SAG Awards TV: Rookies ‘Suits’, ‘American Horror Story’ & ‘Game Of Thrones’ Join The Fray As Betty White’s Reign Continues

Screen Actors Guild’s love affair with Betty White continues. White followed up on her SAG’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010 with her first SAG Award nominations, an individual and ensemble nods for Hot In Cleveland, last year, winning her first SAG Award in January in the best actress in a comedy category. This morning White got an early present for her 90th birthday in January, two individual SAG Award nominations: one for TV Land’s Hot In Cleveland and one in the longform category for her role in Hallmark Hall Of Fame’s The Lost Valentine. She is one of only 2 performers to accomplish that this year, along with Glenn Close, nominated of her series Damages and feature Albert Nobbs.

The list of SAG Award nominees in the TV series categories includes one true newcomer, surprise nominee Patrick J. Adams of USA Network’s hot new series Suits who earned his first nomination of any kind. Two other breakout shows, FX’s American Horror Story and HBO’s Game Of Thrones, were the only other freshman series to make the cut – AHS with co-star Jessica Lange, previous SAG nominee in the film and lingform TV categories, nominated for best actress in a drama series; and best series Emmy nominee GOT with a nom in the best drama series ensemble category. (Though Emmy-winning GOT co-star Peter Dinklage didn’t get an individual nomination.) Because it premiered in midseason, NBC’s sophomore Harry’s Law also earned a nomination in its first year of eligibility, a best actress in a drama series mention for star Kathy Bates. Left out was Showtime’s new drama Homeland as well as New Girl star Zooey Deschanel.

While not very welcoming to freshmen, the SAG Awards nomination field, led by Modern Family with 5 noms, includes several first-time nominees who are getting their dues after being overlooked previous years. The list includes recently minted Emmy winner Kyle Chandler, who landed Friday Night Lights‘ first (and last) SAG Award nomination in the best actor in a drama series category; fellow reigning Emmy winner Julie Bowen of Modern Family, previous Emmy winner Jon Cryer of Two And A Half Men as well as hit CBS comedy series The Big Bang Theory, which landed its first ever SAG Award nomination (individual or ensemble) in the best comedy series ensemble category.

Despite Big Bang star Jim Parsons’ 2 consecutive Emmy wins, he is yet to receive a SAG Award nomination after getting snubbed again this year. Meanwhile, 30 Rock‘s Alec Baldwin, who lost to Parsons at the Emmys for the past 2 years, has a shot at continuing his remarkable string of 5 consecutive best comedy actor SAG Award wins for 30 Rock with a sixth individual nomination in a row. (The NBC series was also recognized for best comedy ensemble and best actress Tina Fey.) Parsons and Dinklage were not the only current Emmy winners left out of the SAG Awards
nominations. They’re joined by Justified‘s Margo Martindale as the FX drama series is yet to get its first SAG Award nomination.

Best comedy series actress Melissa McCarthy also missed the cut for her CBS series Mike & Molly but landed one on the feature side for Bridesmaids. Along with Baldwin and White, all TV series winners from last year (individual or ensemble) are back in contention this year: Boardwalk Empire‘s Steve Buscemi, The Good Wife‘s Julianna  Margulies and the ensembles of Modern Family and Boardwalk Empire.

The changes in the top series categories from last year include GOT and Breaking Bad, back in contention after a prolonged break between seasons, taking over for perennial favorite Mad Men, sidelined this year because its fifth season was delayed, and TNT’s The Closer. GOT and Breaking Bad join last year’s nominees Dexter, The Good Wife and Boardwalk Empire. Only one new entry in the best comedy ensemble field, Big Bang in for last year’s nominee Hot In Cleveland. Once again, there is only one multi-camera show in the category, Big Bang, but with the CBS comedy replacing the TV Land sitcom, we have a rare broadcast sweep in the top comedy field with Big Bang and returning nominees 30 Rock, Modern Family, The Office and Glee. In addition to Homeland and Justified, the list of series left out from the list of nominees also includes FX’s Sons Of Anarchy and Louie and NBC’s Parks & Recreation.

The longform field includes the Emmy winners for best lead actress (Kate Winslet for Mildred Pierce) and best supporting actress (Maggie Smith for Downton Abbey) squaring off in the best actress in a movie/miniseries category. Of The Kennedys miniseries, it was Greg Kinnear, a lead actor Emmy nominee for playing John F. Kennedy, that made the cut at the SAG Awards, not Berry Pepper who won the Emmy for playing Bobby Kennedy. Kinnear will compete with Guy Pearce, the supporting actor Emmy winner for Mildred Pierce. Here is a list of the SAG Awards TV nominees:

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)
BREAKING BAD (AMC)
DEXTER (Showtime)
GAME OF THRONES (HBO)
THE GOOD WIFE (CBS)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
30 ROCK (NBC)
THE BIG BANG THEORY (CBS)
GLEE (FOX)
MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
THE OFFICE (NBC)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
PATRICK J. ADAMS / Mike Ross – SUITS (USA)
STEVE BUSCEMI / Enoch “Nucky” Thomson – BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)
KYLE CHANDLER / Eric Taylor – FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (DirecTV)
BRYAN CRANSTON / Walter White – BREAKING BAD (AMC)
MICHAEL C. HALL / Dexter Morgan – DEXTER (Showtime)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
KATHY BATES – HARRY’S LAW (NBC)
GLENN CLOSE   – DAMAGES (DirecTV)
JESSICA LANGE  – AMERICAN HORROR STORY (FX)
JULIANNA MARGULIES  – THE GOOD WIFE (CBS)
KYRA SEDGWICK – THE CLOSER (TNT)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
ALEC BALDWIN  – 30 ROCK (NBC)
TY BURRELL  – MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
STEVE CARELL   – THE OFFICE (NBC)
JON CRYER  – TWO AND A HALF MEN (CBS)
ERIC STONESTREET  – MODERN FAMILY (ABC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
JULIE BOWEN– MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
EDIE FALCO – NURSE JACKIE (Showtime)
TINA FEY – 30 ROCK (NBC)
SOFIA VERGARA  – MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
BETTY WHITE  – HOT IN CLEVELAND (TV Land)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
LAURENCE FISHBURNE / Thurgood Marshall – THURGOOD (HBO)
PAUL GIAMATTI / Ben Bernanke – TOO BIG TO FAIL (HBO)
GREG KINNEAR / Jack Kennedy – THE KENNEDYS (REELZ CHANNEL)
GUY PEARCE / Monty Beragon – MILDRED PIERCE (HBO)
JAMES WOODS / Richard Fuld – TOO BIG TO FAIL (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
DIANE LANE / Pat Loud – CINEMA VERITE (HBO)
MAGGIE SMITH / Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham – DOWNTON ABBEY (PBS)
EMILY WATSON / Janet Leach – APPROPRIATE ADULT (Sundance Channel)
BETTY WHITE / Caroline Thomas – HALLMARK HALL OF FAME: THE LOST VALENTINE (CBS)
KATE WINSLET / Mildred Pierce – MILDRED PIERCE (HBO)