Emmys 2019: Richard Madden's portrayal of PS Budd in 'Bodyguard' towers over other nominees
'Bodyguard' is one of the shows touted to win an Emmy and it has its reasons. The BBC political crime drama was neatly-crafted and boasted of a slick, well-assembled plot. Rotten Tomatoes gave the series a whopping 92% and termed the series an "an absorbing and addicting psychological thriller."
Adding to this was the cast, who dished out stellar performances. Notably, Richard Madden as Police Sergeant David Budd, a war veteran serving with the police that provides a security detail. Budd is assigned as the Principal Protection Officer (PPO) for an ambitious Home Secretary, Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes). Ironically, he despises her politics but ends up in an affair with the same woman.
However, it cames as a rude surprise to fans when Madden was not in the running for Lead Actor in a Drama Series, despite winning a Golden Globe for his performance as PS Budd earlier this year. Baffling was an understatement after Madden's Emmy snub. The performance was worthy of the award and we have our reasons. Madden is first seen in the train trying to stop a suicide bomber from pressing a button that would have caused nationwide panic. The pure charisma he exudes is enough to endear him to fans.
Budd is modeled with a shade of James Bond. Madden was fit, looked suave, and was seen as a smooth operator and a more-than-capable soldier. If stopping the suicide bomber wasn't enough, he manages to keep his cool in the middle of a deadly sniper attack on the Home secretary. However, his PTSD rattles him time to time and his way of expressing it is absolutely priceless. This is a man who's a cool cucumber to the outside world but is as twitchy and restless within. His PTSD also makes it difficult for him to fix things with his ex-wife. His characterization of being paranoid is stupendous as he balances the emotional poles to near perfection.
As Budd, he managed to successfully project fear, compassion, confusion, and fury. His PTSD-ridden Bodyguard is a tour de force. The bigger reward was yet to come. The actor's name was floated to take over the role of James Bond from Daniel Craig and that should justify how impeccable Madden's performance was in the series. The snub shouldn't really deter the actor though. Should there be a season 2 of 'Bodyguard', we're pretty sure he'll kill it again. Guess s**t happens.
Madden will be seen in Marvel's 'Eternals' next.