‘Manhunt’ may turn up another Emmy nomination for Tobias Menzies
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Tobias Menzies has become one of our most reliably excellent actors of late. Classically trained, he had an extensive theatre career in his native England during the noughties and early 2010s before he rose to prominence with roles in “Game of Thrones” and “Outlander.”
Menzies’ profile then increased further thanks to his lauded portrayal of Prince Phillip in “The Crown” and his stock has again risen thanks to his role as another major historical figure in Apple TV’s “Manhunt.” The acclaimed limited series follows the death of President Abraham Lincoln (played by Hamish Linklater) and the subsequent 12-day manhunt for assassin John Wilkes Booth (Anthony Boyle).
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Menzies stars as Edwin Stanton, the Secretary of State and personal friend of Lincoln who headed up the hunt for Booth. Menzies proves himself capable of carrying this compelling show entirely on his own. His complex, gruff portrayal of Stanton is what makes the series soar, as noted by critics.
Rebecca Onion (Slate) observed: “As Stanton, an asthmatic man living in pre-inhaler times who’s compelled to push beyond the boundaries of his body to see the job done, Tobias Menzies exudes a lonely sense of singularity. He’s fascinating to watch, even if you don’t know anything about the original Stanton. Menzies is a good choice, not least because he has the most remarkable brackets on either side of his mouth—lines that have, as time goes on, deepened, so that they almost completely bisect either side of his face.”
Kelly Lawler (USA Today) stated: “The series’ guiding light is Menzies’ Stanton, a clear-eyed, full-hearted patriot whose loyalty to Lincoln and progressive ideas guides his hunt for Booth and his battles with newly sworn-in President Andrew Johnson (Glenn Morshower), who attempts to roll back Lincoln’s Reconstruction policies. Menzies is a journeyman performer who’s had his fair share of supporting roles, but this time brings his understated style to center stage.”
Carly Lane (Collider) opined: “Even if Lincoln’s death looms over the story, ‘Manhunt’ holds the distinction of being a landmark performance for Menzies, best known for big-name shows like ‘The Crown’ and ‘Outlander.’ The role of Edwin Stanton requires him to juggle the pain of a man who has lost one of his closest friends to an act of violence alongside the necessary authority of a cabinet member who has to take charge in the crisis that follows.”
As a result, Menzies is a red-hot Emmy contender for Best TV Movie/Limited Series Actor. He won this same category over on the drama side for his work on “The Crown.” So, Menzies has already proved that he is liked by Emmy voters — they gave him a win on his first nomination — while it is clear they also like him for portraying real people.
His win was emblematic of Emmy voters’ tastes in this category. They love thespians who play real people. Michael Shannon (“George & Tammy”), Daniel Radcliffe (“Weird: The Al Yankovic Story”), Kumail Nanjiani (“Welcome to Chippendales”), Taron Egerton (“Black Bird”), Sebastian Stan (“Pam & Tommy”), Colin Firth (“The Staircase”), and Ewan McGregor (“Halston”) all earned bids for their portrayals of real people.
Specifically, however, voters like actors who depict major historical figures, such as Menzies as Prince Phillip. Other such examples include Evan Peters (“Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”), Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton”), Leslie Odom Jr. (“Hamilton”), Antonio Banderas (“Genius: Picasso”), Geoffrey Rush (“Genius: Einstein”), and Mark Rylance (“Wolf Hall”).
And Emmy voters don’t seem able to resist nominating actors in this category for playing real American figures in stories about US political history. Miranda (as Alexander Hamilton in “Hamilton”), Odom Jr. (as Aaron Burr in “Hamilton”), Bryan Cranston (as Lyndon B. Johnson in “All the Way”), Barry Pepper (as Robert F. Kennedy in “The Kennedys”), Greg Kinnear (as John F. Kennedy in “The Kennedys”), Laurence Fishburne (as Thurgood Marshall in “Thurgood”), Dennis Quaid (as George Bush in “The Special Relationship”), and Paul Giamatti (as John Adams in “John Adams”) were all nominated for such roles and shows.
Plus, Menzies is still in the “afterglow” phase of his Emmy win. Lots of performers who win an Emmy often find themselves nominated again in the next couple of years, such as Evan Peters (“Mare of Easttown”/”Dahmer”), Murray Bartlett (“The White Lotus”/”Welcome to Chippendales”), and Al Pacino (“You Don’t Know Jack”/”Phil Spector”).
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