Tom Pelphrey has received his first Emmy nomination for best supporting actor in a drama series for HBO’s Task, a role widely regarded as the strongest reception of his screen career. He plays Robbie Prendergrast, a grieving single father in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, whose efforts to rob the biker gang he blames for his brother’s murder bring him into conflict with both the gang and an FBI task force led by Mark Ruffalo.

Pelphrey, 44, said he immediately connected with the character after reading the first two scripts, much as he had with his earlier role in Ozark. He described Robbie’s distinctive Delco accent as the aspect that most worried him, saying an inaccurate performance would undermine everything else; he worked extensively with accent coach Susanne Sulby, online material and local people to get it right. The Emmy category includes former winners such as Billy Crudup and several first-time nominees, including Pelphrey.