Billy Porter
Queer artists continue their strong showing among the showbiz elite, this time at the 2019 Emmy nominations.
Pose scored big in major categories, including nominations for Best Drama and Best Lead Actor for Billy Porter. The lesbian thriller Killing Eve also netted a Best Drama nod, as did lead actresses Sandra Oh and Jody Comer. Russian Doll, the surreal Netflix series, co-created by out-lesbian Leslye Headland, also grabbed a Best Drama nomination, as well as a Best Actress nom for Natasha Lyonne.
The comedy categories also had a solid showing. Schitt’s Creek, co-created and co-starring Dan Levy, scored a nomination for Best Comedy Series, as well as for Best Lead Actor (Eugene Levy) and Actress (Catherine O’Hara). The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, which features a major out-gay character, also turned up in the Best Comedy category, as well as for Best Supporting Actress. Actress Alex Borstein grabbed a nomination for her performance as a lesbian comedy manager. Jane Lynch also got a nomination for guest actress on Mrs. Maisel. Out-queer actress Kate McKinnon received a nomination for her work on SNL.
Rupaul’s Drag Race received yet another nomination for Best Reality Program, while out-gay actor Ben Wishaw nabbed a nod for his work in A Very English Scandal. Out-trans actress Laverne Cox also had a nomination for Best Guest Actress in a Drama for Orange is the New Black, while out-gay actress Cherry Jones received notice for her work on The Handmaid’s Tale. Finally, Ellen DeGeneres racked up her umpteenth nomination, this time for her work on the gameshow Game of Games.
Frankly, we’re still bummed that both Indya Moore and MJ Rodriguez’s work on Pose went overlooked yet another year. Still, we’re confident that if the show gets another season, we may see both ladies representing in the Lead Actress category.
