Question: I have now devoured all of FX’s brilliant Feud, and am obsessed with one life-imitates-Hollywood-life conundrum: Who do you think is going to take home the Emmy, Jessica Lange or Susan Sarandon? —Victoria
Matt Roush: This year’s limited-series/movie actress field is going to be one intense category. Not only the two Feud leads, but they’ll likely be facing fellow Oscar-winning contenders including Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon from HBO’s Big Little Lies, and possibly Oprah Winfrey for The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, which aired on HBO the same weekend as Feud’s fabulous finish.
But let’s focus the discussion on Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon, because of the irony that their characters had their most epic falling-out at the 1962 Oscars, when Bette was nominated for Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? and Joan wasn’t, and Crawford got her revenge when she contrived to accept the trophy (for winner Anne Bancroft) to show up her co-star.
Since I’ll eventually have to make a judgment call, I’d give odds to Jessica Lange here. The tragic arc of the Joan Crawford character, especially in the latter chapters, will resonate with voters, and whereas I never really lost sight of Susan Sarandon in her characterization of Bette, Jessica truly disappeared into the role of Joan. It’s an embarrassment of riches here.
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