Emmy Awards 2024 nominations include some Oregon-connected talents

The 76th Emmy Award nominations were announced Wednesday morning, and while some may debate whether “The Bear” is a comedy, rejoice that the critical favorite “Reservation Dogs” finally got some recognition, and celebrate the fact that guilty-pleasure period saga “The Gilded Age” finally broke through with major nominations, locals may take special notice of some nominated talents with Oregon connections.

Among the nominations that may bring a bit of Oregon pride are former Portlander Gus Van Sant’s nod for outstanding directing for a limited or anthology series or movie, for the pilot episode of “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans.”

Van Sant was also an executive producer on “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans.” That limited series, about writer Truman Capote and how his friendship with a group of prominent New York socialites soured following the 1975 publication of Capote’s short story, “La Côte Basque, 1965,” earned several other nominations.

Among them are nods for Tom Hollander, as lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie; Naomi Watts for lead actress in the same category; the late Treat Williams as supporting actor in the category; and Diane Lane as supporting actress in the category.

“Feud: Capote vs. The Swans” also earned nominations in categories including casting, costumes, hairstyling, makeup, and main title theme music.

Kaitlin Olson, who spent much of her youth in the Portland area and graduated from the University of Oregon, earned a nomination as outstanding guest actress in a comedy series, “Hacks.” Her fellow nominees in the category are Olivia Colman(“The Bear”); Jamie Lee Curtis (“The Bear”); Da’Vine Joy Randolph (”Only Murders in the Building”); Maya Rudolph (”Saturday Night Live”); and Kristen Wiig (”Saturday Night Live”).

In the category of outstanding narrator, Octavia Spencer is nominated for “Lost Women of Highway 20.” Spencer was an executive producer as well as narrator of the documentary series, which was inspired by The Oregonian/OregonLive project, “Ghosts of Highway 20.”

Spencer’s fellow nominees in the outstanding narrator category are Sir David Attenborough (”Planet Earth”); Angela Bassett (“Queens”); Morgan Freeman (“Life On Our Planet”); and Paul Rudd (“Secrets of the Octopus”).

The HBO series, “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” told a fictionalized but fact-based story about how the Los Angeles Lakers developed their winning style. Among the large cast was Tracy Letts, who played Jack McKinney, who jumped from a position as assistant coach for the Portland Trail Blazers in the team’s 1977 NBA championship season to become head coach for the Lakers.

Letts is nominated as outstanding guest actor in a drama series for his turn in “Winning Time.” His other nomineees in the category are Nestor Carbonell (”Shōgun”); Paul Dano (”Mr. and Mrs. Smith”); Jonathan Pryce (”Slow Horses”); and John Turturro (”Mr. and Mrs. Smith”).

The 76th Emmy Awards will be broadcast live at 5 p.m. PT (8 p.m. ET) Sunday, Sept. 15, on ABC, and stream the next day on Hulu. The 76th Creative Arts Emmy Awards will be broadcast in an edited presentation at 5 p.m. PT/ET Saturday, Sept. 14, on FX.

Stories by Kristi Turnquist

— Kristi Turnquist covers features and entertainment. Reach her at 503-221-8227, kturnquist@oregonian.com or @Kristiturnquist

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