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Renée Elise Goldsberry

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Renée Elise Goldsberry
Goldsberry at Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards, 2016
Born (1971-01-02) January 2, 1971 (age 53)
San Jose, California, U.S.
EducationCarnegie Mellon University (BFA)
University of Southern California (MM)
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
Years active1997–present
Spouse
Alexis Johnson
​
(m. 2002)​
Children2

Renée Elise Goldsberry (born January 2, 1971)[1] is an American actress and singer. Known for her roles on stage and screen she has received a Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award, and a Grammy Award as well as a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award.

She gained stardom and acclaim for originating the role of Angelica Schuyler in the original Broadway production of the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical Hamilton (2015–2016), for which she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. For her performance as Silvia in The Public Theatre revival of the William Shakespeare play The Two Gentlemen of Verona (2005) she was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Distinguished Performance. Her other Broadway credits include Mimi Marquez in Rent (1996), Nettie Harris in the original cast of The Color Purple (2005), and Kate in the David Lindsay-Abaire play Good People (2011).

On television, she portrayed Evangeline Williamson on One Life to Live, for which she received two nominations for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. She also played Geneva Pine on the CBS legal drama The Good Wife (2010–2016), Wickie Roy in the Netflix musical comedy series Girls5eva (2021–present), and Mallory Book in Disney+ superhero miniseries She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022).[2] At the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards, she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for her reprising her role in the Disney+ live stage recording of Hamilton, which was released in 2020.

She played the title role in the HBO television movie The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2017) and took roles in films such as fantasy comedy The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018), the psychological drama Waves (2019), and road drama Albany Road (2024).

Early life and education

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Goldsberry was born in San Jose, California and raised in both Houston, Texas and Detroit, Michigan.[3] She is the daughter of Betty Sanders, an industrial psychologist, and her father was an automotive industry executive in Michigan.[4][5] Goldsberry has one older brother and two younger brothers.[5] Goldsberry was introduced to theater in summer camp when she was 8 years old. Renée's younger brother was shy, and their mother enrolled both of them in camp at the HITS Theatre in Houston taught by Carolyn Franklin.[4]

After graduating from Cranbrook Kingswood School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, she attended Carnegie Mellon University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theater, in 1993. This is also where she became a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority through the Theta Beta chapter.[6][7] She subsequently attended graduate school at the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music, where she received a Master of Music in jazz studies, graduating in 1997.[8]

Career

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1997–2014: Rise to prominence

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Between 1997 and 2002, Goldsberry had a recurring role on the Fox legal comedy-drama Ally McBeal, as one of the backup singers who frequently accompanied Vonda Shepard's performances. She appeared in a total of 43 episodes prior to the series' cancellation. Goldsberry was in the cast of the United States national tour of Dreamgirls (1997) and played a replacement Nala in the Broadway production of The Lion King (2002),[9] Goldsberry has had a lengthy singing and songwriting career, co-writing and performing more than half the soundtrack to the 2001 film All About You, including the title song. She was also the grand prize winner of the 1997 John Lennon Songwriting Contest for her rock music. Goldsberry wrote and recorded an album titled Everything But the Kitchen Sink (2001) and an EP titled Beautiful (2006). She was nominated for a Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance, and won a New York magazine Best of 2005 Award, for her performance as Sylvia in the 2005 Shakespeare in the Park revival of Two Gentlemen of Verona.[9] Goldsberry later originated the role of Nettie Harris in The Color Purple, the Broadway musical adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1982 novel of the same name.[9] She starred in the production from November 2005 to January 2006.

