Bob Odenkirk could find himself in the rare Emmy air this year. AMC will submit Odenkirk’s new series, “Lucky Hank,” in comedy categories for this year’s Emmy competition, Variety has confirmed.
Of course, AMC is also submitting the final episodes of Odenkirk’s “Better Call Saul” in the drama fields. Should Odenkirk be nominated in both the best drama actor and best comedy actor races, he would become the first performer in history to be nominated in both genres in the same year.
Several performers have been nominated and even won Emmys as both drama and comedy leads — but never at the same time. It’s a possibility: Odenkirk has been nominated five times in the best drama actor category for “Better Call Saul,” and this will be his final opportunity to compete in that race for “Saul” (which has received 46 nominations through its run, but has yet to win a single Emmy). Meanwhile, Odenkirk has been known first and foremost as a comedy performer, making him a real contender in the comedy race this year for “Hank.”
“Lucky Hank” will actually mark the first time Odenkirk has been submitted in the lead comedy acting category. He has previously won two Emmys: One in 1989 for writing on “Saturday Night Live,” and one in 1993 for writing on “The Ben Stiller Show.”
The reason behind placing “Lucky Hank” is probably obvious: This avoids putting it in competition with “Better Call Saul,” and forcing voters to choose between two different Odenkirks.
But there’s also plenty of comedy DNA behind the show, which was adapated from the Richard Russo novel “Straight Man.” The show was pitched as a “dark comedy,” the network noted, and besides Odenkirk’s comedy background, it also comes from co-showrunners and exec producers Paul Lieberstein (“The Office”) and Aaron Zelman (“Silicon Valley”), both of whom also have comedy writing backgrounds.
Other submissions for “Lucky Hank” include Mireille Enos for supporting actress in a comedy; Cedric Yarbrough and Diedrich Bader for supporting actor in a comedy; and Kyle MacLachlan for guest actor in a comedy. Also submitting are Peter Farelly (episode 101) and Nicole Holofcender (episode 107) for comedy directing, and Lieberstein and Zelman for comedy writing (episode 102).
For “Better Call Saul,” submissions besides Odenkirk include Jonathan Banks, Giancarlo Esposito and Pat Healy for supporting actor in a drama; AMC is still determining where to place Rhea Seehorn, who was nominated last year for supporting drama actress. Meanwhile, the legendary Carol Burnett will be submitted in supporting drama actress. (Corrected from an earlier post that incorrectly put Burnett in the guest category.)
In the guest categories, “Saul” is fronting “Breaking Bad” alum Betsy Brandt for drama guest actress, and more “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul” alums for drama guest actor, including Bryan Cranston, Tony Dalton, Mark Margolis, Michael McKean and Aaron Paul.
Drama directing submissions include Michael Morris (609), Michelle MacLaren (610), Thomas Schnauz (611) and Peter Gould (613), while drama writing submissions are Gordon Smith (608), Ann Cherkis (609), Alison Tatlock (610), Thomas Schnauz (611) and Peter Gould (613).
AMC’s other drama submissions come from “Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire” and “Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches.”
