Emmy voters will be sweet on Colin Farrell in ‘Sugar’
Colin Farrell has had a stellar few years, turning in exquisite performance after exquisite performance in a variety of projects from deadpan comedy movies such as “The Lobster” and “The Banshees of Inisherin” to a transformative turn in the superhero flick “The Batman.”
Farrell has delivered another enigmatic performance with the Apple TV+ detective series “Sugar.” In this neo-noir drama, Farrell plays private investigator John Sugar, who delves into the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Olivia Siegel, the granddaughter of a famous Hollywood producer. Farrell is as magnetic as ever in, wielding his natural charisma and captivating screen presence with ease while also sowing in the sort of sad, lamentable quality that he displayed in “The Banshees of Inisherin,” a film that earned him his first Oscar nomination (for Best Actor). Critics have applauded Farrell for his turn in “Sugar.”
Todd Lazarksi (The AV Club) stated that the show is a success, with “everything orbiting just so around Farrell’s undeniable charisma. Even when he doesn’t have much to do but drive and brow-furrow, he vacillates smoothly between smart-ass sleuth and puppy-dog maverick. Vulnerable, sorrowful, but with ‘good hair,’ he is beleaguered by waves of anxiety and an undefined disorientation.”
Nate Richard (Collider) explained: “His work as John is one of ‘Sugar”s greatest assets. He’s able to exude his natural charisma while simultaneously being able to portray such an enigmatic character. He’s not trying to imitate Humphrey Bogart, but rather inhabits his character as if he’s your super friendly, albeit socially awkward neighbor… This is Farrell’s show through and through, and while the rest of the ensemble turns in solid work as the eccentric characters that John meets on his journey, they’re all in service of the title character’s arc.”
Kaiya Shunyata (Roger Ebert) observed: “Farrell’s portrayal of John allows these stakes to make ‘Sugar’ feel like a series that has been airing for years, forcing us to become attached to its titular character almost immediately. His charisma ignites like a spark right with his introduction, and only grows stronger as the episodes unfold… Farrell’s performance is one of the best of the year, and hopefully, he’s able to inhabit this character for many more seasons.”
Currently, we are predicting that Gary Oldman (“Slow Horses”), Hiroyuki Sanada (“Shōgun”), Dominic West (“The Crown”), Donald Glover (“Mr. And Mrs. Smith”), Cosmo Jarvis (“Shōgun”), and Walton Goggins (“Fallout”) will be nominated for Best Drama Actor. However, Jarvis and Goggins have been in and out of these predicted top six and Farrell is right on the precipice of replacing one of them. Don’t rule him out of this race just yet.
Firstly, Farrell is an A-list, Hollywood movie star, and this profile of actor often gets nominated in this category, such as Pedro Pascal (“The Last of Us”), Jeff Bridges (“The Old Man”), Steve Carell (“The Morning Show”), Anthony Hopkins (“Westworld”), and “True Detective” duo Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson.
Crime shows like these are always popular with Emmy voters, too, with plenty of leading men reaping citations for this genre of show, including Jason Bateman (“Ozark”), Matthew Rhys (“Perry Mason”), Liev Schreiber (“Ray Donovan”), and McConaughey and Harrelson (“True Detective”). In fact, Rhys, McConaughey, and Harrelson were all nominated for playing detectives in their respective shows. Farrell could be the latest actor to land a Best Drama Actor bid for playing a detective.
Farrell has received plenty of awards attention over the length of his career, including that aforementioned sole Oscar nomination in 2023 for “The Banshees of Inisherin.” He has also received a BAFTA bid, a Critics Choice citation, two SAG bids, and three Golden Globes nominations including one victory for “In Bruges” in 2009. Farrell will be an easy actor to vote for thanks to his reputation as an awards-worthy actor and reliable star of various intriguing projects.
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