Here’s who will earn Emmy drama acting nominations

I’m sipping this lager from Eagle Rock Brewery — what is that note? Is that ... why, yes, black sage — feeling pretty proud of myself because I’m learning about native plants while working on a buzz, and I’m starting to think that maybe, just maybe, it’s feasible to live in a water tower. (I said “maybe.”) But then, I actually pay taxes, so that’s probably not within the realm of possibility any time soon.

Also: Voting for Emmy nominations begins Thursday. I’m Glenn Whipp, awards columnist for the Los Angeles Times, host of the Envelope’s Friday newsletter and a disciple of honing my knowledge of the local flora by way of a good beer.

‘The Crown’ to get plenty of royal treatment

“Schitt’s Creek” became the first show to sweep its category’s four acting Emmys since Mike Nichols’ film version of Tony Kushner’s “Angels in America” blew through the limited series acting honors in 2004, netting Emmys for Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, Jeffrey Wright and Mary-Louise Parker. No drama series has ever pulled off that feat, but the ensemble of “The Crown” will give it a run this year, with the show’s stellar women — Emma Corrin and Gillian Anderson — standing as early favorites to hold up their end.

With “Stranger Things,” “Better Call Saul,” “Ozark,” “Killing Eve” and “Succession” sitting this year out, owing to pandemic-related shooting delays, there’s plenty of openings to honor newcomers, restore old favorites and, yes, maybe recognize pretty much anyone who had a speaking role in “The Crown.” I broke down the four drama series acting races in a column this week, paying special attention to Michael K. Williams because I’ll use any opportunity I can find to work “The Wire” into a story — or, as you may have noticed, a photo of “Bridgerton’s” Regé-Jean Page into a newsletter.

Hugh Grant is scaring me a little

Haha, just kidding. Probably. Having spoken with Grant myself, I am amused and just a little bit alarmed at how he goes on about the way he enjoys playing a [SPOILER ALERT] murderer in the HBO limited series “The Undoing.”

Grant was part of the The Envelope’s Drama Roundtable, joining Ethan Hawke, Elisabeth Moss, Anthony Mackie, Emma Corrin and Jurnee Smollett in a conversation that touched on the royal family (there’s no escaping “The Crown”), Marvel’s introduction of a Black Captain America and, because these are actors, narcissism.

Ethan Hawke, Elisabeth Moss, Anthony Mackie, Emma Corrin, Jurnee Smollett and Hugh Grant participated in The Envelope’s Drama Roundtable.

(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times; Taylor Glascock / For The Times; Andrew H. Walker / Shutterstock for SAG Awards; Christina House / Los Angeles Times; Matthew Lloyd / For The Times)

Mandy Moore braces for a final season of ‘This Is Us’

Can you imagine how many tears are going to be shed watching this show come to an end? Watching a regular season of “This Is Us” drains tear ducts to the point where it looks like it rained for 40 days and 40 nights around my television screen. I do not think I can handle what they have planned for a farewell season.

Neither, it turns out, can Mandy Moore, who told The Envelope that she’s “going to have to save all my tears, calibrate all my adrenals, get myself into a stable place before all of that gets wrecked and ruined!” And while I’m not sure how you properly calibrate your adrenals, I believe that the process likely involves heavy consumption of native plants lager, which I will begin to do right now to prepare.

Mandy Moore is gearing up for a final season of “This Is Us.”

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)