• The Substance
  Producers: Tim Bevan, Coralie Fargeat, Eric Fellner

  

  Clarence Maclin and Colman Domingo in Sing Sing

TV Glow is so so so important to me. Sing Sing and Nickel Boys are probably two of my most anticipated films that I cannot wait to watch (annoying that films like this get a smaller theatrical release especially when you live somewhere like Ottawa, Canada where culture goes to die).

Best First Feature (award given to director and producer)

• Dìdi
  Director/Producer: Sean Wang
  Producers: Valerie Bush, Carlos López Estrada, Josh Peters

• In the Summers
  Director: Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio
  Producers: Janek Ambros, Lynette Coll, Alexander Dinelaris, Cynthia Fernandez De La Cruz, Cristóbal Güell, Sergio Alberto Lira, Rob Quadrino, Jan Suter, Daniel Tantalean, Nando Vila, Slava Vladimirov, Stephanie Yankwitt

• Janet Planet
  Director/Producer: Annie Baker
  Producers: Andrew Goldman, Dan Janvey, Derrick Tseng

• The Piano Lesson
  Director: Malcolm Washington
  Producers: Todd Black, Denzel Washington

• Problemista
  Director/Producer: Julio Torres
  Producers: Ali Herting, Dave McCary, Emma Stone

Julianne Nicholson and Zoe Zeigler in Janet Planet

We need to talk about how Emma Stone produces some really cute, weird, queer shit. You go, Emma. Didi was perfect there are no words. I cannot wait to have my heart burst open by Janet Planet and I’m about 92093823 years too late on Problemista.

Best Director

• Ali Abbasi — The Apprentice

• Sean Baker — Anora

• Brady Corbet — The Brutalist

• Alonso Ruizpalacios — La Cocina

• Jane Schoenbrun — I Saw the TV Glow

I’m sorry it simply has to be Jane. If a fucking movie about Trump wins something I’ll be a huge bitch about it—also, Sean Baker can suck it. That’s the profound commentary you look for in this newsletter.

Best Screenplay

• Scott Beck, Bryan Woods — Heretic

• Jesse Eisenberg — A Real Pain

• Megan Park — My Old Ass

• Aaron Schimberg — A Different Man

• Jane Schoenbrun — I Saw the TV Glow

JANE!! Also need to see A Different Man — basically I’ll be spending the “holidays” trying to make a dent in my watchlist (which is at 425, so…..). Basically any win would be cool but Megan Park would piss me OFF.

Best Lead Performance

• Amy Adams — Nightbitch

• Ryan Destiny — The Fire Inside

• Colman Domingo — Sing Sing

• Keith Kupferer — Ghostlight

• Mikey Madison — Anora

• Demi Moore — The Substance

• Hunter Schafer — Cuckoo

• Justice Smith — I Saw the TV Glow

• June Squibb — Thelma

• Sebastian Stan — The Apprentice

I am always and forever rooting for my TV Glow babes but also COLMAN and HUNTER! Ily too June Squibb.

Hunter Schafer in Cuckoo - Justice Smith in TV Glow - June Squibb in Thelma

Best Supporting Performance

• Yura Borisov — Anora

• Joan Chen — Dìdi

• Kieran Culkin — A Real Pain

• Danielle Deadwyler — The Piano Lesson

• Carol Kane — Between the Temples

• Karren Karagulian — Anora

• Kani Kusruti — Girls Will Be Girls

• Brigette Lundy-Paine — I Saw the TV Glow

• Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin — Sing Sing

• Adam Pearson — A Different Man

Kieran Culkin in A Real Pain - Joan Chen in Didi - Adam Pearson in A Different Man

I MEAN what a line-up!? Obviously Brigette, but also Adam Pearson and also Clarence Maclin and ALSO Joan Chen (watching Saving Face please).

Critics Choice Awards (January 12, 2025) - TV Noms (movies to come)

Again, the ones I am interested in. And honestly…it’s slim pickings.

Best Actor in a Drama Series

• Jeff Bridges – The Old Man

• Ncuti Gatwa – Doctor Who

• Eddie Redmayne – The Day of the Jackal

• Hiroyuki Sanada – Shōgun

• Rufus Sewell – The Diplomat

• Antony Starr – The Boys

one of the most beautiful & talented people on earth

I mean obviously I’m rooting for NCUTI!!!!!! and Hiroyuki Sanada!

