Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building scored big with Emmy nominations as it picked up nods for Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Steve Martin and Martin Short, among other notices. After the nominations were announced, many trades pointed to Selena Gomez, who plays Mabel Mora and is an integral part of this comedic trio as one of the significant Emmy snubs of the day. Now that the dust has settled a bit, her co-star Steve Martin is revealing how he feels about her snub, and he’s admitting to being dismayed by her omission.
During a chat with Variety about the Emmy nominations, Martin admitted to being excited about the nominations they received, but he does admit to being disappointed that Gomez wasn’t recognized by the Emmy voters:
“Yeah, we’re very happy we got a lot of nominations. We’re a little dismayed that Selena [Gomez] didn’t get nominated because she’s so crucial to the trio, to the show. She kind of balances us. In fact, in some ways you can say that we got nominated because of her balance in the show. But we’re happy that she is nominated as executive producer on the show. She’s a big asset for us.”
If you watch the show, Martin’s description of what Gomez brings to the series is spot on. She does create a balance between the two comedic veterans, and she more than holds her own alongside them. I think some might question her ability because she’s known more for being a huge pop star, but she has been acting since she was a kid and has been relatively smart about the roles she has taken on in that regard. Critics have given her solid notices for this show, which only improved with the recently released episodes for season two. She’ll probably get her due when it comes time to give the second season some accolades, and there will be chances to continue to be acknowledged as the show was recently renewed for a third season.
Co-creator John Hoffman echoed Steven Martin’s sentiments by calling Gomez “an essential part” of the series. Hoffman said, via Deadline, “Our trio is the heart of everything and the reason for the success of this show. They made all of that happen together, the three of them, with Selena being an essential part of that.” While Hoffman does say that “nominations can be tricky” and that “it can feel unfair at times,” he is “so proud of her” and what she’s achieved so far and for what’s to come. Hoffman promised that in the second season, “you’ll see more of the amazing actress that Selena is and how she shines even more than before.”
As Steven Martin stated, Gomez is nominated as a producer because of the Oustanding Comedy Series nod. This might prove even more significant for the 29-year-old star because this makes her only the second Latina to be nominated as a producer on a series. The last time this happened was in 2007, when Salma Hayek got a producer nod after Ugly Betty was nominated at the Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series. Gomez is winning without that Leading Actress in a Comedy Series nomination.
Do YOU think Selena Gomez was victim of a Emmy snub for her role in Only Murders in the Building?