The filmmaker is one of three women nominated for Outstanding Director for a Drama Series, only the second time in the Emmy category's history.
The Handmaid’s Tale director
Reed Morano is one of three women nominated for Outstanding Director for a
Drama Series at the 69th Primetime Emmys. The other two are Kate Dennis, also
recognized for The Handmaid’s Tale,
and Lesli Linka Glatter for Homeland.
It’s the first time three women have been nominated in the
category in the same year since 2010, when Glatter was recognized alongside
Agnieszka Holland and Michelle MacLaren. Of course, they’re joined by men --
Vince Gilligan (Better Call Saul),
Stephen Daldry (The Crown), The
Duffer Brothers (Stranger Things) and
Jonathan Nolan (Westworld) -- who fill
out the category’s seven spots.
EMMYS 2017: The Complete List of Nominees
“You definitely get a sense of progress that more women are
getting their shot,” Morano, who is also nominated for Outstanding
Cinematography for her work on HBO’s Divorce,
tells ET of the significance of the three women’s nominations, while shutting down
the idea that gender influences anyone’s storytelling capabilities. “It’s an
individual thing. There are women who can do more masculine storytelling than
some men.”
While her field saw progress, there were few other women recognized for directing. After winning back-to-back Emmys for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series, Jill Soloway was shut out and Jamie Babbit was the only woman nominated for her work on Silicon Valley. The only other category featuring female nominees is Outstanding Directing for a Nonfiction Program with Elizabeth White (Planet Earth II) and Ava DuVernay (13th) vying for a trophy.
Acknowledging the fact that she’s the only woman nominated
in her cinematography category, Morano says it’s about creating an equal
playing field. “If enough people were to actually give women a shot to exercise
their voice, they would see there’s probably a whole gamut of what women can do
that’s equal to what [men can do].”
“It makes me feel like we’re getting closer, that [the field]
will be saturated equally with men and women and it won’t be such a big thing,
maybe, in 10 years from now,” Morano continues. “It’s taking a long time.”
As for her work on the Hulu series, which earned 13
nominations total, the director is just happy it all landed with critics and
fans alike. “It’s rare when everything comes together and works so well,” she
says. “It's such a surprise because sometimes you can make something you love
so much, but whatever it is, for unexplained reasons, it might not resonate with
everybody else as much as it does with the people who made it. It's really
crazy and wonderful that people appreciated the show so much.”