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Emmys 2018: Predicting the Lead Actor in a Limited Series winner

By Reed Gaudens

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 19: Darren Criss attends the For Your Consideration Event for FX's "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story" at DGA Theater on March 19, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 19: Darren Criss attends the For Your Consideration Event for FX's "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story" at DGA Theater on March 19, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images) /
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It’s a tight race for the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series award at the 2018 Emmys, but Darren Criss should take home the win.

The television Super Bowl is upon us once again, as the nominees for the 2018 Emmy Awards have finally been announced. Of course, with the announcement of the nominees come the heart-crushing snubs (no Mandy Moore again?!), the jaw-dropping surprises (Ted Danson for The Good Place… fork yes!), and the months of predictions leading up to TV’s biggest night in September. It’s time to predict who will be winning those coveted Emmys.

When it comes to the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series race, there’s a six-way embarrassment of riches. As limited series become more and more trendy, television has been drawing bigger names and better talents to lead the shows that have us binge-watching into the wee hours. This year, there’s an obvious frontrunner in The Assassination of Gianni Versace standout Darren Criss, but can he fend off the other leading men? Let’s take a closer look at the Lead Actor in a Limited Series category and place our bets on a winner.

The Contenders

Antonio Banderas in Genius: Picasso
Darren Criss in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Benedict Cumberbatch in Patrick Melrose
Jeff Daniels in The Looming Tower
John Legend in Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesse Plemons in Black Mirror

The Consensus

Who should take home the award, and who will win the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series? All signs point to Darren Criss being the answer to both of those questions. Out of the six nominees, all of which are formidable talents of seasoned actors delivering impressive performances, none have been as talked about as that of Criss. His fearless and revelatory turn as spree killer Andrew Cunanan in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story earned the Glee veteran new respect from the mainstream. As a killer rather than a happy-go-lucky high school dreamer, Criss was haunting, and the role couldn’t have been tackled by any other actor.

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Next: Emmy Awards 2018 nominations: 5 biggest snubs this year

Final Thoughts

Other than Darren Criss’ clear edge, the Lead Actor in a Limited Series category could go to any of the nominees. Antonio Banderas and Jeff Daniels, both previous Emmy nominees (Daniels won in 2013 for his role on The Newsroom), could snag the win on seniority. Academy favorite Benedict Cumberbatch, who won this same award for Sherlock in 2014, could go for two. Surprise nominees Jesse Plemons and EGOT hopeful John Legend could, too, charm their way to a win. But there’s no conceivable scenario in which Criss, a previous nominee for songwriting in 2015, should go home without some new hardware. This one is Darren’s to lose.

Who do you think will win big at the Emmys? Leave your predictions in the comments!

The 70th Primetime Emmy Awards air Monday, Sept. 17 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC.

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