| Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series | |
|---|---|
 The 2024 recipient: Néstor Carbonell | |
| Awarded for | Outstanding Performance by a Guest Actor in a Drama Series |
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | Academy of Television Arts & Sciences |
| First awarded | 1975 |
| Currently held by | Néstor Carbonell, Shōgun (2024) |
| Website | http://www.emmys.com |
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series is an award presented annually by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It is given in honor of an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a guest starring role on a television drama series for the primetime network season.
The award was first presented at the 27th Primetime Emmy Awards on May 19, 1975, to Patrick McGoohan for his performance on Columbo: By Dawn's Early Light. It has undergone several name changes, originally honoring leading and supporting actors in single appearances on drama and comedy series through 1978. The award was reintroduced at the 38th Primetime Emmy Awards under the name Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series, honoring actors and actresses in guest starring roles on television drama series. In 1989, the category was split into categories for each gender, resulting in the name change to its current title.
Since its inception, the award has been given to 36 actors. Charles S. Dutton, John Lithgow, Ron Cephas Jones and Patrick McGoohan have won the most awards in this category with two each. Michael J. Fox has been nominated for the award on seven occasions, the most within the category.
Winners and nominees
Listed below are the winners of the award for each year, as well as the other nominees.
| Key | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Indicates the winning actor. |
.jpg)
.jpg)
1970s
| Year | Actor | Program | Role | Submitted episode(s) | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 (27th) | |||||
| Patrick McGoohan | Columbo: By Dawn's Early Light | Col. Lyle C. Rumford | "By Dawn's Early Light" | NBC | |
| Lew Ayres | Kung Fu | Beaumont | "The Vanishing Image" | ABC | |
| Harold Gould | Police Story | Andrea Basic | "Fathers and Sons" | NBC | |
| Harry Morgan | M*A*S*H | Maj. Gen. Bartford Hamilton Steele | "The General Flipped at Dawn" | CBS | |
| 1976 (28th) | |||||
| Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series | |||||
| Ed Asner | Rich Man, Poor Man | Axel Jordache | "Parts I" | ABC | |
| Bill Bixby | The Streets of San Francisco | Eric Doyle | "The Police Buff" | ABC | |
| Tony Musante | Medical Story | Dr. Paul Brandon | "The Quality of Mercy" | NBC | |
| Robert Reed | Medical Center | Dr. Pat Caddison | "John Quincy Adams, Diplomat" | CBS | |
| Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama Series | |||||
| Gordon Jackson | Upstairs, Downstairs | Hudson | "The Beastly Hun" | PBS | |
| Bill Bixby | Rich Man, Poor Man | Willie Abbott | "Part VI" | ABC | |
| Roscoe Lee Browne | Barney Miller | Charlie Jeffers | "The Escape Artist" | ||
| Norman Fell | Rich Man, Poor Man | Smitty | "Part V" | ||
| Van Johnson | Marsh Goodwin | "Parts VII" | |||
| 1977 (29th) | |||||
| Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series | |||||
| Louis Gossett Jr. | Roots | Fiddler | "Part IV" | ABC | |
| John Amos | Roots | Toby | "Part V" | ABC | |
| LeVar Burton | Kunta Kinte | "Part I" | |||
| Ben Vereen | "Chicken" George Moore | "Part VI" | |||
| Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama Series | |||||
| Ed Asner | Roots | Capt. Davies | "Part 1" | ABC | |
| Charles Durning | Captains and the Kings | Billy Rice | "Chapter 2" | NBC | |
| Moses Gunn | Roots | Kintango | "Part I" | ABC | |
| Robert Reed | Dr. William Reynolds | "Part V" | |||
| Ralph Waite | Third mate Slater | "Part I" | |||
| 1978 (30th) | |||||
| Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series | |||||
| Barnard Hughes | Lou Grant | Judge Felix Rushman | "Judge" | CBS | |
| David Cassidy | Police Woman | Officer Dan Shay | "A Chance to Live" | NBC | |
| Will Geer | The Love Boat | Franklyn Bootherstone | "The Old Man and the Runaway" | ABC | |
| Judd Hirsch | Rhoda | Mike Andretti | "Rhoda Likes Mike" | CBS | |