Goldsberry also carried the role over into a three-episode guest appearance on the spin-off series Ally. In 2001, Goldsberry had the lead role of Nicole Taylor in the romantic comedy All About You, for which her performance was praised. She also portrayed Drea Smalls in the 2008 action film Pistol Whipped. Goldsberry portrayed attorney Evangeline Williamson on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live from 2003 until 2007. She was nominated for an NAACP Image Award in 2004 for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series and won a Soap Opera Digest Award in 2005 with co-stars Michael Easton and Melissa Archer. Goldsberry was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in both 2006 and 2007 for the role.[9]

Goldsberry returned to the Off-Broadway stage in The Baker's Wife in 2007, before taking over the role of Mimi Márquez in the Broadway musical Rent, making her the final actress to play the role on Broadway.[9] Rent's last performance was filmed and made into a DVD, Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway, which also aired as a television film. In 2011, she was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award for her portrayal of Kate Dillon in the Broadway production of David Lindsay-Abaire's play Good People.[10] She went on to appear in off-Broadway productions of Love's Labour's Lost and As You Like It, and appeared in I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road at Encores!. After she left One Life to Live, Goldsberry held a recurring role as assistant state attorney Geneva Pine on the CBS political drama The Good Wife, appearing in 23 episodes between 2010 and the series' end in 2016.[11]

2015–2019: Breakthrough with Hamilton

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Goldsberry (right) with co-star Javier Muñoz in costume for Hamilton

Goldsberry originated the role of Angelica Schuyler in Lin-Manuel Miranda created historical musical Hamilton,[12] playing her last performance in the role on September 3, 2016.[13] In the musical she acted opposite Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, Daveed Diggs, Jonathan Groff and Anthony Ramos. Marilyn Stasio of Variety praised her performance writing that she gave the role "unexpected depth".[14] Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly wrote that Soo and Goldsberry "bring both fierceness and fragility to keenly drawn supporting roles".[15] In the production she gained notoriety for singing "Satisfied" a song about the unrequited love she has for Alexander Hamilton following the number "Helpless" which details the engagement and marriage between her sister Eliza (Soo) and Hamilton. Mark Kennedy of Associated Press praised her performance writing, "Satisfied" is a Rashomon love moment led by a glorious Goldsberry."[16] She performed the The Schuyler Sisters alongside Phillipa Soo and Jasmine Cephas Jones at the White House in 2016.[17]

For her work in the production, she won a 2015 Drama Desk Award, the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, and the 2016 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. In addition, as a member of the principal cast, she also received a Grammy Award after the original cast album won Best Musical Theater Album at the 2016 Grammy Awards.[18] In October 2015, she appeared at the BET Hip Hop Awards, where she was one of two women to rap in the Cypher.[19] During this time she had small supporting roles as Cynthia Barnes in the crime drama Every Secret Thing (2014) and Kim in the comedy Sisters (2015). Goldsberry then played the title role in the HBO television film adaptation of Rebecca Skloot's nonfiction work, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.[20] The production earned a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie.[21]

Goldsberry (center) performs with Hamilton castmates at the White House

In 2018, she appeared in the Netflix science fiction series Altered Carbon as Quellcrist Falconer, and reprised the role in season 2.[22] She also performed the Johnny Cash song "Ain't No Grave" for the end credits to the final episode. That same year she took a supporting role in the fantasy comedy The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018), acting opposite Cate Blanchett and Jack Black.[23] The following year, she then took a supporting role in the A24 psychological drama Waves (2019) acting opposite her co-star Sterling K. Brown. The film which debuted at the Telluride Film Festival received positive reviews. Sheri Linden of The Hollywood Reporter described her performance as "quietly imposing" adding, She dishes out the parental tough love...but always with an eye toward smoothing things over."[24]

That same year she took the role as Dee Dee, a backup singer in the IFC mockumentary series Documentary Now! episode "Original Cast Album: Co-Op" (2019). The episode it spoofs the D. A. Pennebaker documentary Original Cast Album: Company about the recording sessions for the original cast recording of the Stephen Sondheim musical Company (1970). She acted opposite Alex Brightman, Taran Killam, Paula Pell, and Richard Kind.[25] During this time Goldsberry made guest appearances on series such as Evil (2019 TV series from the same creators of The Good Wife), Star Trek: Enterprise, Royal Pains, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Younger, Masters of Sex, and That '80s Show.

