FXIt was a good day for the cast and crew of FX's stellar The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.
The show has earned a whopping 22 Emmy nominations for its captivating recreation of the trial of the century, coming in second only to Game of Thrones' 23, with much of the limited series' cast finding themselves in the running to take home some serious hardware come September. And star Courtney B. Vance, who took our breath away as famed defense attorney Johnnie Cochran, couldn't be any happier.
"I had to prepare, and I always prepare for either eventuality, but we really, really knew when we did it that we were in the middle of something special," Vance told E! News just after learning he'd been nominated for Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. "So for the Emmy nomination to come to me, and more importantly for the 22 to come to us all, is just all blessings. It's just a huge blessing and I'm just so grateful."
Vance finds himself in a stiff category, up against three of the Internet's boyfriends (Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, and Benedict Cumberatch), Emmy fave Bryan Cranston, and his O.J. co-star, Cuba Gooding, Jr. But if there's any worry about going head-to-head with his former scene partner, he's not letting on. "The nominations are wonderful. Whatever the Emmy voters decide to do, they'll do," Vance told us. "I love my man, so win, lose, or draw, we'll still be brothers."
So, what does one do after being nominated for their first Emmy? Pop some champagne? Throw a party? For Vance, his plans were a little more low-key. "I actually dropped my children off at summer school and I'm sitting on the side of the road, just returning emails and texts. I haven't been able to make it back home yet. It's just a wonderful time," he told us, adding that he hoped to enjoy some quality time with wife Angela Bassett—so long as he could wake her up.
"My wife had a late call for American Horror Story, so she got in around 3 or 4 [a.m.,] and she's got a 2 p.m. call time, and the kids are at school. So, she and I will celebrate. When she wakes up," he said laughing. "I'll go through my normal day. Go back and tell my mom, who has ALS, and we'll cry together and that's our celebration. It's a family thing."
Do you think Vance's portrayal of Cochran is a lock for the win come September? Let us know in the comments below!
The 68th Emmy Awards air live Sunday, September 18 at 7 p.m. on ABC.