Jason Bateman on Four Emmy Nods: Actor or Director? — SkimNews
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- Jason Bateman received four Emmy nominations this year — lead limited series actor and director for Netflix's "Black Rabbit" plus supporting actor and executive producer for HBO Max's "DTF St. Louis."
- Bateman told Variety's Awards Circuit Podcast that acting and directing have always been in his head simultaneously, saying acting became comfortable early enough for him to observe the camera, sound, lighting, and editing work around him.
- Bateman just wrapped directing the Netflix film "The Cackling of the Dodos" after Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson personally brought him the script — a dark Coen Brothers-style comedy about two farmers who find a dead body in a grain bin.
- Bateman described his Emmy-nominated "Black Rabbit" character Vince as "a broken, self-destructive guy" and "DTF St. Louis" character Clark as a man whose "main plot point is he wants to cheat on his wife," calling both "heartbreakingly relatable."
- Bateman signed with the Dorothy Day Otis/Jack Rose Agency at around age 10 in November 1979 after appearing on "Little House on the Prairie," "Silver Spoons," and "It's Your Move" as a child actor.
Why it matters: Racking up four nominations across acting, directing, and producing categories on just two shows is uncommon — most Emmy contenders land one or two nods at most. The haul shows both "Black Rabbit" and "DTF St. Louis" resonated with voters and gives Bateman unusual leverage as Phase 2 voting continues.
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