Indigenous actresses Lily Gladstone and Kali Reis have made history with their first Primetime Emmy nominations.
On Wednesday, Gladstone and Reis received nominations in the supporting actress in a limited series category for their roles in Hulu’s “Under the Bridge” and HBO/Max’s “True Detective: Night Country.” This major recognition marks the first time Indigenous women have been nominated for acting Emmys, and they are only the second and third Indigenous actors ever to be recognized in the 76-year history of the television awards.
The only other Native American person nominated in any acting category was August Schellenberg, who received an Emmy nomination in 2007 for his performance as Sitting Bull in the HBO television movie “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.”
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Nominated alongside Gladstone and Reis are Dakota Fanning (“Ripley”), Jessica Gunning (“Baby Reindeer”), Aja Naomi King (“Lessons in Chemistry”), Diane Lane (“Feud: Capote vs. The Swans”) and Nava Mau (“Baby Reindeer”)
In “Under the Bridge,” Gladstone, plays Cam Bentland, a police officer investigating the murder of 14-year-old Reena Virk. Earlier this year, Gladstone made Oscars history when she became the first Native American nominated for best actress for her role as Mollie Burkhart, an Osage woman determined to solve the murders in her tribal community, in Martin Scorsese’s crime epic “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Gladstone was the fourth Indigenous actress nominated at the Oscars, following Yalitza Aparicio for “Roma” (2018), Keisha Castle-Hughes for “Whale Rider” (2004), and Merle Oberon for “The Dark Angel” (1933).
In the fourth season of the anthology crime series “True Detective: Night Country,” Reis portrays Evangeline Navarro, a half-Dominican state trooper in Ennis, a fictional town in rural northern Alaska, investigating the disappearance of scientists at a local research station. A former world boxing champion in two weight classes, Reis made her acting debut in 2021 in the thriller “Catch the Fair One,” receiving an Independent Spirit Award nomination for best female lead. “Night Country” marks Reis’ television acting debut.
Alongside Reis, “Night Country” was nominated for 19 Emmy nominations including outstanding limited series, actress for Jodie Foster and supporting actor for John Hawkes. Gladstone is the sole nomination for “Under the Bridge.”
In addition to the historic showing for Indigenous women, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai scored a long overdue and deserved nomination for lead comedy actor for FX’s “Reservation Dogs,” the first Indigenous lead acting nomination in Emmy history. Executive producer Taika Waititi is also a double nominee for the final season of the FX show and the fifth season of “What We Do in the Shadows,” making him the first Indigenous double nominee of any top series category.
The Creative Arts and Governors Gala ceremonies will occur over two nights on Sept. 7 and 8. The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards will air on ABC on Sunday, Sept. 15.