2020–present: Girls5eva

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She was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for the filmed recording of Hamilton in 2016 which was released on Disney+ in 2020. Alissa Wilkinson of Vox praised the staging and direction of the Disney+ taping as well as her performance writing writing that "Goldsberry’s rapid-fire flow as Angelica Schuyler, mixed with her sideways glances and obvious pain in longing for Alexander" are "emotions you can see in the film far better than you can from the back row of the Richard Rodgers Theatre"[26] The following year she had a cameo appearance with her Hamilton co-star Phillipa Soo as well as Broadway legends Bernadette Peters, Andre de Shields, Bebe Neuwirth, Chita Rivera, and Joel Grey in the Lin-Manuel Miranda directed biographical musical film Tick, Tick... Boom! based off the Jonathan Larson musical of the same name.[27]

Goldsberry currently stars in the Netflix musical comedy series Girls5eva playing the role of Wickie Roy, a member of a one-hit wonder early 2000’s girl band group Girls5eva. Girls5eva chronicles their reunion and attempts to reignite their stardom. The series premiered on May 6, 2021, on the Peacock. Goldsberry starrs opposite Sara Bareilles, Paula Pell, and Busy Phillips. For her performance she earned two nominations for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series. Reviewing the third season, Saloni Gajjar of The A.V. Club called Goldsberry the show's scene-stealer and MVP, writing, "It shouldn’t be this easy to root for a selfish Wickie, who spins things out of control by being extra, but Goldsberry pulls off that feat".[28]

In 2022 she portrayed Mallory Brook in the Disney+ superhero miniseries She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and voiced Roxy in the Disney Junior animated series Eureka.[29] The next year she returned to the stage playing Prospero in a musical adaptation of The Tempest as part of the 2023 season of Shakespeare in the Park.[30] Annie Levin of The Observer wrote, "Goldsberry, radiant with health, flies about the stage singing and dancing, wins a great victory over her enemies and has her dukedom returned to her. She does not pretend to be the elderly Prospero". She added "this very Disney production lacks that kind of subtlety, as does Goldsberry’s delivery."[31] In 2024, she debuted the documentary, Satisfied, about her life and career.[32] The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2024.[33]

Personal life

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In 2002, Goldsberry married New York attorney Alexis Johnson.[3] In May 2009, she gave birth to their first child, a son named Benjamin Johnson. In 2014, she and her husband adopted a second child, a daughter from Africa named Brielle.[34]

Acting credits

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2001 Palco & Hirsch Jessica
All About You Nicole Taylor Also composer and lyricist
2002 Turnaround Rachel
2008 Pistol Whipped Drea Smalls
2009 Jump the Broom: A Musical Ayana Short film
2014 Every Secret Thing Cynthia Barnes
2015 Sisters Kim
2018 The House with a Clock in Its Walls Selena Izard
2019 Waves Catherine
2020 Hamilton Angelica Schuyler Filmed recording of 2016 Broadway musical
2021 Tick, Tick... Boom! "Sunday" Legend
2022 Anything's Possible Selene
2024 Albany Road Celeste Simmons
2024 Big City Greens the Movie: Spacecation Colleen Voyd [35]

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1997–2002 Ally McBeal Singer 43 episodes
1999 Ally 3 episodes
2002 Providence Clare Episode: "The Start of Something Big"
Any Day Now Beverly Morris Episode: "The Real Thing"
That '80s Show Spokesmodel #2 Episode: "Road Trip"
Star Trek: Enterprise Crewman Kelly Episode: "Vox Sola"
One on One Paulette Episode: "Fatal Attractions"
2003–07 One Life to Live Evangeline Williamson 272 episodes
2008 The Return of Jezebel James Paget Kaufman 2 episodes
Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway Mimi Marquez TV film
Life on Mars Denise Watkins Episode: "Things to Do in New York When You Think You're Dead"
2010 Royal Pains Mrs. Phillips Episode: "Big Whoop"
White Collar Ellen Samuel Episode: "Company Man"
2010–16 The Good Wife Geneva Pine 23 episodes
2013 The Following Olivia Warren 3 episodes
Save Me Mary Episode: "The Book of Beth"
2013–14 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Defense Attorney Martha Marron 3 episodes
2014 Masters of Sex Morgan Hogue Episode: "Blackbird"
2015 Younger Courtney Ostin Episode: "Hedonism"
2016 I Shudder Lucy Wainscott TV film
2017 The Get Down Misty Holloway Episode: "Gamble Everything"
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Henrietta Lacks TV film
2018–19 The Lion Guard Dhahabu (voice) 2 episodes
2018–20 Altered Carbon Quellcrist Falconer Series regular
2019 Documentary Now! Dee Dee Episode: "Original Cast Album: Co-Op"
2019–21 Evil Renée Harris 3 episodes
Fast & Furious: Spy Racers Ms. Nowhere (voice) Main role
2020 Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist Ava Price 3 episodes
Dragons: Rescue Riders: Secrets of the Songwing Melodia (voice) TV special
2021 Centaurworld Waterbaby (voice) 7 episodes
2021–present Girls5eva Wickie Roy Main role
2022 Eureka! Roxy (voice) Main role
2022 She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Mallory Book Main role; 5 episodes

