Schreiber

paternal grandfather was Jewish and
his mother wasn’t Jewish. Recent
research reveals that his paternal
grandma wasn’t Jewish.)
No Jewish actors were nominated
for their TV work. However, Robert
DeNiro (Wizard of Lies) and Geoffrey
Rush (Genius) were nominated (best
actor in a limited series/TV movie) for
playing real-life Jews: Bernie Madoff
and Albert Einstein, respectively.
Michelle Pfeiffer snared a supporting
nomination for playing Ruth Madoff
in Wizard.
Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan),
50, is up for the best actor, TV
drama Globe. He must feel a little like
Rodney Dangerfield — “I don’t get
no respect.” He’s upbeat about it —
but it must annoy him that he’s been
nominated for four Globes and two
Emmys and has never won. Maggie
Gyllenhaal (The Deuce), 40, is nomi-
nated for best actress, TV drama. She
plays a prostitute who’s struggling
to find a better way to make a living.
James Franco co-stars. Maggie, the sis-
ter of Jake, is the daughter of a Jewish
mother/non-Jewish father. My sense is
that she is virtually secular, but very in
touch with her Jewish background.
Pamela Adlon (Better Things),
50, and Alison Brie (Glow), 34, are
nominated for best actress, comedy.
Adlon is her show’s co-creator and
it’s based on her experience as a har-
ried single mother of three. Brie got
a huge career boost in her hit Netflix
series. She plays a struggling actress
who stumbles into pro wrestling. Brie,
who calls herself Jewish, has a Jewish
mother. Her husband, Dave Franco,
32, James’ brother, also calls himself
Jewish.
Adlon and Brie compete with
Rachel Brosnahan (Marvelous Mrs.
Maisel). Brosnahan plays the title
character, a Jewish comedian.
Brosnahan is, actually, marvelous as
Maisel and says her performance is
informed by growing up in a heavily
Jewish Chicago suburb.

OTHER TV AWARDS

The “best of ” awards in different TV
genres are given to the show’s pro-

Brie

ducers. Below are those series with a
Jewish creator or co-creator.
Peter Morgan, 54, a Brit, is the
co-creator and principal writer of
The Crown, which is nominated for
best TV series, drama. It vies in this
category with Game of Thrones and
This is Us. Thrones was co-created by
David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, both
47. They often write the scripts. This
Is Us, the hit family drama, was cre-
ated by Dan Fogelman, 39. He’s said
he comes from “an endearingly dys-
functional Jewish family” and I guess
that gave him great source material
for a TV family drama. (Thrones is a
heavy favorite to win.)
Mrs. Maisel and Will & Grace are
nominated for best TV series, comedy.
Maisel was created by Amy Sherman-
Palladino, 51. Recently, an NPR critic
summed up why Maisel works so well.
The title character is amazingly funny
on-stage because she says things that
no woman comedian could say in the
conservative ’50s (and get booked)
— and we all wish there was such a
comedian. It is a marvelous fantasy
— with a lot of great Jewish content.
Will & Grace was co-created by David
Kohan, 53, and Max Mutchnik, 52.

Gyllenhaal

Adlon

OTHER MOVIE AWARDS

Best original film song: “This Is Me”
( from The Greatest Showman) by
U-M grads Benj Pasek and Justin
Paul, both 32; best original score:
Hans Zimmer, 60, for Dunkirk; best
animated film: Lee Unkrich (Coco,
director), 50; best screenplay: Aaron
Sorkin (Molly’s Game, which he also
directed) competes with The Post,
which was co-written by Josh Singer,
44; best director: Steven Spielberg,
71, The Post.
Best film, drama: Call Me by Your
Name — the film’s director and
screenplay are not Jewish. However,
as noted above, it’s based on a novel
by a Jewish writer about Jewish
characters; and The Post, directed
by Spielberg and co-written by Josh
Singer.
Best film, comedy or musical: The
Disaster Artist, directed by James
Franco. •

Benioff and Weiss

Sorkin

Sherman-Palladino

jn

January 4 • 2018

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