Emmy nominee profile: Harriet Walter scores second consecutive bid for ‘Ted Lasso’
Over the years, many actresses have contended for multiple Primetime Emmys at once, but only six have been simultaneously recognized for both comedic and dramatic guest performances. After joining that club last year by collecting her respective first and second bids for “Ted Lasso” and “Succession,” Harriet Walter is again nominated for the same two shows and has thus made history as the first person to accomplish said feat twice. With her new Best Comedy Guest Actress notice for “Ted Lasso,” she is also the 21st woman to receive multiple mentions in the category for a single role.
Walter makes her fourth (and probably last) appearance as Deborah Welton in the third season finale of Apple TV+’s “Ted Lasso,” entitled “So Long, Farewell.” Early in the episode, the recent widow joins her daughter, Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham), for drinks at the Crown & Anchor pub and ends up enthusiastically encouraging her to give up her position as owner of AFC Richmond. As she steers Rebecca toward the idea of taking time to explore the world and herself, she reveals some of her own new ambitions, which include learning how to skateboard.
SEE 2023 Best Comedy Guest Actress Emmy submissions
With 21 nominations, “Ted Lasso” is the most nominated comedy for the third consecutive year. In addition to landing a shot at a third straight Best Comedy Series victory, it raked in nine acting notices, including two more female guest ones for Becky Ann Baker and Sarah Niles. Until now, Walter was the only guest actress who had earned recognition for the show.
At 72, Walter would be the fifth oldest woman to prevail in this category, after Betty White (88, “Saturday Night Live,” 2010; 74, “The John Larroquette Show,” 1996), Elaine Stritch (82, “30 Rock,” 2008), Cloris Leachman (80 and 76, “Malcolm in the Middle,” 2006 and 2002, respectively) and Eileen Heckart (75, “Love & War,” 1994). This latest bid also gives her another chance to become the first British dame to win this prize one year after joining 2019 contenders Kristin Scott Thomas (“Fleabag”) and Emma Thompson (“Saturday Night Live”) as only the third such nominee.
Aside from Baker and Niles, Walter’s challengers are Quinta Brunson (“Saturday Night Live”), Taraji P. Henson (“Abbott Elementary”) and Judith Light (“Poker Face”). Niles also received her first nomination for “Ted Lasso” last year but in supporting. Brunson, who won the 2022 comedy writing award for “Abbott Elementary,” is also on her second consecutive lead acting bid for the sitcom. Walter is one of three returning comedy guest nominees in this lineup, along with Light and Baker, who previously earned mentions for “Ugly Betty” (2007) and “Girls” (2017), respectively.
This article is a part of Gold Derby’s “Emmy nominee profile” series spotlighting the 2023 acting contenders.
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