Nominated for two Emmy Awards – Outstanding Variety Special and Writing for a Variety Special for her Netflix stand-up show Douglas, Hannah Gadsby has already recorded her acceptance speech.
Despite winning an Emmy in the same writing category last year for Nanette, Gadsby says: “It’s odds on that I won’t win. I’ll put it in my sizzle reel.”
The comedian was speaking today in an Australians in Film webinar with fellow nominees Hugh Jackman, Sarah Snook and Tony McNamara.
Moderator Jenny Cooney pointed out the Emmy organisers are arranging to send a camera to the homes of each of the 140 nominees and asked where all four will be when the awards are presented next month.
McNamara, who is in the running for Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series for Hulu’s The Great, will be at home in the country with his wife and children. Confessing that he is not technically minded, he said he would not be able to operate the camera.
Nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series for her performance as Shiv Roy in HBO’s Succession, Snook will be stuck in lockdown in Melbourne.
Cooney asked Jackman about the challenge of playing corrupt school superintendent Frank Tassone in HBO’s fact-based drama Bad Education, for which he earned a nod for Outstanding Actor in a Limited Series or Movie.
Jackman replied: “It was a difficult responsibility playing someone who is still alive and will watch the show, which depicts the worst moment in his life.
“I wanted to play the truth of how successful and well regarded he was. He had it all together on the surface as things were imploding.”
The actor recalled he was shocked to win an Emmy for hosting the Tony Awards in 2004 as he didn’t know the category existed.
Gadsby and Snook were both in bed – worlds apart – when they were woken up to be informed they had been nominated. The comedian got a text from her mother which said simply: “You’re a clever dick.”
Cooney asked Hannah if she felt pressure after being nominated and winning last year. “I felt the pressure of expectations,” she said. “Most of my life has been flirting with failure.”
She revealed that she created most of Douglas while performing on stage in front of non-paying audiences for two weeks at a comedy club in Los Angeles, a more natural process for her than writing on the page.
As someone who is on the Autism spectrum, she said: “I live inside my head. I have circular thoughts and wrestle ideas.”
McNamara said he enjoyed a lot more creative freedom in the US than in Australia, noting that Hulu gave the green light for The Great pilot without knowing precisely what he was planning.
Jackman complimented Snook on her American accent in Succession and related that he has used a dialect coach for 18 years.
Snook said people are often surprised to discover she is Australian. She hopes to return to New York for the third season of the HBO drama in mid-November.
Among the other Aussies in contention, Cate Blanchett is up for Outstanding Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her performance as Phyllis Schlafly in FX’s Mrs. America.
Toni Collette is vying for Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for Netflix’s Unbelievable.
Greig Fraser and colleague Baz Idoine are nominated for Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series (Half-Hour) for Disney+’s The Mandalorian.
Costume designer Justine Seymour is up for Outstanding Contemporary Costumes for Netflix’s Unorthodox, shared with Simone Kreska and Barbara Schramm.
Composer Antonio Gambale’s work on Unorthodox has earned noms in two categories: Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited Series, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score) and Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music.
Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the awards will be presented on September 20 US time and screened here the following day on FOX Arena from 10.00am.