Toni Collette has asserted herself as one of the most versatile actresses of her generation, proven once again by her phenomenal work in the HBO Max limited series “The Staircase.”
Variety has confirmed that Collette has been submitted for an Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a limited series for her turn as Kathleen Peterson, the dead wife (accidental or murdered?) of Michael, played by Emmy nominee and Oscar winner Colin Firth.
Read more: Variety’s Awards Circuit Emmys Predictions Hub
The miniseries, based on the documentary of the same name that steamed on Netflix in 2018, tells the story of Michael Peterson, a crime novelist, who is accused of bludgeoning his wife Kathleen to death after she is found at the bottom of a staircase in their home. As the clues and investigation unravel, a French documentary team begins filming the events, creating unexpected consequences.
The Australian actress is beloved: She won an Emmy in 2009 for her portrayal of Tara Gregson, a mother struggling with dissociative identity disorder in Showtime’s “United States of Tara.” Along with one other nom for that role, she also received two nods for the TV movie “Tsunami: The Aftermath” and the limited series “Unbelievable,” both in the supporting actress limited series category.
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Taking on the role of Michael’s second wife, she paints an effortless portrait of a woman possibly murdered by her husband. Her chances at a nom get a tad tougher when considering that her category is stacked with the likes of frontrunner Amanda Seyfried (“The Dropout”), alongside her other HBO/HBO Max counterparts: Jessica Chastain (“Scenes From a Marriage”), Olivia Colman (“Landscapers”) and Jenna Ortega (“The Fallout”).
The series itself is a near slam-dunk contender across the board, including outstanding limited series, Firth in lead actor, writing and directing. The series also stars Michael Stuhlbarg, Dane DeHaan, Olivia DeJonge, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sophie Turner, Odessa Young, Rosemarie DeWitt, Tim Guinee, Parker Posey and Juliette Binoche.
The show was created by Antonio Campos, who also executive produces with Maggie Cohn, Carol Cuddy, Megan Ellison, Sue Naegle and Ali Krug.
The nomination round of voting runs from June 16 to 27. The official nominations for the 74th Emmy Awards will be announced on July 12.
The series is currently streaming on HBO Max.
