Hey, Hamish Linklater: Portraying Abraham Lincoln is a good way to win awards
Apple TV’s new historical drama “Manhunt” depicts the death of President Abraham Lincoln and Edwin Stanton‘s hunt for the assassin, John Wilkes Booth, which spanned 12 tense days.
“The Crown” alum Tobias Menzies leads the charge as Stanton while Hamish Linklater supports proceedings with an interesting turn as Lincoln. His president is folksy yet stern, able to weave a charming story as easily as he is to command a room. It’s a unique take on a person many actors have played before but Linklater manages to find something news, as noted by critics.
Keith Phipps (TV Guide) explained: “It takes the form of a detective story, but its backdrop, a fragile America deciding how (or if) to move forward after the war, often proves just as interesting… [the] decision to incorporate flashbacks throughout the series also allows for a standout performance from Hamish Linklater as Lincoln, playing the president as a complex figure capable of folksy anecdotes one moment and grave seriousness the next.”
Carly Lane (Collider) stated: “The success of this depiction can be attributed, in large part, to Hamish Linklater’s performance. Although the ‘Midnight Mass’ actor is somewhat concealed behind prosthetic makeup — which becomes less distracting and more naturally integrated as the series goes on — there’s no mistaking the dimensions he brings to the role of Lincoln, deftly evoking gravitas and playfulness in a manner that certainly rivals other acclaimed portrayals.”
James Gibbs (Radio Times) observed: “Flashbacks to Lincoln’s life reveal traumas of his own, with Linklater adeptly humanising the figure who is all too often depicted as mythic, while a key subplot involving a former slave, Mary Simms, is sometimes tough to watch, often heartbreaking.”
As a result, Linklater is tipped to reap his first-ever Emmy nomination. He wouldn’t be the first actor to earn major awards recognition for playing Lincoln, either. Daniel Day-Lewis won the Best Actor Oscar for his turn as the president in Steven Spielberg‘s 2013 movie “Lincoln” while Sam Waterston won a Tony in 1994 for his performance in “Abe Lincoln in Illinois.” On the TV side of things, Hal Holbrook was nominated for Best Limited Series Actor in 1976 for playing Honest Abe in “Lincoln.”
He is contending for Best TV Movie/Limited Series Supporting Actor. While he would be an Emmy rookie, he does have some awards experience. He was nominated for Best Ensemble at the 2016 SAG Awards for “The Big Short” and he picked up a Critics Choice Awards citation in 2022 for Best TV Movie/Limited Series Actor for “Midnight Mass.”
This category is a great one for those seeking their first nominations with the likes of Joseph Lee (“Beef”), Young Mazino (“Beef”), Steve Zahn (“The White Lotus”), Jake Lacy (“The White Lotus”), Murray Bartlett (“The White Lotus”), and Paapu Essiedu (“I May Destroy You”) doing so.
And playing a real person is always a good way to be nominated. Richard Jenkins (“Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”), Seth Rogen (“Pam & Tommy”), Jim Parsons (“Hollywood”), and “Hamilton” Anthony Ramos, Jonathan Groff, and Daveed Diggs all earned bids in this category for portraying real people.
Voters are drawn to actors who portray American presidents, including Len Cariou as Franklin D. Roosevelt in “Into the Storm,” Stephen Dillane as Thomas Jefferson in “John Adams,” and David Morse as George Washington in “John Adams.”
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