Emmy Outlook- Supporting in Drama

Although the Poolies are much more important around here - and should be everywhere - as a television blog, we at the Quiet Pool Perspective have decided to talk a bit about the 2011 Emmys. With nominations set to be announced on July 14th, I will be going through the major categories over the next couple of days to give my ballot and my prediction. My Ballot is what I would have as my six nominees if I were eligible to vote on such things. My prediction is what I expect to be announced come July 14th. As a caveat, I will not be predicting guest actor and actresses, because that would be ridiculously difficult.

Supporting Actor in a Drama

Max Burkholder

My Ballot
Max Burkholder - Parenthood
Peter Dinklage - Game of Thrones
Walton Goggins - Justified
Michael Pitt - Boardwalk Empire
Michael Raymond-James - Terriers
John Slattery - Mad Men

Goggins is just an absolute stud, whether he's wingin' it or not. Dinklage seemed to have won the heart of everyone watching HBO. Slattery is an institution, and plays his Roger Sterling with the utmost skill. Michael Pitt is a newcomer, but was pretty terrific in the first season of Boardwalk, and Michael Raymond-James was fantastic in the one and only season of Terriers. Max Burkholder is the one to talk about here though. He's so good at playing a kid with Asperger's syndrome that I questioned whether or not they just hired a kid with the disease and just followed him around.

Josh Charles

Prediction
Andre Braugher - Men of a Certain Age
Josh Charles - The Good Wife
Alan Cumming - The Good Wife
Michael Pitt - Boardwalk Empire
Michael Shannon - Boardwalk Empire
John Slattery - Mad Men

I haven't seen a single second of The Good Wife, and those who recommend it haven't peaked my interest in the slightest. Having said that, many say they will be getting two nominations in this stacked category, maybe even three! There is a heck of a lot of turnover in the category, thanks to the absence of Breaking Bad and Lost, which makes Braugher and Slattery the only returnees. I see Pitt and Shannon jumping in with both feet as the academy eats up everything Boardwalk Empire.  It pains me to not have Dinklage on that list, but I am not convinced the academy is going to be as in love with his performance as the rest of us.

Supporting Actress in a Drama

Chyler Leigh

My Ballot
Laura Allen - Terriers
Jennifer Carpenter - Dexter
Emilia Clarke - Game of Thrones
Chyler Leigh - Grey's Anatomy
Margo Martindale - Justified
Kiernan Shipka - Mad Men

For how much awards shows love premium cable, I'm surprised Carpenter has never been nominated. I love Debra. We all know at this point how fantastic Martindale was on Justified. "It was already in the glass...not in the jar." Instead of screwing child actors over, they should be given some credit when they are fantastic, in this case Shipka on Mad Men. Clarke and Allen were decent in their respective shows, while Leigh is one of the only redeemable elements left on Grey's.

Michelle Forbes

Prediction
Christine Baranski - The Good Wife
Michelle Forbes - The Killing
Christina Hendricks - Mad Men
Kelly Macdonald - Boardwalk Empire
Margo Martindale - Justified
Archie Penjabi - The Good Wife

Only three stay the same, as Elizabeth Moss moved herself into lead actress, Damages is gone (Rose Byrne), and I don't have any idea what a Burn Notice is (Sharon Gless). I am hoping for The Killing to get shut out, but I am predicting two nominations, including this one here for the fantastic Forbes. Although I didn't enjoy her here, she was incredible in season two of True Blood. If Martindale isn't nominated it will be a travesty, and Macdonald is riding the gravy train that is Boardwalk Empire.