‘A Gentleman in Moscow’s’ 20 Emmy Submissions: Ewan McGregor, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Sam Miller’s Directing Episode and More (EXCLUSIVE)

As Paramount’s British series “A Gentleman in Moscow” hopes to break into the highly competitive limited series races, the show has submitted for 20 Primetime Emmys, including lead actor for star Ewan McGregor and supporting actress for Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

The eight-episode series follows an aristocrat, Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov, who spends decades banished to an attic hotel room following the October Revolution after being sentenced to house arrest by a Bolshevik tribunal. Based on the 2016 novel by Amor Towles, the series was written by Ben Vanstone, who also serves as the executive producer and showrunner, and whose pilot episode titled “A Master of Circumstance” is submitted for consideration. The same episode will represent Sam Miller in the directing race, who has previously landed three Emmy bids: one for “Luther” in 2012 and two “I May Destroy You” in 2021.

More from Variety

The series received solid reviews from critics and boasted an impressive 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. Variety‘s chief TV critic Alison Herman praised McGregor’s “charming” performance as the scene-stealing count.

McGregor has garnered five Emmy nominations throughout his career across multiple categories. Along with his lead actor (limited) win in 2021 for “Halston,” he’s been nominated in the same category for the anthology “Fargo” in 2017, in addition to guest drama actor for “ER,” narrator for “Highlands: Scotland’s Wild Heart” and as an executive producer last year for “Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

Speaking to Variety about his prolific career in Hollywood, McGregor said, “I love making movies. I always dreamed of being a movie star. Then I was in movies. Every time I would sit there at the premiere, I couldn’t believe I was up there [on screen]. I still have that, I guess, but I don’t know what it means exactly.”

Winstead, who’s married to McGregor, also spoke candidly regarding the long search for a project for them to work on together after FX’s anthology crime series “Fargo” in 2018, saying, “I really didn’t expect it to be as great of a role as it ended up being. I just felt so lucky.”

While the limited series races are overflowing with multiple contenders, the drama could make a strong showing for its artisans, particularly production design, costumes and sound.

The full list of submissions for “A Gentleman in Moscow” is below.

Read: All Primetime Emmy predictions in every category on Variety’s Awards Circuit.

  • Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series

  • Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — Ewan McGregor

  • Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — Fehinti Balogun, Johnny Harris

  • Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — Mary Elizabeth Winstead

  • Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — 101: “A Master of Circumstance” (Sam Miller)

  • Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — 101: “A Master of Circumstance” (Ben Vanstone)

  • Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — 101: “A Master of Circumstance”: (Adam Gillham)

  • Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — Julia Harkin and Nathan Toth

  • Picture Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — 101: “A Master of Circumstance” (Tim Murrell, Editor; 102 – “An Invitation”: Sofie Alonzi, Editor)

  • Music Composition for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score) — 108: “Adieu”: (Federico Jusid, Music by)

  • Main Title Theme Music — Federico Jusid, Music by

  • Main Title Design — Matt Curtis, Designer; Søren Bonke, Animator/Compositor; Stuart Pitcher, Animator/Compositor

  • Sound Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special — 101: “A Master of Circumstance” (Jim Goddard, Supervising Sound Editor, Ian Wilkinson, Dialogue Editor, Sarah Elias, Tom Stewart, Sound Effects Editors, Anna Wright, Foley Artist, Conor Thompson, Foley Editor, Jack Sugden, Music Editor)

  • Sound Mixing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — 101: “A Master of Circumstance” (Stuart Hilliker, Re-Recording Mixer, Jim Mulhearn, Production Mixer)

  • Production Design for a Narrative Period or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More) — 105: “An Arrival” (Victor Molero, Production Designer, Ussal Kalyoncu Smithers, Set Decorator, Christopher Guy Evans, Art Director)

  • Music Supervision — 101: “A Master of Circumstance” (Zoë Ellen Bryant, Pete Saville, Music Supervisors)

  • Period Costumes — 102: “An Invitation” (Sam Perry, Costume Designer, Sarah Harrison, Costume Supervisor, Katie Broome, Assistant Costume Designer)

  • Period or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) — 102: “An Invitation” (Jacqueline Fowler, Department Head Makeup Artist, Sue Newbould, Co-Department Head Makeup Artist, Laura Hartney, Personal Makeup Artist, Kirstie Lavin, Mark English, Key Makeup Artists)

  • Special Visual Effects in a Single Episode — 101: “A Master of Circumstance” (Tim Zaccheo, Max Wright, VFX Supervisors, Joe Cork, 2D Supervisor, Lucy Beavis, VFX Producer, Harry Hamblin, VFX Editor, Alex Jevon, Rasik Gorecha, Gustaf Nilsson, VFX Artists, Rob Rowley, SFX Supervisor)

Best of Variety

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.