Apple TV+ has another a major awards player on its hands with “The New Look,” the biographical period drama that tells the story of the rise of French fashion designer Christian Dior (Ben Mendelsohn). Specifically, it details Dior’s “new look,” the fashion line he created in post-WWII Paris. At the heart of the show is Dior’s antagonistic relationship with rival fashion designer Coco Chanel (Juliette Binoche).
Among the stellar supporting cast is Maisie Williams, who shot to fame with the role of Arya Stark in “Game of Thrones.” Here, she swaps the swords and shields for high fashion and activism, taking on the role of Dior’s sister Catherine, who was a key part of the French Resistance. The actress delivers a powerful performance that is both captivating and heart-breaking. Critics heaped praised upon her.
Josh Sharpe (Paste Magazine) noted: “The series is peppered with a wonderful supporting cast, ultimately making it worthwhile. Maisie Williams is effectively heartbreaking in her turn as Dior’s traumatized sister.”
Maggie Levitt (Collider) observed: “Maisie Williams is a clear standout in The New Look, if only because the first three episodes focus so heavily on Catherine’s involvement with the French Resistance… Williams is poised to give an even more powerful performance as Catherine’s time in the Ravensbrück concentration camp continues to unfold.”
B.L. Panther (The Spool) opined: “Williams has perhaps the most challenging arc in the series, and she carries it with resilience and fortitude, which transforms Catherine into the supporting character, the one others turn to for strength and determination to carry on, especially her brother Christian.”
Our current predicted eight nominees for Best Drama Supporting Actress are Elizabeth Debicki (“The Crown”), Lesley Manville (“The Crown”), Christine Baranski (“The Gilded Age”), Greta Lee (“The Morning Show”), Cynthia Nixon (“The Gilded Age”), Kristin Scott Thomas (“Slow Horses”), Nicole Beharie (“The Morning Show”), and Holland Taylor (“The Morning Show”).
However, we think Williams could break up this party for several reasons.
Firstly, we already know that Emmy voters like Williams. She was nominated for Best Drama Supporting Actress for “Game of Thrones” in both 2016 and 2019. So, not only do they like Williams, but they also like Williams in this category specifically. That bodes well for her chances here and will make the potential transition from “Game of Thrones” nominee to “The New Look” nominee easier.
Williams’ role is a great one — powerful, passionate, heartbreaking, and meaty as hell. Emmy voters like to reward these types of roles in this category. Recent such nominees include Jennifer Coolidge (“The White Lotus”), Sydney Sweeney (“Euphoria”), “The Crown” duo Gillian Anderson and Helena Bonham Carter, and Laura Dern (“Big Little Lies”).
We are also predicting that the show’s Mendelsohn, Binoche, Emily Mortimer, and John Malkovich will be in the mix for Emmy bids. If those play out, Williams could be taken along for the ride. Plenty of nominees in this category have been nominated partly because of this, including the likes of Debicki (“The Crown”), J. Smith-Cameron (“Succession”), HoYeon Jung (“Squid Game”), Patricia Arquette (“Severance”), and any of “The White Lotus'” cast (Coolidge, Meghann Fahy, Aubrey Plaza et al).
Williams could be nominated alongside her “The New Look” co-star Mortimer, who plays Elsa Lombardi (a character based on Chanel’s associate Vera Bate Lombardi). However, that won’t affect either of their chances. There has been at least one show that produced multiple Best Drama Supporting Actress nominees at each of the last 10 ceremonies. The last year the nominees were the lone representatives of their series was back in 2013, when Anna Gunn (“Breaking Bad”), Morena Baccarin (“Homeland”), Baranski (“The Good Wife”), Emilia Clarke (“Game of Thrones”), Christina Hendricks (“Mad Men”), and Maggie Smith (“Downton Abbey”) were nominated.
Since then, Emmy voters have loved doubling up in this category.Recent examples include “Succession” duo Smith-Cameron and Sarah Snook; “The Crown” trio Bonham Carter, Anderson, and Emerald Fennell; “The Handmaid’s Tale” quartet Madeline Brewer, Ann Dowd, Yvonne Strahovski, and Samira Wiley; and “Big Little Lies” pair Dern and Meryl Streep. And in 2023, voters nominated five actresses from “The White Lotus:” Coolidge, Fahy, Plaza, Sabrina Impacciatore, and Simona Tabasco.
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