AMC has “The Audacity” to boost its Emmy ambitions.
The freshman drama series from creator Jonathan Glatzer is gearing up for a big push at the Emmys, with an entry in the drama category, Variety exclusively reports. Two lead roles will be considered for the series, Billy Magnussen and Sarah Goldberg as lead actor and lead actress, respectively. Co-stars Zach Galifianakis, Simon Helberg, Rob Corddry, Meaghan Rath, Paul Adelstein and Lucy Punch will all be in the running for Best Supporting Actor in their respective races.
The Audacity, which has already been renewed for a second season, follows Duncan Park (Magnussen), a self-proclaimed “inventor of the future” and technology CEO, and Joan (Goldberg), a therapist who blackmails him into committing white-collar crime.
Alison Herman, Variety’s chief television critic, likened the series to a “simpler parody” of “Silicon Valley” and praised the acting, writing in her review: “The stars are not struggling movie stars who are all but guaranteed an Emmy nomination, but television veterans who worked their way up to the top on the call sheet.”
Magnussen, best known for scene-stealing roles in projects such as the comedy “Game Night,” in which he plays a disruptor of unstable technology, could earn his first major Emmy nomination in the highly competitive field of lead drama actor.
Goldberg, who earned the only Emmy nomination of her career in 2019 for her role as aspiring actor and murderer’s lover Sally Reed in HBO’s dark comedy “Barry,” is moving into leading actress status, aiming to enter a crowded category that may include stalwarts like Rhea Seehorn (“Pluribus”) and Zendaya (“Euphoria”). Her role as Joan, a therapist with a controlled exterior that masks a chaotic inner life, is a combination of wit and intensity that may appeal to members of the TV Academy cast group.
Simon Helberg plays Martin in The Audacity (Season 1). Photo credit: Ed Araquel/AMC
Ed Arakell/AMC
Galifianakis could also be a notable supporting role candidate following his standout work in Season 4 of Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building.” In “The Audacity,” he plays Joan’s client Carl Bardolph, a performance that some early observers considered a dark horse nominee for an Emmy Award. Galifianakis has been nominated for six Emmy Awards during his career and won twice for Outstanding Short Live-Action Entertainment Program for his series “Between Two Ferns,” which included interviews with President Barack Obama and Brad Pitt. Among his nominations are two in 2011 in acting categories: guest comedy actor for “Saturday Night Live” and lead comedy actor for “Basketball.”
Helberg is also a familiar face from his award-winning role as Howard Wolowitz on CBS’s “The Big Bang Theory.” This is one of his own two entries this year, the other being in the guest comedy actor category for his role in Peacock’s “Poker Face.”
Glatzer is a three-time Emmy Award-nominated producer in the Drama Series category, winning for AMC’s Better Call Saul in 2017 and twice for HBO’s Succession in 2019 and 2020, the latter winning the award.
Additional official Emmy nominations for “The Audacity” will be announced at a later date. The Emmy Awards timeline begins with nomination round voting from June 11th to 22nd, with nominations announced on July 8th.
Season 1 of “The Audacity” consists of eight episodes and airs Sundays on AMC and AMC+.
