Jean Smart on 'Eeerie' Connections 'Watchmen' Has With the Real World

Mark Hill/HBO

“Watchmen” had no idea how relevant it would become, from correctly foretelling the renewed protests for racial justice in the U.S. to the wide-spread practice of mask wearing.

“It’s eerie, it’s absolutely eerie,” Jean Smart, who was nominated for her role as Laurie Blake on the HBO miniseries on Tuesday, told TheWrap. Damon Lindelof’s adaptation scored 26 total nominations on Tuesday, the most of any program. For Smart, the accolades only underscored the show’s resonance with viewers.

The nine-episode run of “Watchmen” began by going back to the site of one of the ugliest, and mostly untold, moments in American history, the 1921 Tulsa Massacre. It is widely considered to be the country’s single worst incident of racial violence, and one that many, including Smart, weren’t even aware of.

Also Read: Why 'Watchmen' Director Stephen Williams Compares the Tulsa Massacre to Krypton's Destruction (Video)

In “Watchmen,” the Tulsa Massacre serves as the start of Will Reeves’ story, after he witnesses the event as a child. Reeves, of course, would go on to assume the moniker of Hooded Justice, the first vigilante in the alternate-reality world of “Watchmen.” The show has been lauded for its inclusion of the event, which had gone largely unknown by the general American public and has taken on even greater resonance in the aftermath of the nationwide protests against systemic racism that have marched on since Memorial Day.

“It was it was quite staggering and humbling to find that out and feel like how could I possibly not known about this,” Smart said. “the only person I knew before that that knew about it was Tim Blake Nelson, because he grew up in Tulsa.” But even then, Smart explained, Nelson said that it wasn’t taught much in the schools. “It was just kind of glossed over.”

In the series, Smart is one of the few to play a character that was from Alan Moore’s acclaimed graphic novel that the HBO series is based on. Lindelof’s version takes place some 30 years after the book’s events. Smart had not read any of the comics growing up, but said that she got “a crash course” in her character Laurie Blake from Lila Byock, who co-wrote her first episode. “She took me out for martinis and gave me a crash course on Laurie and Laurie’s relationships.”

But the hardest part of filming the show came during that very first episode, though it had nothing to do with learning her character’s complicated backstory. “Trying to walk like a normal person because I just had stem cell treatment,” she said. “I was in a lot of pain.”

Emmy Nominations 2020: Snubs and Surprises, From Bob Odenkirk to Baby Yoda (Photos)

Between Elisabeth Moss and Bob Odenkirk getting pushed out of their respective categories and an unexpected nomination for "What We Do in the Shadows," Tuesday's Emmy nominations announcement came with more than its share of surprises.
Surprise: "What We Do in the Shadows" FX's series adaptation of the vampire mockumetary from Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi only secured two below the line nominations for its first season, but it's second outing scored big with eight nominations, including an Outstanding Comedy Series nod.
FX
Surprise: "The Mandalorian" Drama heavyweight "Game of Thrones" was out of the running this year, leaving room for a new series to sneak in among a slew of past nominees like "Better Call Saul," "The Handmaid's Tale" and "The Crown." But instead of Apple TV+'s "The Morning Show," voters went with a different new streaming service, nominated Disney+'s "The Mandalorian."
Disney+
Snub: Bob Odenkirk, "Better Call Saul" Odenkirk has been a perennial nominee in the lead actor category since 2015, but this year the "Better Call Saul" star was overlooked in favor of a pair of actors from "Succession" and "The Morning Show" star Steve Carell.
AMC
Snub: Elisabeth Moss, "The Handmaid's Tale" Moss won the award for lead actress in a drama series in 2017 and has been nominated numerous times in the past, but, like "This Is Us" star Mandy Moore and "How to Get Away With Murder's" Viola Davis, failed to make the cut for the most recent season of "Handmaid's Tale."
Hulu
Surprise: Zendaya, "Euphoria" In a category comprised mostly of returning players, dark horse candidate Zendaya managed to sneak a lead actress nod for her role on the HBO drama "Euphoria," slipping in alongside fellow category newcomer Jennifer Aniston of "The Morning Show."
HBO
Snub: "Big Little Lies" HBO's Liane Moriarty adaptation was the belle of awards season in 2017, all but sweeping the limited series categories with its roster of big-name stars including Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon. But Season 2's move to the drama series category hurt the show, leaving "Big Little Lies" with only two nominations for supporting stars Laura Dern and Meryl Streep.
HBO
Surprise: "The Masked Singer" Fox's absurdist singing competition finally became too big for Emmy voters to ignore in Season 2, shaking up the Oustanding Competition Program category with 10-time winner "The Amazing Race" ineligible this year.
Fox
Snub: "Westworld" Turns out "Westworld" wasn't the "Game of Thrones" successor HBO hoped iy would be, earning only two acting nods for its third season, for supporting actors Thandie Newton and Jeffrey Wright, and missing out on the marquee drama series category entirely.
HBO
Snub: Kaitlyn Dever, Merritt Wever, "Unbelievable" For much of the voting period, the two stars of Netflix's harrowing "Unbelievable" seemed like locks for lead actress in a limited series nominations, but neither made the cut in a crowded category, not even TV Academy darling Merritt Wever, who has twice before pulled out a surprise upset on Emmy night.
Netflix

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“Better Call Saul” and “The Handmaid’s Tale” leads miss out, while “What We Do in the Shadows” sneaks in

Between Elisabeth Moss and Bob Odenkirk getting pushed out of their respective categories and an unexpected nomination for "What We Do in the Shadows," Tuesday's Emmy nominations announcement came with more than its share of surprises.

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