Analy grad Cameron Britton of Netflix series 'Mindhunter' nominated for Emmy

Cameron Britton, a 2004 Analy High School graduate, was nominated Thursday for an Emmy Award for best guest actor in a drama series for his recurring role as serial killer Edmund Kemper in the hit Netflix series “Mindhunter.”

“It’s incredible,” Britton, 32, said by phone from Toronto, where he’s filming the new Netflix series “Umbrella Academy.”

The nomination by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences is Britton’s first for a major award, and he said it was welcome, but still a shock.

“It’s my first guest star role as well,” he said. “This is my first time, really, working extensively in film or TV. And so it’s shocking. You hope to do a good job and that’s all. To have it be recognized by the academy and by your peers - the Emmys are voted on by the actors, writers and producers of the industry - is incredibly meaningful.”

That recognition may ultimately mean a wider range of roles to play for Britton who, at 6 feet, 5 inches tall and more than 250 pounds, is an imposing presence on “Mindhunter” as the murderous Kemper.

“Yes, some folks are a little scared when they meet me,” he said with a laugh. “But most of the time, everyone seems to agree that I’m not a whole lot like my character on the show, which I take as a compliment.”

Scripted as a guest role, Britton’s portrayal of Kemper becomes an intense focal point for the 10-episode first season about the beginnings of the FBI’s behavioral science unit in the late 1970s, when law enforcement first began studying serial killers.

Vanity Fair called his performance “terrifically unnerving,” and The AV Club described Britton’s take on the Santa Cruz killer as “one of the most chilling” and delivered with “effortless menace.”

Other actors nominated in the same category include some well-known names - F. Murray Abraham, “Homeland”; Matthew Goode, “The Crown”; Ron Cephas Jones, “This Is Us”; Gerald McRaney, “This Is Us”; and Jimmi Simpson, “Westworld.” Britton is flattered to be in that company.

“F. Murray Abraham is an incredible actor, and has been for a long time.” Britton said. “I’ve been watching him as I grew up.”

A Sebastopol native, Britton graduated from Analy High School in 2004 before moving to Los Angeles. He looks forward to attending the Emmy Award ceremony there on Sept. 17 with his wife, Danielle.

“My wife and I will definitely be putting on our Sunday best for that one,” he said. “It should be a lot of fun. I hear the parties are really fun, too.”

You can reach Staff Writer Dan Taylor at 707-521-5243 or dan.taylor@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter ?@danarts.