Why you shouldn’t be surprised if Jason Bateman reclaims his SAG Award for ‘Ozark’ (again)

With the reigning Best TV Drama Actor Screen Actors Guild Award winner, Lee Jung-jae, out of contention this year since production on the second season of “Squid Game” hasn’t even begun yet, the category is set to have a new victor. Or is it? Not necessarily. Two-time champ Jason Bateman is back in the running for “Ozark” after the Netflix drama skipped last year’s cycle, and ready to reclaim the award just like he did two years ago.

When the actor took home his second and thus most recent statuette for “Ozark” in 2021, two years after bagging his first in 2019, he became the sixth person to score at least two Best TV Drama Actor prizes for the same show in non-consecutive years. The other five men are:

1. Dennis Franz, “NYPD Blue” (1995 and ’97)
2. Anthony Edwards, “ER” (1996 and ’98)
3. James Gandolfini, “The Sopranos” (2000 and ’03 and ’08)
4. Kiefer Sutherland, “24” (2004 and ’06)
5. Hugh Laurie, “House” (2007 and ’09)

SEE Can Jason Bateman (‘Ozark’) win 3rd SAG Award and tie Drama Actor record held by James Gandolfini?

But Bateman’s situation was unique. Whereas all the other non-consecutive winners took back the award after losing, the “Ozark” star pulled off his victories without pocketing a defeat in between. The only reason there is a gap between them is that he sat out the 2019/20 cycle due to the show not airing any new episodes in 2019. What probably helped him reclaim the prize in 2021 is that the person who was triumphant in his absence, Peter Dinklage (“Game of Thrones”), wasn’t back to defend his crown — since he won for what was the final season of “GoT” — meaning he could pick up right where he had left off in 2019.

Since Lee isn’t here to retain his title this year, Bateman is exactly in the same position now as he was in 2019. Even though a third victory for “Ozark” is seemingly elusive — and would tie him with Gandolfini as the actor with the most wins in this category — it’s more possible than you might think.

After all, no group has shown “Ozark” more love over the years than SAG-AFTRA. While it took the Emmys a bit to warm up to the gripping crime series, the guild has been in the tank for it since the very beginning, giving it two nominations for its first season (for Bateman and Laura Linney) and then four each for its second and third (Bateman, Linney, Julia Garner and ensemble). When Garner got her surprise maiden bid in 2019, we weren’t even sure she was on the awards radar, and both times Bateman reigned victorious, he was in second place in our odds (trailing “This Is Us'” Sterling K. Brown in 2019 and “The Crown’s” Josh O’Connor in 2021). So, even we have been taken aback by how much the guild has gone to bat for the show.

SEE SAG Awards: A victory for Laura Linney (‘Ozark’) would put her on this very short list

And even so, you can argue that the support for Bateman individually is stronger than that for “Ozark” overall, as his two wins are so far the only ones the show has been able to rack up at the SAG Awards. But that should come as no surprise. Having also served as one of its executive producers and one of its main directors, he has always been seen as the face of the show and was also the only cast member to land an Emmy nom for Season 1. Plus, with a total of 10 nominations under his belt, including five for “Arrested Development” — two for his solo performance on the sitcom and three as a member of its ensemble — he is a familiar face to SAG-AFTRA members.

Since “Ozark” is now contending for its fourth and final season, these members might want to give Bateman a farewell hug, not least because he, despite nabbing the directing prize in a major upset in 2019, never won an Emmy for his nuanced portrayal of cartel launderer Marty Byrde. So, you might want to move him up in your predictions and have him a little higher than third place, which is where he currently is in our combined Best TV Drama Actor SAG Awards odds. There, the Top 5 is rounded out by Bob Odenkirk of “Better Call Saul” (first place), Adam Scott of “Severance” (second), and Dominic West and Jonathan Pryce of “The Crown” (fourth and fifth).

PREDICT the 2023 SAG Awards nominees through January 10

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