‘Palm Royale’ scene stealer Carol Burnett will make it an even two dozen Emmy nominations
Carol Burnett is a TV legend who shows no signs of slowing down at age 91. She plays a pivotal part in Apple TV+ new hit comedy series “Palm Royale.”Abe Sylvia adapted Juliet McDaniel‘s bestseller “Mr. and Mrs. American Pie” about the battle between social climber Maxine Dellacorte-Simmon (Kristen Wiig) and doyenne Evelyn Rollins (Allison Janney) in 1969 Palm Beach. Burnett is Norma Dellacorte, the unsuspecting in-law of Maxine.
Such is the talent of Burnett that, even comatose, muttering only two or three words in the first few episodes, she shines. Critics have heaped praise on her performance.
Tania Hussain (Collider) observed: “Burnett has a real sweetness as one of the show’s more interesting characters. Though comatose, Norma is listening and observing everything, which affords Burnett the greatest advantage as an all-seeing character. She gives a focused and funny performance that offers nostalgia while simultaneously recognizing the icon as a reigning comedy legend.”
Robert Lloyd (LA Times) declared: “You don’t hire Carol Burnett just to keep her a body in a bed, and she will emerge by stages, eyes first, as a formidable character, and the vessel of some of the series’ funniest moments.”
Anna Covert (Paste Magazine) noted: “Carol Burnett, in particular, is magnetic as the comatose Norma, especially as her condition improves over the course of the season. In some episodes, she has a sum-total of about three lines of unintelligible dialogue, or a few minutes of physical comedy through exaggerated movements and facial expressions, and yet she still steals every single scene she’s in.”
As a result, Burnett is right on the precipice of breaking into our predicted lineup for Best Comedy Supporting Actress nominees. Currently, we think that Meryl Streep (“Only Murders in the Building”), Hannah Einbinder (“Hacks”), Sheryl Lee Ralph (“Abbott Elementary”), Abby Elliot (“The Bear”), Janelle James (“Abbott Elementary”), Liza Colon-Zayas (“The Bear”), and Allison Janney (“Palm Royale”) will be nominated.
But bet against Burnett at your own peril. This is an Emmy legend who has seven wins and a whopping 23 nominations to her name. Bear with, this could take a while.
She was nominated five times for Best Variety/Musical Program/Series Performance: “The Garry Moore Show” (1962), “Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall” (1963), and “The Carol Burnett Show” (1969, 1970, and 1971). She won for “The Garry Moore Show” and “Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall.”
She then contended for Best Musical Variety Series in 1972 for “The Carol Burnett Show.” That same year, she picked up a bid for Best Single Program (Variety/Musical/Variety and Popular Music) for “Julie and Carol at Lincoln Center.” She then secured two more nominations for “The Carol Burnett Show” in 1973 and 1974, winning in 1974. That same year, she picked up a citation for Best Drama Actress for “6 Rms Riv Vu.”
She then won again in 1975 for “The Carol Burnett Show,” picking up the same nomination for the same show again in 1976 and 1978. In 1976, she was also nominated for Best Comedy-Variety/Music Special for “Sills and Burnett at the Met.”
In 1979, Burnett was nominated for Best TV Movie/Limited Series Actress for “Friendly Fire. While she was focused on films in the 1980s, she returned to the Emmys in 1992 for guesting on “The Larry Sanders Show.” In 1995, Burnett was cited for Best Achievement/Performance in Music Dance Cultural for “Men, Movies & Carol.”
She was then nominated twice for guesting on “Mad About You” in 1997 and 1998, winning for the former. In 2002, Burnett was recognized for Best Variety/Music/Comedy Special for “The Carol Burnett Show: Show Stoppers.”
Burnett was nominated in 2009 for Best Drama Guest Actress for “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” before she won her seventh Emmy on her latest, most recent nomination — for Best Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) for “Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love.”
Phew.
It’s clear, then, that Burnett is as beloved by Emmys as Meryl Streep is by the Oscars. They will nominate her at any chance they get — and this is another great opportunity to do so.
Burnett is also a high-profile star featuring in a scene-stealing role. This is a combination Emmy voters love in this category with recent such examples including Olivia Colman (“Fleabag”), Betty White (“Hot in Cleveland”), and Jean Smart (“Samantha Who?”).
Burnett is also a veteran performer. Emmy voters like this profile of actress in this category, with Laurie Metcalf (“Roseanne”), Janney (“Mom”), Jane Lynch (“Glee”), Kathryn Joosten (“Desperate Housewives”), White (“Hot in Cleveland”), Smart (“Samantha Who?”), and Holland Taylor (“Two and a Half Men”) all reaping bids in this category.
Let’s also address the fact that Burnett is competing against not just one but two co-stars for a nomination in this category: Oscar winners Laura Dern and Janney. That shouldn’t matter, though. Emmy voters have proven time and time again that they don’t mind nominating multiple from the same show in this category.
In fact, there have been at least two shows with at least two stars nominated in this category in each of the last 10 years.
Recent such examples include Juno Temple, Hannah Waddingham, and Sarah Niles (“Ted Lasso”); Janelle James and Sheryl Lee Ralph (“Abbott Elementary”); Aidy Bryant, Kate McKinnon, and Cecily Strong (“Saturday Night Lives”); Borstein and Marin Hinkle (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”); and Sian Clifford and Colman (“Fleabag”). All three of Burnett, Dern, and Janney could join that list here.
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