Best Actress in a Drama Series

• Caitriona Balfe – Outlander

• Kathy Bates – Matlock

• Shanola Hampton – Found

• Keira Knightley – Black Doves

• Keri Russell – The Diplomat

• Anna Sawai – Shōgun

Anna Sawai you beautiful queen. TBH haven’t even heard of some of these other shows?? Wtf is Black Doves??

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

• Tadanobu Asano – Shōgun

• Michael Emerson – Evil

• Mark-Paul Gosselaar – Found

• Takehiro Hira – Shōgun

• John Lithgow – The Old Man

• Sam Reid – Interview with the Vampire

Breaking my silence publicly: I do not like the Interview with the Vampire show. Everybody was like ouu it’s SO gay……..gimme a break they kiss like ONCE in season one.

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

• Moeka Hoshi – Shōgun

• Allison Janney – The Diplomat

• Nicole Kidman – Special Ops: Lioness

• Skye P. Marshall – Matlock

• Anna Sawai – Pachinko

• Fiona Shaw – Bad Sisters

COME ON ANNA, THAT’S RIGHT, TWO SHOWS ON THE BOARD BAYBEEE! I am hoping there will be me more awards love for Pachinko because it is perfect. Also Fiona Shaw…my girl.

Best Comedy Series

• Abbott Elementary

• English Teacher

• Hacks

• Nobody Wants This

• Only Murders in the Building

• Somebody Somewhere

• St. Denis Medical

• What We Do in the Shadows

OOUFF. Obviously Abbott is phenomenal but also Hacks is so fucking good idk!!!!!!! Not sure how St. Denis Medical gets nominated when there’s been like 5 episodes hahaha but go for it!!

Best Actress in a Comedy Series

• Kristen Bell – Nobody Wants This

• Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary

• Natasia Demetriou – What We Do in the Shadows

• Bridget Everett – Somebody Somewhere

• Jean Smart – Hacks

• Kristen Wiig – Palm Royale

Quinta and Jean please forgive me but IT HAS TO BE BRIDGET!!!!!!!

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

• Paul W. Downs – Hacks

• Asher Grodman – Ghosts

• Harvey Guillén – What We Do in the Shadows

• Brandon Scott Jones – Ghosts

• Michael Urie – Shrinking

• Tyler James Williams – Abbott Elementary

MICHAEL URIE!!!!!

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

• Liza Colón-Zayas – The Bear

• Hannah Einbinder – Hacks

• Janelle James – Abbott Elementary

• Stephanie Koenig – English Teacher

• Patti LuPone – Agatha All Along

• Annie Potts – Young Sheldon

Cannot believe I am saying this when Patti Lupone is an option but LIZA!!!!!!!!!!!

OKAY that’s all I can care about right now as far as the Critics go because I am an tired and don’t feel well BUT….Pachinko is also nominated for Best Foreign Language Series and that’s RIGHT it’s ALL HAPPENING.

LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST: ACTORS ON ACTORS!!!

If you’re not familiar with Variety’s Actors on Actors series well…it’s actors talking to other actors and it’s usually part of some sort of awards campaign process (which is to say…it’s all PR). Sometimes they are VERY good conversations and other times the pairings are literal icon Chloë Sevingy with fucking Kim K. This year is looking PRETTY GOOD….

So here are the pairings with my rapid fire thoughts:

• Andrew Garfield and Ryan Reynolds — what did Andrew do to deserve this???

• Ariana Grande and Paul Mescal — honestly, this is going to be fun? At first I thought hmm…maybe not? But they are two nerds and they also both love music so…I’ll be watching

• Selena Gomez and Saoirse Ronan — ………y’all making Saoirse fly all the way to America for THIS?

• Angelina Jolie and Cynthia Erivo — why do I feel like this is going to be an emotional one?? Either way I will be watching!!

• Zendaya and Nicole Kidman — NOW THAT’S HOW IT’S DONE!!!!!!!!!

• Drew Starkey and Harrison Dickinson — did they get paired up because people think they look alike? Will they discuss this?

• Kate Winslet and Zoë Saldaña — should’ve put Zoe with Ryan and Kate with Andrew……..

• Daniel Craig and Josh O’Connor — hell yeah!!

• Pamela Anderson and Mikey Madison — this could be interesting?

• Colman Domingo and Kieran Culkin — THIS IS A PAIRING PLUKED FROM MY OWN BRAIN AND HEART OOOOOU BABY.

• Demi Moore and Amy Adams — two queens

• Adrien Brody and Tilda Swinton — they’re both assholes so……..yeah y’all can keep it

So there you have it. It’s Friday, watch a movie tonight! There’s so many to choose from!