It’s 11:59 and 59 seconds.–@midnight opening lines
If a late night talk show and a game show had a baby, it would be @midnight. Yes, that is the name. Hosted by founder of Nerdist.com, and host AMC after shows Talking Bad and the current, Talking Dead, Chris Hardwick, @midnight is equal parts quirky news and game show.
Mondays through Thursdays on Comedy Central at 12:00 a.m., you can tune into some of today’s funniest comedians. You can also participate in the games during #HashtagWars, a favorite among viewers and guests alike. Here’s a sampling from Star Trek: The Next Generation alum, Will Weaton: The comedians are witty and smart. The games are funny and geeky and you should definitely spend your midnight with @midnight. They might just give you points during the show too.
As a member of the Screen Actors Guild, I am able to vote in the SAG Awards. Below are my choices for each award.
The Screen Actors Guild Awards air Saturday, January 18th on TNT & TBS at 8p.m.
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE
Nominated: 12 Years a Slave, American Hustle, August: Osage County, Dallas Buyers Club, Lee Daniels’ The Butler.
Voted for: August: Osage Countyseems to me to be a true ensemble piece in itself, but with these specific actors, they gave performances that helped move the film along as a whole. As an ensemble. Plus, filming dinner scenes are actually extremely complex.
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Tom Hanks (Captain Phillips) Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club), Forest Whitaker (Lee Daniels’ The Butler), Bruce Dern (Nebraska)
Voted For: Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave):I was so impressed with his performance. It’s truly amazing because it has made me want to become a better actor. To learn as much as I can. Although, I was impressed with Matthew McConaughey, I thought the depths that Chiwetel Ejiofor had to go to in order to give a complete portrayal of his character were so much deeper. *Side note, he’s BRITISH and does one of the best American accents I’ve ever heard.
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Nominated: Meryl Streep (August: Osage County), Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine). Sandra Bullock (Gravity), Judi Dench (Philomena), Emma Thompson (Saving Mr. Banks)
Voted For: Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine): It was a toss up between Meryl Streep and Cate Blanchett for me once I narrowed my choices down. Ultimately, I thought the arc of Blanchett’s character was played beautifully, her performance as Jasmine simply impressed me more than the others. Although, it was extremely difficult NOT to vote for Meryl Streep (BECAUSE she’s MERYL STREEP)
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Nominated: Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave), Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips), Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club), James Gandolfini (Enough Said), Daniel Bruhl (Rush)
Voted For: Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club): He truly immersed himself into this character and the power of his performance, for me, is undeniable. Although, before I saw it, I was convinced I would be voting for Michael Fassbender because there is nothing forgivable about his character, and it’s extremely difficult to play the bad guy well. Leto blew the competition out of the water for me.
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Nominated: Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave), Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle), Julia Roberts (August: Osage County), June Squibb (Nebraska), Oprah Winfrey (Lee Daniels’ The Butler)
Voted For: Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave):She truly gave a supporting performance and was so visceral in the process of playing Patsey, that I felt I had so other choice but to vote for her. I was blown away by her skill and talent. Although, there were pleasant surprises from Julia Roberts and Oprah, but Lupita is one to watch. She was fantastic.
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A DRAMA SERIES
Nominated: Boardwalk Empire, Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, Homeland.
Voted For: Breaking Bad
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY SERIES
Nominated: 30 Rock, Arrested Development, Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory, Veep.
Voted For: Modern Family
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Nominated: Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), Kevin Spacey (House of Cards), Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom)
Voted For: Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) *There was no contest. Seriously.
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Nominated: Jessica Lange (American Horror Story: Coven), Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad), Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey), Claire Danes (Homeland), Kerry Washington (Scandal)
Voted For: Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad) *Side note, this was the most difficult decision I had to make this year. I love them all.
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Nominated: Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), Jason Bateman (Arrested Development), Don Cheadle (House of Lies), Ty Burrell (Modern Family) Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)
Voted For: Ty Burrell (Modern Family)
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Nominated: Tina Fey (30 Rock), Julie Bowen (Modern Family) Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep)
Voted For: Julie Bowen (Modern Family)
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES
Nominated: Matt Damon (Behind the Candelabra), Michael Douglas (Behind the Candelabra), Rob Lowe (Killing Kennedy), Al Pacino (Phil Spector), Jeremy Irons (The Hollow Crown)
Voted For: Michael Douglas (Behind the Candelabra)
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES
Nominated: Angela Bassett (Betty & Coretta), Helena Bonham Carter (Burton & Taylor), Elisabeth Moss (Top of the Lake), Holly Hunter (Top of the Lake), Helen Mirren (Phil Spector)
Voted For: Helen Mirren (Phil Spector)
OUTSTANDING ACTION PERFORMANCE BY A STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Nominated: All is Lost, The Fast the Furious 6, Lone Survivor, Rush, Wolverine.
Voted for: Wolverine.
OUTSTANDING ACTION PERFORMANCE BY A STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES
Nominated: Boardwalk Empire, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Homeland, The Walking Dead.
Voted For: Game of Thrones. Due to the sheer amounts of stunts in this series, for me, it was a clear choice. Plus, it seems like they would have more fun. Voting for stunt ensembles is really difficult.
This year brought some amazing performances. Both performers I thought gave the performances of the year are amazing actors. One was at the end of a five year run on Breaking Bad, and the other, in her premiere season on Orphan Black. Today, both Bryan Cranston and Tatiana Maslany received much deserved Golden Globe nominations for their outstanding work on television. As Walter White, Cranston took a character who should have been your run of the mill chemistry teacher, and turned him upside down throughout the course of the Breaking Bad run. Due to incredible writing and acting, this series will be one of the greatest ever and they sure went out with a bang. On the other end of the spectrum is Tatiana Maslany. She doesn’t just play one character, she plays seven. Often acting against herself or portraying a character who is masquerading as another, her talent is undeniable and I’m glad the HFPA noticed which will bring more viewers to an amazing show. Orphan Black will definitely be getting more people tuning into BBC America in April for the season 2 premiere.
The comedians are witty and smart. The games are funny and geeky and you should definitely spend your midnight with @midnight. They might just give you points during the show too.
