My Emmy Ballot: Casting (Comedy & Drama)

N.B. These ballots are based on the official submissions and follow the Emmy rules for nominations (i.e. 10 for Programs, 6 for Actors and 5 for Casting). All ballots are in ranked order, with winners in bold.

OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES

As is often the case, this was a very deep category. There was one ensemble that stood out ahead of the pack however...



Veep
Modern Family
New Girl
Transparent
Girls

Honorable Mention: Parks and Recreation

That HBO's "Veep" is so highly regarded can be attributed in no small part to its outstanding ensemble. The show has really assembled a murderers' row of comedic talent and every week they absolutely kill it (pun intended). From Julia Louis-Dreyfus all the way down to Lennon Parham, there's not a single weak link. Each actor is capable of dishing out one-liners that will have you laughing until it hurts. When the performances are this good though, a little stomach ache is totally worth it.

Previous Winners

2013: Modern Family
2014: Orange is the New Black

OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES

There were also a number of strong contenders in this category, but there was one show in particular that really epitomized outstanding casting this season...



House of Cards
The Good Wife
Orange is the New Black
The Americans
Homeland

One of the most unappreciated skills in the world of film and TV is that of casting, an artform that contributes so much to project's success. In the landscape of television, few shows display the same mastery of the craft as "House of Cards", where each role feels so carefully aligned with the actor playing it. Who else could play Frank Underwood as well as Kevin Spacey, with that near-musical lilt in his voice? Or who else could convey Claire Underwood's steely inner strength and work that signature haircut as fiercely (and fearsome) as Robin Wright? Sure, you could find actors who could approximate their performances, but what these performers are doing feels so specific that it's hard to imagine anyone else. This not only applies to these main characters and the recurring cast, but also the new players this season (like Elizabeth Marvel and Paul Sparks), all of whom seem like they were born to play these roles. Big names like David Fincher get most of the attention for work behind the camera, but the casting department deserves just as much praise for making "House of Cards" such a success.

Previous Winners

2013: Game of Thrones
2014: Breaking Bad