Theater

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Year Title Role Location Category
1997 Dreamgirls Michelle Morris — National Tour
2002 The Lion King Nala New Amsterdam Theatre Broadway
2005 Two Gentlemen of Verona Silvia Delacorte Theater Off-Broadway
2005–06 The Color Purple Nettie Harris Broadway Theatre Broadway
2007 The Baker's Wife Genevieve Castagnet York Theatre Off-Broadway
2008 Rent Mimi Márquez Nederlander Theatre Broadway
2011 Good People Kate Dillon Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
Love's Labour's Lost Princess of France The Public Theater Off-Broadway
2012 As You Like It Celia Delacorte Theater
2013 I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road Heather Jones New York City Center Encores! concert
2014 Hamilton Angelica Schuyler The 52nd Street Project Workshop
2015 The Public Theater Off-Broadway
2015–16 Richard Rodgers Theatre Broadway
2023 The Tempest Prospero Delacorte Theatre Central Park

Discography

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Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref
2004 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series One Life to Live Nominated
2005 Soap Opera Digest Awards Favorite Triangle Won
Drama League Awards Distinguished Performance Two Gentlemen of Verona Nominated
2006 Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series One Life to Live Nominated
2007 Nominated
NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series Nominated
2011 Outer Critics Circle Awards Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Good People Nominated
2015 Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Hamilton Won
Lucille Lortel Awards Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Won
2016 Tony Awards Best Featured Actress in a Musical Won
Grammy Awards Best Musical Theater Album Won
Broadway.com Audience Awards Favorite Featured Actress in a Musical Won
2021 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Hamilton Nominated
Black Reel Awards for Television Outstanding Actress, Comedy Series Girls5eva Nominated [36]
Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards Best Actress in a Streaming Series, Comedy Nominated [37]
Television Critics Association Awards Individual Achievement in Comedy Nominated [38]
2022 Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated [39]
2023 Critics' Choice Television Awards Nominated [40]
2024 Television Critics Association Awards Individual Achievement in Comedy Nominated [41]

