Reese Witherspoon's Emmy snub for 'Big Little Lies', 'The Morning Show', 'Little Fires Everywhere' upsets fans
While the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards nominations that arrived on Tuesday, July 28, had many good picks -- a record number of Black performers were nominated -- the snubs were more than disappointing. Perhaps the most glaring of these snubs was that meted out to Reese Witherspoon
Despite the fact that Apple TV+'s ‘The Morning Show’ got eight nominations, including for costar Jennifer Aniston, and both HBO’s ‘Big Little Lies’ and Hulu’s 'Little Fires Everywhere' getting five nominations each -- Nicole Kidman and Kerry Washington both received recognition -- Witherspoon is conspicuously absent from the list. Which is all the more glaring considering she also serves as an executive producer on all three shows.
Fans of the actor seemed most upset. One fan shared a clip from the ‘Little Fires Everywhere’ finale where Witherspoon’s character Elena confronts her eldest daughter, who tries to convince her that she's not as perfect as she seems. Witherspoon emits a bloodcurdling scream. The fan wrote, “Reese Witherspoon deserves all the awards for this single, terrifying line reading in the #LittleFiresEverywhere finale.”
In fact, several people shared that clip -- or at least the last part, where she caterwauls “Yes, you are!” -- and used it to emote their own feelings about the snub.
“I’m so surprised Reese Witherspoon didn’t get an Emmy nomination for Big Little Lies, The Morning Show, or Little Fires Everywhere. She was outstanding in ALL three,” wrote another fan. Another fan sharing old photos of Witherspoon holding Oscars, wrote, “I suppose I am using these pictures of Reese Witherspoon with her oscar as comfort in a time like this,”
The fans’ anger seemed to stem from the fact that Witherspoon’s performance in each of the three shows was lauded for their intensity. As one fan wrote on Twitter, “Imagine snubbing Reese Witherspoon when she not only acted her a** off but also produced all three of those shows.”
Fans seemed especially sad that her performance in ‘Little Fires Everywhere’ got overlooked. “I’m low-key shook Reese Witherspoon didn’t get nominated for Little Fires Everywhere. I’m not even really a fan of hers like that, but she absolutely DESTROYED that role.” Another added, “How TF was Reese Witherspoon not nominated for Outstanding Actress for her work in Little Fires Everywhere? That was a career-defining performance. She was so good people were mad at her in real life. Crazy.”
Witherspoon, however, seems content with her colleagues getting their due recognition. She wrote on Twitter several hours after the Emmy nominations were announced: “What an incredible honor! I’m so proud of our team who works tirelessly behind the scenes to bring these stories to life! BRAVO to the cast and crews.”
To sum up the general sentiments around the snub, a fan wrote, “Although I’m 99 percent thrilled about this year’s #Emmys nominees, I would like to say that Reese Witherspoon was robbed. Reese had one of the best years of her career especially with The Morning Show... there were episodes where I forgot she was the actress. That’s how good she is.” The Twitter user added, "Reese Witherspoon was totally robbed for her Emmy nominations in Big Little Lies, The Morning Show, and Little Fires Everywhere. F*** the television academy!!!"