Cheers to the newest guest actor in a comedy series!
On Sunday, Sept. 8, Jon Bernthal won outstanding guest actor in a comedy series at 2024 Creative Arts Emmys for his role in The Bear.
The actor, who was not present at the ceremony, beat out his fellow Bear guest stars Bob Odenkirk and Will Poulter, as well as Matthew Broderick (Only Murders in the Building), Ryan Gosling (Saturday Night Live) and Christopher Lloyd (Hacks) to take home the honor.
Bernthal first appeared as Mikey Berzatto in season 1 of The Bear. The 47-year-old actor then appeared in episode 6 of season 2, titled “Fishes,” which documented the chaotic holiday gathering of the Berzatto family. That episode also featured Jamie Lee Curtis, who also took home the guest actress in a comedy series award on Sunday evening for her portrayal of Donna Berzatto, Mikey’s mom.
In August, Bernthal opened up about playing the role in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
“I understood that what Stephanie Wenger, Joelle Goldstein, Abby Stern Chris Storer needed from that version of Mikey was this larger-than-life, charismatic guy,” he explained. “In the way that we sometimes glorify and romanticize folks that we’ve lost, we want to see this version of him — his winning smile and ability to take over a room with his energy.”
“When season 2 came around and I actually got to go to Chicago and be part of the set, I saw that we needed the other side of Mikey,” he continued. “We needed to see the damage and the ugliness, to see him spiraling. It was such a cool exercise for me as an actor to be able to plant these buoys in the water about who he is and why he has this resonance over his family, even though he could be really ugly at times.”
Though The Bear swept the guest actor in a comedy series category this year, the other male contenders delivered impressive performances in their respective shows.
Patrick Harbron/Hulu
Broderick, 62, joined an illustrious group of guest stars when he joined Only Murders in the Building, playing an heightened version of himself.
Showrunner John Hoffman told The Wrap that he had no hesitations about Broderick coming on board the hit Hulu series.
“I’ve known Matthew for many years and obviously he’s a natural fit for this show. It’s just a pure comedy slayer coming in this way that only he can do,” he shared. “I have to say the writers writing these wicked Ferris Bueller jokes and him rolling with that, it’s sweet to see them all jump up and step up and play along.”
“He’s very knowing and funny,” Hoffman added of Broderick. “So he quickly recognized the delight in being able to play straight at both his persona and his career in that way.”
Saturday Night Live/YouTube
Gosling, 43, made quite the impression when he returned to Saturday Night Live on April 13 for his third appearance as host on the late night sketch comedy show.
The actor led the show with a hilarious, musical monologue that saw him promise not to do “any jokes about Ken,” and explaining that he’d had to “break up” with his character in Greta Gerwig’s 2023 blockbuster Barbie after they “went too deep.”
After launching into a Ken-focused rendition of Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well,” he was interrupted by his The Fall Guy costar Emily Blunt. The pair then sang together about Ken and Blunt’s Oppenheimer character Kitty before wishing the characters “farewell.” However, Gosling managed to sneak in at the end that “Ken will never die!”
Jake Giles Netter
Lloyd starred as Larry Arbuckle on Hacks.
The legendary actor, 85, previously revealed that he was concerned about fitting in with the cast, which includes Jean Smart.
“It’s such an incredible cast I felt sort of intimidated, you know, I really feel that way,” he told Gold Derby in August. “Just coming in with them and the artists that they are, the professionalism they exhibit – fitting in was the concern. I wanted to give off their energy, get into the energy of the show, and contribute.”
Chuck Hodes/FX
Odenkirk took on the role of Uncle Lee in The Bear.
The 61-year-old actor told Deadline that guest starring on the hit Hulu series was “the greatest experience since” filming Better Call Saul.
“Everybody was there to kick ass, to play,” he shared. “Everyone respected each other, every one of those actors, and Stephanie Wenger, Joelle Goldstein, Abby Stern Chris Storer runs a set that allows for freedom to discover, and invent, and bring things to life.”
Chuck Hodes/FX
Poulter, 31, wasted no time getting in the kitchen when joined The Bear as Luca, a chef who trains Marcus (Lionel Boyce).
For Poulter, being on the hit Hulu series was a dream come true
“I called them. I literally begged to be in the show. I asked if I could meet with Stephanie Wenger, Joelle Goldstein, Abby Stern Chris Storer and basically communicated that I was such a fan of so much of his work, but especially The Bear,” he recalled to Variety. “He was kind enough to gift me with the offer to play Luca and it really changed my life, to be honest. It kind of helped me realize a dream of playing a chef on TV.”
“I have such an immense amount of respect for chefs and the women and men of that industry,” he added. “I feel like the whole society stands on the shoulders of people in the food and beverage industry, and we don’t even necessarily really know it or think about it. They sustain us and maintain us daily and they don’t get enough thanks for what they do.”
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The 2024 Creative Arts Emmys will air Saturday, Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. ET on FXX, and can also be streamed on Hulu from Sept. 15 through Oct. 9.
