Emily In Paris writer 'rages' at I May Destroy You's Golden Globes snub

Fans of British TV drama I May Destroy You on both sides of the Atlantic have expressed "rage" over the show's snub in the Golden Globe award nominations.

Written by, starring and co-directed by Michaela Coel, the BBC drama was one of the most acclaimed series of last year.

Deborah Copaken, a writer for Netflix's Emily in Paris, said her excitement at her own show's two nominations was "tempered by my rage over Coel's snub".

Coel got some consolation in the Screen Actors Guild nominations on Thursday.

She was nominated for best female actor in a TV movie or limited series in the guild's awards, where she will go up against Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Anya Taylor-Joy and Kerry Washington.

"I May Destroy You was my whole jam," said Hamilton star Daveed Diggs after reading out Coel's SAG nomination.

I May Destroy You charts the fallout from a sexual assault after protagonist Arabella's drink is spiked. Writing after the Golden Globe shortlists were announced on Wednesday, Copaken praised the series as "sheer genius".

She wrote in The Guardian: "'That show,' I told everyone who would listen, 'deserves to win all the awards.' When it didn't, I was stunned. I May Destroy You was not only my favourite show of 2020. It's my favourite show ever.

"It takes the complicated issue of a rape - I'm a sexual assault survivor myself - and infuses it with heart, humour, pathos and a story constructed so well, I had to watch it twice, just to understand how Coel did it."

Others showing their support included actress and director Alice Lowe, who said I May Destroy You "dwarfed" the other programmes on the Golden Globes shortlist.

Writer Akilah Green, whose shows include A Black Lady Sketch Show and Black Monday, admitted the drama "sent almost every writer I've talked to about it back to the lab", while Coronation Street and Beautiful Thing writer Jonathan Harvey said: "I May Destroy You was the standout TV drama of the year. Hopefully Bafta will appreciate how lucky we are to have this home-grown talent."

Shameless and The Phantom of the Opera star Emmy Rossum added: "I May Destroy You is the best show of the year. It's not even debatable."

US actress Rachel Zegler, who will star in the forthcoming West Side Story film, also voiced her support, saying the drama was "one of the greatest series I have ever seen and you all should go watch it immediately".

US comic Kathy Griffin said the "upside" to the show being snubbed was that "more people will discover Michaela Coel's masterpiece", adding: "Such a riveting series".

I May Destroy You was also among former US President Barack Obama's favourite TV series of last year.

In the series, Coel's character goes through a range of emotions, including humour, to process what has happened to her, which the writer and actress said mirrors the experiences she went through herself.

She previously told the BBC she wanted to reflect this in the drama, saying: "We respond to trauma and triggering situations in many different ways, it's not always a pity party."

The Golden Globes are voted for by 90 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, all international journalists based in California.

Netflix's The Crown led this year's Golden Globe TV nominations with six, while Steve McQueen's landmark Small Axe series and Normal People were among other BBC programmes that received nominations.

Other British nominees for the Screen Actors Guild awards included Hugh Grant for The Undoing; The Crown stars Olivia Colman, Emma Corrin and Josh O'Connor; and Bridgerton actor Rege-Jean Page.

Riz Ahmed, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Gary Oldman, Vanessa Kirby and Carey Mulligan were recognised in the film categories.

Daniel Kaluuya was recognised for Judas and the Black Messiah, while Sacha Baron Cohen was nominated for The Trial Of The Chicago 7.

Despite being nominated by the Golden Globes for playing Borat, Baron Cohen won't be nominated for an acting award for portraying the Kazakh character at Britain's Bafta Awards, and his comedy sequel won't be in the running for the Bafta for best film.

They did not feature on the Baftas longlists, which were also revealed on Thursday. However, Bulgarian actress Maria Bakalova, who plays Borat's teenage daughter and who appeared in an infamous scene with US lawyer Rudy Giuliani, was on the longlist for best supporting actress.

Baron Cohen was only longlisted for his role in film drama The Trial of the Chicago 7.

Da 5 Bloods director Spike Lee was among the other big names missing from the longlists, which will be whittled down to the final shortlists when the Bafta nominations are announced on 9 March.

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