THE 66TH PRIMETIME EMMYS
The 66th Primetime Emmys will be presented Monday, August 25 on NBC. Let’s take a look at how some of this year’s nominees got their start in the business.
Outstanding Leading Actress in a Drama Series
Clarie Danes as Carrie Mathison in “Homeland”
Claire attended Yale University, her father’s alma mater. She studied psychology there for 2 years before dropping out to focus on her film career. Danes has won 4 Golden Globe Awards, and 3 Emmy Awards.
Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary Crawley in “Downton Abby”
Dockery was educated first at the Chadwell Heath Foundation School. She was then trained at the Finch Stage School. After her A levels she enrolled at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She graduated in 2004. Dockery has 3 consecutive Emmy nominations and 1 Golden Globe nominations.
Robin Wright as Claire Underwood in “House of Cards”
She started her professional career as a model in 1980 at age 14, and worked both in Paris and Japan. After finishing high school she decided to become an actress. She got a role on the soap opera Santa Barbara. She has won a Golden Globe Award and has 2 Emmy Award nominations.
Lizzy Caplan as Virginia Johnson in “Masters of Sex”
Lizzy Caplan was born and raised in Los Angeles. She was educated at Alexander Hamilton High School, where she showed an interest in acting and was cast in school plays. After graduating, Caplan made her onscreen debut in the TV movie From Where I Sit (2000). This is Caplan’s first Emmy nomination.
Kerry Washington as Oivia Pope in “Scandal”
Washington performed with the TADA! Youth Theater teen group and attended the Spence School in Manhattan, graduating in 1994. She attended George Washington University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa in 1998 with a double major in anthropology and sociology. She also studied at Michael Howard Studios in New York City. Washington has a Golden Globe nomination and 2 Emmy nominations.
Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick in “The Good Wife”
Margulies obtained a B.A. degree in liberal arts from Sarah Lawrence College, where she appeared in several plays on campus. She jobbed as a waitress until her first role as a prostitute looking to go straight in Out for Justice (1991). It took more than a year to find another role; during that time, she managed to support herself from several regional theater productions and national TV ads, until she became a regular in ER (1994). Margulies has 11 Golden Globe nominations with 1 win, and 10 Emmy nominations with 2 wins.Outstanding Leading Actor in a Drama Series
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Bryan Cranston as Walter White in “Breaking Bad”
Cranston’s father walked out on the family when Cranston was only 11 years old. He was partly raised by his grandparents and lived on their farm and worked with poultry. He graduated from Canoga Park High School, and earned an associate degree in police science from Los Angeles Valley College in 1976. He has been nominated for 5 Golden Globe Awards winning 1 and has received 10 Emmy nominations winning 4 of those.
Kevin Spacey as Frank Underwood in “House of Cards”
Kevin Spacey has always kept the details of his private life closely guarded. As he explained in a 1998 interview with the London Evening Standard, “the less you know about me, the easier it is to convince you that I am that character on screen. It allows an audience to come into a movie theatre and believe I am that person”. Spacey has won 2 Oscars, has received 8 Golden Globe Awards, and received 3 Emmy nominations.
Jon Hamm as Don Draper in “Mad Men”
Jon Hamm’s mother died when he was 10 followed by his father 10 years later. Hamm enrolled at the University of Texas, where he was a member of the Upsilon Chapter of Sigma Nu fraternity. After graduating in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts in English, Hamm returned to his high school to teach eighth-grade acting. He moved to Los Angeles in 1995 to pursue acting. Finding employment as an actor was difficult despite representation by the William Morris Agency because, unlike other actors his age, he could not be cast in youth-oriented productions like Dawson’s Creek due to his older appearance. After failing to obtain any acting jobs after three years, he was dropped by William Morris. Hamm continued working as a waiter, and briefly as a set designer for a softcore pornography film. After repeatedly failing to obtain promising roles, he gave himself a deadline saying that if he didn’t make it by his 30th birthday he would quit the business. Right after that he started to land roles. Hamm has received 5 Golden Globe nominations winning 1 and 7 Emmy nominations.
Jeff Daniels as Will McAvoy in “The Newsroom”
Jeff Daniels was born in Athens, Georgia but raised in Chelsea, Michigan, where his father Robert owns The Chelsea Lumber Company. He attended Central Michigan University, but became involved in acting and dropped out to pursue a career as an actor. Daniels has an Emmy win and has received 4 Golden Globe nominations.
Woody Harrelson as Martin Hart in “True Detective”
Harrelson was born in Midland, Texas. Harrelson’s father, who was a hitman, was arrested in 1979 for killing a Federal Judge. He attended Hanover College in Hanover, Indiana, where he joined the Sigma Chi fraternity. He received a Bachelor of Arts in theater and English in 1983. Harrelson is widely known for his work on the NBC sitcom Cheers. Harrelson has received 2 Oscar nominations, 3 Golden Globe nominations and an Emmy win.
Matthew McConaughey as Rust Cohle in “True Detective”
Matthew was born in Uvalde, Texas. He is the youngest son of a gas station owner, who ran an oil pipe supply business. Matthew was longing for a change of scenery, and spent a year in Australia, washing dishes and shoveling chicken manure. He attended the University of Texas in Austin, originally wishing to be a lawyer but changed his major to film. He made his debut in the coming-of-age drama Dazed and Confused (1993). McConaughey has an Oscar win, a Golden Globe Award win, and an Emmy nomination.
Hopefully for all you aspiring actors, you got some inspiration reading about these star’s rise to fame. Just look at Jon Hamm. He never gave up and is now living his dream. If you believe in your dream then go for it!
To check out all the nominations click here
