The 75th annual Emmy nominations were announced last week, with three Pennsylvanians receiving nods: Quinta Brunson, F. Murray Abraham, and Maria Bello. Here at PennStakes.com, your home to Pennsylvania online casinos, we’re wondering how that number stacks up in comparison to the other states in America.
To find out, we’re sorted every American performer nominated this year by birthplace (or hometown if they moved shortly after birth) and created the list below to see what states have produced the most 2023 Emmy nominees.
We’ve also provided analysis of the chances each Pennsylvanian nominated has of actually winning.
Of the Pennsylvania nominees, the most lauded name at the 2023 Emmys has to be Quinta Brunson. Not only is she up for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, but her hit sitcom “Abbott Elementary” — which she created — is nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series, too. Brunson also scored a nod for her hosting gig on "Saturday Night Live" this past April.
Born and raised in West Philadelphia, the 33-year-old’s entertainment career began in a very millennial fashion — creating comedy videos on Instagram. After a series of shorts Brunson created called “Girl Who Has Never Been on a Nice Date” went viral in 2014, her audience grew and she caught the attention of BuzzFeed.
After a few years of creating comedy for fledgling digital video platforms like Verizon’s go90, Facebook Watch, and YouTube Red, Brunson began appearing on HBO’s “A Black Lady Sketch Show.” After two seasons she left to produce, write, and star in “Abbot Elementary,” a heartwarming and hilarious single camera sitcom set in a fictional West Philadelphia elementary school.
Brunson was also nominated for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series last year, but lost out to Jean Smart in “Hacks.” Not only is the competition less tough this year, Season Two of “Abbott Elementary” was a more fully realized show in every way. My money would be on her to take this home.
Also nominated from Pennsylvania is the Pittsburgh-born F. Murray Abraham. Murray, who had severe asthma as a young boy, actually moved to El Paso, Texas when he was only four because his mother was urged by a doctor to bring her young son to a drier climate. But we’ll still count him as a Pennsylvanian.
Roles in “Scarface,” “Last Action Hero,” and “The Grand Budapest Hotel” are just a few of the highlights on the 83-year-old’s acting resume. Murray’s greatest achievement, however, was the 1985 Oscar he won for “Amadeus,” playing the Austrian composer’s bitter rival Antonio Salieri.
This year, the veteran of stage and screen is nominated for his role in “The White Lotus,” HBO’s anthology series about a fictional resort and the misanthropic elites who vacation there.
Originally intended as a standalone mini-series — and conceived during the COVID lockdowns as the Four Seasons Resort in Wailea, Hawaii sat mostly vacant — the show’s success led to a renewal, with the gimmick now being that each subsequent season is set a new luxury resorted own by the White Lotus corporation.
Season 3 is reportedly set in Thailand.
F. Murray Abraham’s Emmy Nomination came from his role as Bert di Grasso, the patriarch of the di Grasso family, who travels to Sicily with his son and grandson to seek out his long-lost Italian relatives. While it would be great to see him add another trophy to the shelf, it’s hard to imagine him winning this year.
The Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category is absolutely stacked. Murray is nominated alongside three of his “White Lotus” co-stars and four “Succession” actors. Given that the latter series just wrapped up its highly acclaimed 4-season run, I’d wager one of the “Succession” boys takes home the Emmy — most likely Matthew MacFadyen for his role as Tom Wambsgans.
The final Pennsylvanian nominated for an Emmy in 2023 is Maria Bello. The Norristown-born, Villanova grad, was recognized for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited of Anthology Series or Movie for her performance in Netflix’s “Beef.”
Starring Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, “Beef” is the story of two strangers caught up in a road rage incident and the cascading effect it has on their lives. Bello plays Jordan Forster, the wealthy owner of a lifestyle company looking to acquire Ali Wong’s character’s business.
After breaking out in the fan favorite “Coyote Ugly,” Bello landed critically acclaimed roles in “The Cooler” and “A History of Violence,” and was working steadily throughout the first decade of the new millennium. Her career languished over much of the 2010s, so it’s great to see her back in another critically celebrated role.
Whether or not she’ll win is tough to say. She certainly could — “Beef" is nominated for 13 total Emmys, so the awarding body must like the show — but even prior to nominations there was a steady drum beat for Claire Danes to take this category for her role in “Fleishman Is In Trouble.” Based on the engrossing novel about the uncoupling of two wealthy New Yorkers, Danes is spellbinding as Rachel, the seemingly bulletproof theater agent who mysteriously goes missing.
In theory, we’ll find out how our Pennsylvanian performers make out on Sept. 18, but with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike currently underway, it’s very likely the Emmys will be postponed — possibly until early-2024.
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Author
Jeff Parker is an entertainment writer for PennStakes.com. A writer for film, television and the internet, Jeff is a life long movie buff, with a Masters Degree in Popular Culture. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he works full time as documentary filmmaker and producer.
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