Emmys 2019: Bay Area actors Ali, Rockwell square off — again
Mahershala Ali and Sam Rockwell find themselves facing off one more time
And so they meet again.
For the second time in seven months, Bay Area-bred actors Mahershala Ali and Sam Rockwell find themselves facing off against each other as they vie for a major show-biz award.
They’re both up for an Emmy Award this Sunday (Sept. 22) as strong contenders for best lead actor in a movie or limited series. Ali was born in Oakland and raised in Hayward. Rockwell was born in Daly City and raised in San Francisco.
Ali was nominated for his stirring performance as stoic investigator Wayne Hays in Season 3 of HBO’s “True Detective.” Rockwell received recognition for his extraordinary portrayal of Bob Fosse in the FX series “Fosse/Verdon.”
Both roles required the actors to play their characters over a span of several decades.
In February, Ali and Rockwell competed against each other at the Academy Awards in the best supporting actor category — Ali for his work in “Green Book” and Rockwell for his depiction of George W. Bush in “Vice.” Ali won that duel, capturing his second Oscar in three years. (His first Oscar came in 2017 for his moving performance in “Moonlight.” Both times, Ali’s film went on to win the Oscar for best picture.)
Interestingly enough, Rockwell’s first Oscar came sandwiched between Ali’s two. He won a best supporting Oscar in 2018 for his performance in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.” (Ali was not up that year).
So who will win this time? Many experts are giving the edge to Ali again. CNN TV critic Brian Lowry, for example, writes that “Emmy voters will likely be dazzled by two-time Oscar-winner Ali in a role that brought ‘True Detective’ roaring back to life.”
Alan Sepinwall of “Rolling Stone” agrees, insisting that “it feels like we are still living in Mahershala Ali‘s moment, and he’ll get the Emmy that Matthew McConaughey couldn’t for ‘True Detective’‘s first season.”
Danette Chavez of AV Club is on board with that line of thinking. She writes, “there’s no real mystery here as to who’s going to win.”
“Ali consistently elevated the material on ‘True Detective’ season three, thereby rescuing the show’s overall legacy,” she adds. “Ali’s recent Oscar nods mean he has a lot of buzz around him, too.”
Still, there are some who believe that neither Ali or Rockwell will take the prize. They predict the Oscar-winners will be toppled by Jharrel Jerome for his breakout performance in Netflix’s “When They See Us,” or Jared Harris, who shined in HBO’s “Chernobyl.”
Matt Roush of TV Guide is going with Jerome, writing that “Ali affectingly plays a complex character, but I believe heartbreaking underdog Jharrel Jerome will deliver an upset.”
The other nominees in a very stacked category are Benicio del Toro (“Escape at Dannemora”) and Hugh Grant (“A Very English Scandal”).
Ali got his start in acting while attending Saint Mary’s College in Moraga. The son of actors, Rockwell attended the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts.
“The 71st Primetime Emmy Awards” will air at 5 p.m. PT Sunday on Fox.