Emmys spotlight: Karen Pittman rises and shines on ‘The Morning Show’
Apple TV’s flagship series “The Morning Show” returned last fall with its third season and with it comes the show’s best cast to date. Nicole Beharie, Jon Hamm, Tig Notaro, and Stephen Fry all joined the cast while mainstays Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Billy Crudup all turned in their best work yet.
However, it’s the show’s supporting players, who have been here since day one, that makes the series so good. Karen Pittman is a prime example of that. The series depicts the behind-the-scenes drama of a US morning TV show and Pittman plays Mia Jordan, a key producer of said show. Pittman has always been an actress who possesses a powerful screen presence and that is true here, too. She captivates audiences (and the other actors) but also smartly sews vulnerability into a character who has some power in the show.
Peter Travers (ABC News) stated: “Season three does way better with the inter-office tensions ignited by a data hack that goes viral about UBA salaries, performance reviews, and racist and sexist comments. Cheers to Karen Pittman as showrunner Mia Jordan.”
Joel Keller (Decider) opined: “Karen Pittman is still around as Mia Jordan, who’s the executive producer of ‘The Morning Show,’ and she still shines in the few scenes where she’s featured.”
Emma Fraser (IGN) explained: “It’s hard to single out an MVP between Pittman, Lee, and Beharie in the first half of the season, as each actor expertly cuts to the core of their characters’ compromises. Stella’s links to digital media and her current role give her a unique position with a foot in each world, and Lee deftly portrays how Stella’s past experience informs her current conflict.”
As a result, Pittman is in with a good shout for her first-ever Emmy nomination. Our current predicted nominees for Best Drama Supporting Actress are Elizabeth Debicki (“The Crown”), Lesley Manville (“The Crown”), Christine Baranski (“The Gilded Age”), Greta Lee (“The Morning Show”), Kristin Scott Thomas (“Slow Horses”), Cynthia Nixon (“The Gilded Age”), Moeka Hoshi (“Shōgun”), and Holland Taylor (“The Morning Show”). However, Pittman could easily break into this lineup.
Firstly, she has already received the recognition of another major awards group for her performance in this series. She was nominated earlier this year for Best Drama Supporting Actress at the Critics Choice TV Awards. That could be a great Emmy precursor bid for Pittman as it suggests major awards voters like her performance in this third season.
Emmy voters also like the acting in “The Morning Show” in general as Aniston (Best Drama Actress), Witherspoon (Best Drama Actress), Carell (Best Drama Actor), Crudup (Best Drama Supporting Actor — won once), Mark Duplass (Best Drama Supporting Actor), Martin Short (Best Drama Guest Actor), and Marcia Gay Harden (Best Drama Guest Actress) have all earned nominations. Pittman could join that list.
And don’t worry about the fact that Pittman is going up against co-stars Taylor, Lee, and even Nicole Beharie for a bid here. Each of the last 10 Emmy ceremonies have featured at least one show with at least two members of its cast nominated in this category. Recent examples include Smith-Cameron and Snook for “Succession;” Gillian Anderson, Helena Bonham-Carter, and Emerald Fennell for “The Crown;” Madeline Brewer, Ann Dowd, Yvonne Strahovski, and Samira Wiley for “The Handmaid’s Tale;” and Meryl Streep and Laura Dern for “Big Little Lies.”
Plus, “The White Lotus” earned five bids in this category last year: Jennifer Coolidge (winner), Meghann Fahy, Sabrina Impacciatore, Aubrey Plaza, and Simona Tabasco. Pittman, Taylor, Lee, and Beharie, or any mixture of those four, could easily be nominated, then.
Pittman also deserves this moment in the sunlight. She is an actress who has appeared in many great projects including “Yellowstone,” “And Just Like That,” “Living With Yourself,” “Luke Cage,” and “The Americans.” She always reliably great in every show or movie she appears in but she’s never had the spotlight shone specifically on her. That should change now with season three of “The Morning Show.”
Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Don’t miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why?