References

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  1. ^ "This day in history in laws with the castons– The Boston Globe". Boston Globe. January 2, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2018. Jan. 2, the second day of 2018... Birthdays... Actress Renee Elise Goldsberry is 47.
  2. ^ "Watch Girls5eva Streaming | Peacock". @peacocktv. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Kaufman, Joanne (October 9, 2015). "A Night Out With Renée Elise Goldsberry of 'Hamilton'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  4. ^ a b Dansby, Andrew (June 11, 2016). "Tony nominee bitten by acting bug as child in Houston". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  5. ^ a b Weber, Mia (September 2, 2016). "Telling Her Story". New York Family. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  6. ^ Rickwald, Bethany (October 2, 2015). "Renée Elise Goldsberry's Path From Middle School Class Clown to Hamilton Class Act". TheatreMania. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
  7. ^ "Hip-hop "Hamilton"". Carnegie Mellon University. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  8. ^ "Alumna Renée Elise Goldsberry wins Tony for "Hamilton"". USC Thornton School of Music. June 13, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
  9. ^ a b c d e "Headlines: Renée Elise Goldsberry to Join Broadway's Rent as Mimi". Broadway.com. May 15, 2008. Retrieved January 5, 2009.
  10. ^ "Outer Critics Circle Announce 2010–11 Season Nominees". OuterCritics.org. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  11. ^ "Renée Elise Goldsberry Has Followed in Christine Baranski's "Phenomenal Footsteps"". Vanity Fair. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  12. ^ Schulman, Michael (August 6, 2015). "The Women of "Hamilton"". The New Yorker. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
  13. ^ "Renée Elise Goldsberry sets Hamilton leaving date". New York Theatre Guide. August 25, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  14. ^ "Off Broadway Review: 'Hamilton' by Lin-Manuel Miranda". Variety. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  15. ^ "'Hamilton': EW stage review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  16. ^ "Review: Lin-Manuel Miranda's 'Hamilton' is a rollicking show". Associated Press. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  17. ^ "Hamilton's Schuyler Sisters Perform in the White House". Vulture. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  18. ^ "All Past Winners. GRAMMY Search". Grammy Awards. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
  19. ^ "The Cypher Revealed: Hamilton Cypher [Explicit]". BET.com. Archived from the original on October 15, 2015. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  20. ^ Petski, Denise (July 25, 2016). "Renée Elise Goldsberry Cast In HBO Films' The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks". Deadline Hollywood.
  21. ^ "The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks". Television Academy. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  22. ^ Lee, Ashley (July 13, 2016). "Renée Elise Goldsberry to Exit Hamilton for Netflix's Altered Carbon". The Hollywood Reporter.
  23. ^ "Film Review: Jack Black in 'The House With a Clock in Its Walls'". Variety. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  24. ^ "'Waves': Film Review Telluride 2019". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  25. ^ "First Look: Documentary Now! Spoofs Company Documentary With John Mulaney, Renée Elise Goldsberry, and More". Playbill. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  26. ^ "We got comfortable with Hamilton. The new film reminds us how risky it is". Vox. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  27. ^ "An Exhaustive List of Every Broadway Cameo in Tick, Tick … Boom!". Slate. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  28. ^ Gajjar, Saloni (March 14, 2024). "Girls5eva season 3 review: Netflix brings back an insanely fun show". The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  29. ^ "'She-Hulk' Disney Plus Series Adds Renée Elise Goldsberry". Variety. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  30. ^ "Renée Elise Goldsberry Stars in Free Shakespeare in the Park Public Works The Tempest Musical, Beginning August 27". Playbill. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  31. ^ "A Musical Rendition of 'The Tempest' Marks the End of an Era at the Delacorte". Observer. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  32. ^ "'Hamilton' Star Renée Elise Goldsberry Weighs in on Struggling to Have It All in 'Satisfied' Documentary". Variety. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  33. ^ "Satisified 2024 Tribeca". Tribeca Film Festival. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  34. ^ Jacobs, Pamela (August 31, 2015). "Hamilton's Renée Elise Goldsberry". Resident.com. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  35. ^ "Disney Branded Television's 'Big City Greens the Movie: Spacecation' Blasts Off Thursday, June 6, on Disney Channel and Friday, June 7, on Disney+". Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  36. ^ "Plenty of "Love" in the Heart of the Country!". Black Reel Awards. June 17, 2021. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021.
  37. ^ "Ted Lasso, The Handmaid's Tale, and Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist lead Inaugural HCA TV Awards Nominations". Hollywood Critics Association. July 8, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  38. ^ Turchiano, Danielle (July 15, 2021). "Ted Lasso Scores the Most 2021 TCA Awards Nominations". Variety. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  39. ^ "Television Nominations Announced for the 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards". Critics Choice Association. December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  40. ^ Panaligan, EJ; Earl, William (January 15, 2023). "Critics' Choice Awards 2023 Full Winners List: Everything Everywhere All at Once, Abbott Elementary and Better Call Saul Take Top Honors". Variety. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  41. ^ Longeretta, Emily (June 10, 2024). "'Baby Reindeer', 'Ripley' and 'Shogun' Lead 2024 TCA Awards Nominations: Full List". Variety. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
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