'This is Us' stars arrive early for television's Emmy Awards
By Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "This is Us" stars Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore and Sterling K. Brown joined Scarlett Johansson, Henry Winkler and the young cast of "Stranger Things" on the Emmy red carpet on Monday as the highest honors in television kicked off. "Insecure" actress Issa Rae, "Shameless" actor William H. Macy and Kristen Bell of comedy "The Good Place," were also among the early arrivals under warm, sunny skies in Los Angeles. "Saturday Night Live" stars Michael Che and Colin Jost will host the annual Emmy Awards host for the first time on an evening where barbs about U.S. President Donald Trump and other topical issues are expected to feature. "They are outrageous political satirists and if they don't shine on stage in that way, people will be disappointed," said Tom O'Neil, editor of awards website goldderby.com. The field is so packed with quality contenders in the top races this year that some shows may leave Monday's ceremony empty-handed. HBO's crowd-pleasing medieval series "Game of Thrones" has a leading 22 nominations, but awards pundits say it faces a strong challenge from streaming service Hulu's bleak "The Handmaid's Tale" for the best-drama series Emmy. The latest season of "Game of Thrones" aired almost a year ago and may suffer for being out of sight and out of mind, IndieWire Executive Editor Michael Schneider said. "'Handmaid's Tale' is a newer show. It won last year (in its first season) and it still feels very timely and part of the conversation," he said. "Handmaid's Tale" star Elisabeth Moss could also be a repeat Emmy winner. Yet the drama actress field is particularly strong with contenders Claire Foy as the quietly formidable Queen Elizabeth in Netflix royal series "The Crown," Keri Russell in her final turn as a ruthless Russian spy living as an ordinary American housewife in FX's "The Americans," and Sandra Oh, who could become the first woman of Asian descent to win a best actress drama series Emmy, in BBC America's "Killing Eve." While the Emmys are known for surprises, some actors appear to be shoo-ins for the statuette. Donald Glover is expected to be named best comedy actor for "Atlanta," the absurdist FX show about life on the margins of the hip-hop community, which he also created. "Atlanta" could also win best comedy series. Rachel Brosnahan is widely favored as best comedy actress for playing an exuberant 1950s housewife who turns to stand-up comedy in Amazon's "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," while Darren Criss is a favorite in his role as a gay serial killer in FX's limited series "The Assassination of Gianni Versace." NBC's sentimental family show "This is Us" could bring repeat honors for Brown as empathetic dad Randall Pearson. "Sterling K. Brown is a shoo-in whenever there is an award. People just love him," said Schneider. Veterans returning to the spotlight include former "Happy Days" star Winkler as a self-important acting coach in HBO's satire "Barry," Tony Shaloub in "Mrs. Maisel" and former "Cheers" actor Ted Danson for comedy "The Good Place." (Additional reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis and Jill Serjeant; Writing by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Leslie Adler)
