Can Netflix’s ‘Scoop’ deliver awards attention for Rufus Sewell?
Here’s the scoop on “Scoop.”
I recently watched the Netflix drama about the 2019 BBC interview with Britain’s Prince Andrew, during which he was grilled by journalist Emily Maitlis about his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The television event proved to be a public relations disaster for the Duke of York, who stepped back from his royal duties shortly afterwards.
I had actually read very little about “Scoop” before viewing it. I knew that two-time Emmy winner Gillian Anderson (“The X-Files” and “The Crown”) played Maitlis, but was relatively unfamiliar with the rest of the cast. So about halfway into it, I was startled to realize that Prince Andrew was being portrayed by none other than Rufus Sewell. And he was sensational.
I then began to wonder … might he be a contender for some major awards? ”Scoop” currently sits in sixth place in Gold Derby’s official Emmy odds for Best TV Movie. But Sewell is strangely under-performing in the odds for Best Limited/Movie Supporting Actor. While I know that he may well be a long shot in the race, I do think that we need to keep an eye on him.
Here are five reasons why “Scoop” could turn Sewell into an Emmy contender.
1. He’s playing a real person and is physically transformed on-screen.
This continues to be an almost surefire way to propel a performer into the awards arena. Sewell is virtually unrecognizable as Prince Andrew in “Scoop,” thanks to a remarkable onscreen transformation done primarily through masterful makeup and heavy-hitting hairstyling. While we often associate this phenomenon with the Oscars, it can work similarly well at the Emmys. Just last year, Jessica Chastain and Michael Shannon in “George and Tammy,” Evan Peters in “Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” and Daniel Radcliffe in “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” all earned Emmy nominations for portraying real people while altering their outward appearances to do so. So it won’t be weird at all for Sewell to get in for doing the same.
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2. He truly disappears into the role.
While it’s always challenging to play a real person, it’s an even more difficult task when the person is someone well-known to the public. And for better or worse (notably worse in recent years), Prince Andrew has been a highly visible individual for several decades. Of course, “Scoop” isn’t a biographical film that covers Andrew’s entire life. It focuses on the events leading up to the 2019 BBC interview. And that made Sewell’s task all the more daunting. He had to study not only the Prince, but his very specific behavior as displayed during both Maitlis’ questions and Andrew’s answers. And Sewell managed to replicate the royal down to the very last detail. That’s high-difficulty acting, which could make it difficult for voters to ignore.
3. Portraying British royals often garners Emmy’s attention.
Way back in 1962, Julie Harris won an Emmy for her role as Queen Victoria in Hallmark Hall of Fame’s “Victoria Regina.” James Donald was also nominated for his turn as Prince Albert. In 1968, Judith Anderson as Queen Elizabeth I in Hallmark Hall of Fame’s “Elizabeth the Queen” made a go for the Emmy gold. While Elizabeth didn’t come through for Anderson, she did for Glenda Jackson in “Elizabeth R” – in two out of her three bids in 1972. More than three decades later in 2006, “Elizabeth 1” scored Emmys for Helen Mirren in the title role as well as her co-star Jeremy Irons as the Earl of Leicester. (There have been others, I’m just pointing out some prime examples.) And of course, there’s “The Crown” – which is practically in a class of its own. Claire Foy and Olivia Colman have both been crowned by Emmy for channeling Queen Elizabeth II. Matt Smith and Tobias Menzies competed for projecting Prince Philip (the latter reigned supreme). Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles ascended to become an Emmy king. Meanwhile, Emma Corrin and Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana and Vanessa Kirby and Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret have all been hailed with Emmy bids. Sewell as Prince Andrew in “Scoop”could be next in line.
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4. He’s a respected actor who is due for Emmy recognition.
He’s been a fixture in television and film for more than 30 years. He’s been appearing on stage even longer, where he has enjoyed considerable success. He received the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Play for “Rock ‘n’ Roll” in 2007. He rocked his way to a Tony nomination for the same play the following year. In 2019, he earned his first Emmy nomination for his guest appearance on “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” And while he hasn’t been cited by the Motion Picture Academy just yet, he recently delivered marvelous turns in 2019’s “Judy” and 2020’s “The Father,” which produced Oscar trophies for Renee Zellweger and Anthony Hopkins, respectively. Given Sewell’s prestigious pedigree, voters could consider him due for another chance at the Emmy.
5. Even if he misses at the Emmys, he could be a legitimate threat at the Golden Globe and SAG Awards.
The voting body of the Golden Globes is dominated by international journalists. The subject matter of “Scoop” should be right up their alley. And given the acting guild’s love for both Netflix and “The Crown,” “Scoop” might be exactly their cup of tea. So assuming that “Scoop” isn’t old news by the time those nominations roll around, Prince Andrew (in the form of Rufus Sewell) could be making headlines all over again.
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