‘Masters of the Air’ scene-stealer Barry Keoghan could land his first Emmy nomination
Barry Keoghan earned the first Oscar nomination of his career in 2023 when his scene-stealing performance in Martin McDonagh‘s “The Banshees of Inisherin” was recognized amongst the finest of the year. Now, Keoghan is hoping another of his supporting turns will snag him his first Emmy nomination. The role in question is in Apple TV+’s “Masters of the Air,” from executive producers Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg.
The series stars Austin Butler and Callum Turner as leading members of the 100th Bomb Group, a Boeing B-17 heavy bomber unit in the Eighth Air Force. Keoghan pops up in a key part as Lt. Curtis Biddick, sporting a New York accent to boot. Critics have noted Keoghan’s appearance as one of the highlights of the series, citing his natural charisma and magnetic on-screen presence as well as the fact that he’s playing against type, delivering a likable, nice-guy character rather than the sort of outcast he typically plays.
Tori Brazier (Metro) observed: “Barry Keoghan is the man of the moment, after his headline-grabbing antics in Saltburn, but forget about that – he’s even more spectacular in new TV series ‘Masters of the Air…’ Keoghan, after a slightly questionable Liverpudlian accent for Saltburn, fares better with broad New York tones as Lt. Curtis Biddick, who talks the talk and punches the punch.”
Charlie Hall (Polygon) opined: “There are other standout performances as well: Keoghan’s boyish affectation shows his admiration for the flyers who lead his unit.”
Nick Hilton (The Independent) noted: “With Butler and Turner in the captain seats, the company is rounded out by an ensemble cast of familiar faces. Red hot Irish actor Barry Keoghan plays against type as a nice, affable bloke, Kurt, who proves too sweet for his own good.”
This swell of support could result in a credible Emmys campaign for Keoghan, who has never been nominated before. But that doesn’t matter – in fact, it might actually help him as this category often rewards newbies. There have been plenty of performers who earned their first bid in this category, such as “Beef” stars Young Mazino and Joseph Lee, “The White Lotus” trio Murray Bartlett, Jake Lacy, and Steve Zahn, plus the likes of Thomas Brodie-Sangster (“The Queen’s Gambit”), Evan Peters (“Mare of Eastttown”), and Ben Whishaw (“A Very English Scandal”).
Keoghan is best-known for his film work. Movie stars Seth Rogen (“Pam & Tommy”), Will Poulter (“Dopesick”), Paul Dano (“Escape at Dannemora”), Stanley Tucci (“Feud: Bette and Joan”), Alexander Skarsgård (“Big Little Lies”), and John Travolta (“The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story”) were all nominated in this category and so, too, were Oscar nominees/winners Richard Jenkins (“Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”), Tucci (“Feud: Bette and Joan”), Travolta (“The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story”), Bill Murray (“Olive Kitteridge”), James Cromwell (“American Horror Story: Asylum”), and Ed Harris (“Game Change”).
We also predict “Masters of the Air” will be a big Emmys player. Hanks and Spielberg’s previous wartime epics, “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific,” both did well with the TV academy, with the former winning seven awards and the latter taking home eight gongs. If “Masters of the Air” is received in the same way, Keoghan could get taken along for the ride. However, the only downside here is that neither “Band of Brothers” nor “The Pacific” were nominated for any acting awards. Butwhile both of those series had plenty of talented actors amongst their rosters, there were no real standout names. The draws there were the extensive casts. “Masters of the Air,” however, has a more focal point — namely in duo Butler and Turner and movie star Keoghan.
What may be even more relevant here is the currency of Keoghan. This is a red-hot, in-demand actor who is supremely popular at the moment. He had that Oscar nomination in last year, of course, but he also starred in the huge MCU movie “Eternals,” and led the line in “Saltburn,” one of the year’s most talked-about movies. Keoghan is having a golden moment where everything is going his way, and an Emmy nomination would just follow the trajectory his career seems to be going in at the moment. It makes sense.
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