When awards season comes a'calling, there are almost always more snubs to be upset about than victories to celebrate. It's not cynicism so much as math. For example, where was the Golden Globe nomination for Gotham 's Robin Lord Taylor? His supporting performance as Oswald Copplepot, also known as The Penguin (but don't tell him I said that), is the best thing about this series so far. Sure, Fish Mooney is captivating, the future Riddler is adorable, and the adventures of young Catwoman make me wish I could do my childhood over as a tiny con artist, but the Penguin is the breakout character. He'll kill you with a smile. He's playing everyone on this series, including Fish Mooney. His scenes with Carole Kane as his mother are enough to prove his acting chops are a cut above the rest. The show won the Critic's Choice Award for most exciting new series last June, and was nominated for a People's Choice Award. Genre shows like Gotham aren't always recognized by the major awards, but Robin Lord Taylor could break through that stigma. Villains like this have the tendency to do that.
Here's my only question — would his role on Gotham be considered for Best Supporting Actor in A Comedy, or Best Supporting Actor in a Drama? I find Gotham to be hilarious at times, but I think Fox considers the show to be a drama. Anyway, in addition to his compelling performance, here are four more reasons why Robin Lord Taylor should get an Emmy nomination for Gotham to make up for his Golden Globes snub.
He's the New Kid on the Block
This is Taylor's first major role and he's made a big impact with it. Sometimes, awards like the Emmys are no different than reality television. Nominating an actor for his breakout performance is just the kind of recognition Gotham deserves.
He's a Vote of Confidence
Just nominating Taylor would mean a lot for fans of series like Gotham. Sure, HBO and Showtime get a lot of acclaim thrown their way, but they tend to forget about the shows people actually watch. In the past decade, we haven't seen much network representation at the Emmys, especially for genre series. In the Supporting Actor in a Drama category, Josh Charles has been nominated twice for The Good Wife, Alan Cumming was nominated once, and both Terry O'Quinn and Michael Emerson were nominated for Lost. That's it. Ordinary people know that you don't have to pay extra to see superb acting on your television screen. It's time that the Emmy voters caught up with the rest of us.
He's in Good Company
Gotham may be alone when it comes to its network, but Oswald Copplepot is still an Emmy-worthy role. While most of the recent nominees in this category for Drama are sad sacks from Downton Abbey and Boardwalk Empire, the fact that Aaron Paul got two Emmys for Breaking Bad gives me hope for actors like Taylor. While AMC is a cable network, his role was often comic relief. Being able to bridge that gap is important.
He's Got an In with an Emmy Favorite
Remember that awesome Billy Eichner and Seth Meyers bit at the Emmys last year? Well, Eichner and Taylor are old friends and videos together that eventually lead to Billy On The Street.
Images: Jessica Miglio/FOX (3); Getty Images
