NEW YORK (AP) — Britain and Brazil shared the lead for International Emmy nominations with six apiece Monday, including best actor and drama series nods for BBC One's "Accused."
"Accused," is a television anthology seriescreated by writer-producer Jimmy McGovernwith each episode following a different character as they are accused of a crime and await their verdict in court.
Sean Bean, best known for his roles in "The Lord of the Rings" and "Game of Thrones," was nominated for his role in an episode of "Accused" in which he goes against his usual tough-man image. Bean plays a bored school teacher by day who becomes a transvestite by night and gets involved in an affair with a married man that leads to a brutal crime of passion.
British actress Sheridan Smith, known for her comedic roles on stage and TV, was recognized for playing the title character in the ITV drama series, "Mrs. Biggs," for which she won theBAFTA TV Award for best actress earlier this year. The series is based on the true story of the wife of Ronnie Biggs, who was involved in the 1963 Great Train Robbery, in which 2.6 million pounds was stolen from a mail train. As Charmian Biggs, Smith evolves from the innocent daughter of a middle-class school headmaster who falls for a career criminal only to end up as a fugitive mother struggling to keep her family together.
The other British nominees include "Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender" (artsprogramming); "Moone Boy" (comedy); and "Secret State" (TV movie/mini-series).
Brazil's Marcos Palmeira received a nomination for his role in the HBO Latin America original series "Mandrake Especial" in which he portrays a Rio de Janeiro criminal lawyer who helps his wealthy clients deal with the local underworld. Fernanda Montenegro, who received a best actress Oscar nomination for the 1998 film "Central Station," got a nod for her role in TV Globo's "Sweet Mother."
