Succession‘s Sarah Snook Jumps Into Emmys Lead Actress Race
Shiv Roy is taking her rightful place, center stage.
TVLine has confirmed that after three years of competing in the Emmys’ Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series race, Succession‘s Sarah Snook will this year enter the lead actress category.
Snook is making the leap to lead at a consequential time. As Succession is currently in its fourth and final season, this will be her final year of eligibility for her role as Shiv. And the actress is going out with a bang, earning raves for her Season 4 work, particularly in the pivotal third episode (which revolved around the death of Brian Cox’s patriarch Logan). TVLine honored Snook as Performer of the Week for her “delicately crafted” and “masterful” work in that hour.
News of Snook’s upgrade follows word (from our sister pub Variety) that her onscreen sib Kieran Culkin (Roman) will make a similar jump from supporting to lead at the 2023 Emmys, where he will go head to head with co-star (and previous Lead Actor champ) Jeremy Strong (Kendall).
“If you’re asking if [Roman] is a lead character, then I would say absolutely,” Culkin told the site. “I think this season was set up before Episode three happened as Logan versus Shiv, Roman, Kendall. And then [Logan] passes, and it’s what I think the central focus of the show is — the three of them.”
One outstanding question: Given Cox’s early departure from Season 4, will the veteran actor shift from lead (where he’s been for Seasons 1-3) to supporting?
Snook was submitted in Lead for Season 1. She only switched to supporting after the winter awards in season 2
Sarah Snook is the one to beat.
Now that Julie Gardner is out of the race because Ozark is over, I thought Sarah might have it in the bag, but this could work out for her too.
Jennifer Coolidge moves from limited to supporting drama. She’s major competition.
Lead actress is pretty bare. Melanie Lynskey is the only nominee from last year eligible. It seems like a race between Snook and Imelda Staunton.