Matthew McConaughey didn’t make it. Woody Harrelson didn’t make it. Even Mahershala Ali – herself a two-time Oscar winner – couldn’t win an Emmy for True Detective. But Jodie Foster ended the franchise’s losing streak, winning the Emmy for Best Actress in a Limited Series for her leading role in True Detective: Night Country. This is Foster’s first Emmy win and the first time an actor has won an Emmy for their work in True Detective.
Foster is also a two-time Oscar winner, but Sunday night’s win also ended her (very small) personal streak of bad luck at the Emmys. In 1999, she received her first nomination as a producer on “The Baby Dance,” which was nominated for best TV movie and lost to “A Lesson Before Dying.” Fifteen years later, Foster was nominated for best director of a comedy series for “Orange Is the New Black,” but Gail Mancuso won for “Modern Family.” “True Detective: Night Country” was the first time she was recognized by the TV Academy for her acting performance, and she is also nominated for best limited series as executive producer of “Night Country.”
Although she’s considered the favorite by most pundits, the competition in the Best Actress in a Limited Series category was substantial. Brie Larson brought her movie star chops to the category, and her role in Lessons in Chemistry had already earned her a Critics Choice Award, SAG Award and Golden Globe nominations. Juno Temple received top marks for her serious role in Fargo, becoming a new TV Academy favorite after three consecutive nominations for Ted Lasso. Sofia Vergara was similarly successful in moving into a new genre, earning a nomination for the crime drama Griselda after four nominations for Modern Family. Naomi Watts, a two-time Oscar nominee with an exciting new indie film slated for release in the fall, somehow brought up the rear in the category, which only speaks to her strength.
Foster’s credible presence helped revive HBO’s reimagined franchise, and her performance was immediately well-received by critics. “Foster is magnetic, and ‘True Detective’ gives the Oscar winner plenty of room to show off her charisma,” wrote IndieWire in its first review. Rolling Stone said, “(Foster’s) raspy growl is a perfect fit for an antisocial, veteran cop who always gets things her way,” Variety praised “her most meaty role in years,” and The Boston Globe called her “remarkable.”
“True Detective: Night Country” became the show’s most-watched season to date (according to HBO) and also received the most Emmy nominations (with 19). HBO renewed “True Detective” for Season 5, with writer-director Issa Lopez set to return, but it hasn’t been announced if Foster will return, and there’s usually a complete cast change from season to season.
The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards aired Sunday, September 15 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. The full broadcast can be streamed on Hulu on Monday.
