Emmy spotlight: It’s time to sing Danielle Pinnock’s praises for her hilarious performance in ‘Ghosts’
The CBS comedy “Ghosts” has won over fans with its slick humor and the chemistry of its ensemble cast. Each character is so deeply established and entertaining that it would be easy to see why any given performer could be singled out as an audience favorite. One of the show’s shining stars is Danielle Pinnock, who plays Alberta Haynes, a jazz singer who was murdered and still doesn’t know by whom. The character’s self-proclaimed grandeur is hilarious, while Pinnock’s singing ability and the corresponding ego she gives Alberta is a joy to watch. She may be sitting in 28th place in our current Emmy odds for Best Comedy Supporting Actress, but Pinnock is absolutely in this race.
Last year, we saw surprise nominees in many acting categories, which is indicative of the quality of performances on TV today. Sarah Niles (“Ted Lasso”) deservedly made it into Comedy Supporting Actress when the competition was so stiff that Gold Derby odds had her in 50th place. When there are dozens of Emmy-worthy possibilities for a given category, voters are left having to split hairs and their love for a performance. With contenders this year including performers from Emmy favorites like “Ted Lasso” and “Abbott Elementary,” as well as recent Oscar winners like Michelle Yeoh (“American Born Chinese”) and Ariana DeBose (“Schmigadoon”), voter support could be so widespread that even if an actor’s odds of being nominated may seem slight, they could very well make it in, especially in a category as volatile as this. Pinnock’s performance on “Ghosts” can easily garner enough passion to breach the odds and get her the recognition she deserves.
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Pinnock has been given amazing material this season as the show explores Alberta’s mysterious poisoning. The character has just the right amount of humor, pizzazz, and sincerity that not only allows viewers to relate to her, but to also really care about the investigation into who cut her life short. The actress really shines in episodes that include Todd Pearlman (Rodrigo Fernandez-Stoll), her biographer/stalker. When he was introduced last year, it was established that he runs a museum dedicated to her life out of his garage. To enhance the creep factor, Alberta’s face is tattooed on his back and he boasted that his most prized possession is one of her toenail clippings that he carries on his person. So when the mansion’s owner and the one living character who can interract with the ghosts, Sam (Rose McIver), invites Todd to participate in “Alberta’s Podcast,” the singer expresses unapologetic disgust with his return. When he enters the manor with a gift for Sam, Alberta cringes and retorts, “It’s probably one of my baby teeth!” Pinnock’s delivery is so pitch-perfect that what could have just resulted in a chuckle became an uproarious iconic line.
Another standout episode is “Alberta’s Descendant,” when her great grandniece, Alicia (Ashley D. Kelley), books a stay at the mansion to participate in a new episode of the podcast. When Alicia expresses a romantic interest in Todd, Alberta makes it her mission to keep them apart. The frantic nature of Alberta’s desperation to have Sam intervene is ridiculously funny. As the episode progresses, Alicia and Todd are clearly hitting it off, so Alberta delivers an emotional plea to Sam. In a moment of raw sincerity, Alberta expresses how she died before she got the chance to be a mother and that saving Alicia from Todd is her “one chance to help [her] family.” Pinnock nails this more dramatic material. A sharp wit with an emotional edge is a rarity and makes it clear why Clayton Gutzmore (IndieWire) called her “a star.” Viewers were also treated to a duet between Pinnock and Kelley when the pair sang part of Ella Fitzgerald’s “Someone to Watch Over Me” in a mesmerizing coda. It was a poignant conclusion for this episode’s storyline and again allowed Pinnock’s greatness to shine. The actress’ ability to do it all in Season 2 is precisely why it would be a ghostly horror for the Emmys to snub her.
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