“Lessons in Chemistry” is a brilliant vehicle for Oscar winner Brie Larson to display the full range of her talents but she isn’t the only performer to shine in this Apple TV+ limited series. Lewis Pullman, who stole scenes in “Top Gun: Maverick,” is equally good in this show, which is based on Bonnie Garmus‘ book of the same name.
Larson plays Elizabeth Zott, a lab technician who goes on to host a cooking show in the 1960s, while Pullman features as Dr. Calvin Evans, a researcher who becomes Elizabeth’s colleague and love interest. Pullman exudes charisma and star power. He and Larson convey an intimate chemistry throughout this series, as critics have noted.
Lucy Mangan (The Guardian) explained: “There is but one man who can (almost) match her in brainpower – the institution’s star and moneymaker Dr. Calvin Evans (Lewis Pullman). Pullman has the same aura of everyman decency as his father, Bill – and that makes him perfect casting as Zott’s sole supporter and, eventually, beloved. Their tentative, tender courtship is a delight to watch.”
Meghan O’Keefe (Decider) observed: “Lewis Pullman is a similar supernova as Elizabeth’s one true love, Calvin Evans. Unlike the novel, the show expands Calvin’s role to make their romance the emotional nucleus of everything else that unfolds. Pullman was a scene-stealer as Bob’ in ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ but in ‘Lessons in Chemistry’ he proves his mettle as a potential movie star, not only holding his own against the Oscar-winning, MCU member Larson, but making her better. It will be interesting to see how fans of Garmus’s books take to Calvin’s larger presence in the adaptation, but I found it hard to hate each and every additional scene crafted for the excellent Pullman.”
Audrey Fox (Looper) noted: “‘Lessons in Chemistry’ is at its best when Brie Larson and Lewis Pullman are given space to just do their own thing. They have great, ahem, chemistry together, and their burgeoning romance is charmingly unique… It’s great to watch Lewis Pullman be given a role that highlights his talents, and the two brighten up the screen whenever they’re together.”
Pullman has already snagged a couple of key nominations for his performance in this show. He was nominated for Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series at the Independent Spirit Awards and also secured a bid for Best TV Movie/Limited Series Supporting Actor at the Critics Choice Awards.
Sure, he missed out on a Golden Globe bid but the HFPA combine all genres in these catch-all supporting categories. All of the nominees in supporting actor came from shows that would compete in drama (“Succession,” “The Morning Show”) and comedy (“Jury Duty,” “The Bear”) rather than limited series. So Pullman was overlooked at the Globes in favor of performers he won’t be competing against at the Emmys. The Globe miss is, therefore, inconsequential.
In fact, Pullman is currently second in our Emmy odds chart for Best TV Movie/Limited Series Supporting Actor, behind only Robert Downey Jr. (“The Sympathizer”). Our other five predicted nominees here are Jonathan Bailey (“Fellow Travelers”), John Hawkes (“True Detective: Night Country”), Joe Keery (“Fargo”), Treat Williams (“Feud: Capote vs the Swans”), and Hugh Grant (“The Regime”). Pullman is in a great position to secure his first-ever Emmy nomination.
Plus, his profile as an actor — a younger star making waves in big movies and starring in a meaty role in a big TV show — often gets nominated in this category. Recent such nominees include Paul Walter Hauser (“Black Bird”), Will Poulter (“Dopesick”), Anthony Ramos (“Hamilton”), Jonathan Groff (“Hamilton”), and Finn Wittrock (“The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”).
We are also expecting “Lessons in Chemistry” to be a major Emmys player and we are predicting it will pick up nominations for Best Limited Series, Best TV Movie/Limited Series Actress for Larson, and directing and writing bids, too. If the Apple TV+ series snags all of those, Pullman will be taken along for the ride. And deservedly so.
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