| John Rubinstein | Family | Jeff Maitland | "And Baby Makes Three" | ABC | |
| Keenan Wynn | Police Woman | Ben Fletcher | "Good Old Uncle Ben" | NBC | |
| Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama Series | |||||
| Ricardo Montalbán | How the West Was Won | Satangkai | "Part I" | ABC | |
| Will Geer | Eight is Enough | Santa Claus | "Yes, Nicholas... There is a Santa Claus" | ABC | |
| Larry Gelman | Barney Miller | Edward Sellers | "Goodbye, Mr. Fish" | ||
| Harold Gould | Rhoda | Martin Morgenstern | "Happy Anniversary" | CBS | |
| Abe Vigoda | Barney Miller | Det. Phil Fish | "Goodbye, Mr. Fish" | ABC | |
1980s
| Year | Recipient | Program | Role | Submitted episode(s) | Network | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series | ||||||
| 1986 (38th) | ||||||
| John Lithgow | Amazing Stories | John Walters | "The Doll" | NBC | ||
| Whoopi Goldberg | Moonlighting | Camille | "Camille" | ABC | ||
| Edward Herrmann | St. Elsewhere | Father Joseph McCabe | "Time Heals" | NBC | ||
| Peggy McCay | Cagney & Lacey | Mrs. Carruthers | "Mothers and Sons" | CBS | ||
| James Stacy | Ted Peters | "The Gimp" | ||||
| 1987 (39th) | ||||||
| Alfre Woodard | L.A. Law | Adrianne Moore | "Pilot" | NBC | ||
| Steve Allen | St. Elsewhere | Lech Osoranski | "Visiting Daze" | NBC | ||
| Jeanne Cooper | L.A. Law | Gladys Becker | "Fry Me to the Moon" | |||
| Edward Herrmann | St. Elsewhere | Father Joseph McCabe | "Where There's Hope, There's Crosby" | |||
| Jayne Meadows | Olga Osoranski | "Visiting Daze" | ||||
| 1988 (40th) | ||||||
| Shirley Knight | thirtysomething | Ruth Murdock | "The Parents Are Coming" | ABC | ||
| Imogene Coca | Moonlighting | Clara DiPesto | "Los Dos DiPietos" | ABC | ||
| Lainie Kazan | St. Elsewhere | Frieda Fiscus | "The Abby Singer Show" | NBC | ||
| Gwen Verdon | Magnum, P.I. | Catherine Peters | "Infinity And Jelly Doughnuts" | CBS | ||
| Alfre Woodard | St. Elsewhere | Dr. Roxanne Turner | "The Abby Singer Show" | NBC | ||
| Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series | ||||||
| 1989 (41st) | ||||||
| Joe Spano | Midnight Caller | John Saringo | "The Execution Of John Saringo" | NBC | ||
| Peter Boyle | Midnight Caller | J.J. Kilian | "Fathers and Sins" | NBC | ||
| Jack Gilford | thirtysomething | The Old Gentleman | "The Mike Van Dyke Show" | ABC | ||
| Michael Moriarty | The Equalizer | Wayne Virgil | "Starfire" | CBS | ||
| Edward Woodward | The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Drummond | "The Hunted" | USA | ||
1990s
| Year | Actor | Program | Role | Submitted episode(s) | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 (42nd) | |||||
| Patrick McGoohan | Columbo | Oscar Finch | "Agenda for Murder" | ABC | |
| Peter Frechette | thirtysomething | Peter Montefiore | "Strangers" | ABC | |
| Harold Gould | The Ray Bradbury Theatre | The Old Man | "To the Chicago Abyss" | USA | |
| William Hickey | Tales from the Crypt | Carlton Webber | "The Switch" | HBO | |
| Bruce Weitz | Midnight Caller | Sgt. Ed Adderly | "Mercy Me" | NBC | |
| 1991 (43rd) | |||||
| David Opatoshu | Gabriel's Fire | Max Goldstein | "Prayers for the Goldsteins" | ABC | |
| Dabney Coleman | Columbo | Hugh Creighton | "Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star" | ABC | |
| Peter Coyote | Road to Avonlea | Romney Penhallow | "Old Quarrels, Old Love" | Disney | |
| John Glover | L.A. Law | Dr. Paul Kohler | "God Rest Ye Murray Gentleman" | NBC | |
| 1992 (44th) |
Christopher Lloyd | Road to Avonlea | Alistair Dimple | "Another Point of View" | Disney Channel |
| Kirk Douglas | Tales from the Crypt | General Calthrob | "Yellow" | HBO | |
| Richard Kiley | The Ray Bradbury Theater | Doug Spaulding | "The Utterly Perfect Murder" | USA | |
| Harrison Page | Quantum Leap | Reverend Walters | "A Song for the Soul - April 7, 1963" | NBC | |
| Jimmy Smits | L.A. Law | Victor Sifuentes | "Steal It Again, Sam" | ||
| 1993 (45th) | |||||
| Laurence Fishburne | TriBeCa | Martin McHenry | "The Box" | Fox | |
| Adam Arkin | Northern Exposure | Adam | "The Big Feast" | CBS | |
| John Glover | Crime & Punishment | Dennis Atwood | "Best Laid Plans" | NBC | |
| Michael Jeter | Picket Fences | Peter Lebeck | "Frog Man" | CBS | |
| Richard Kiley | Hayden Langston | "Thanksgiving" | |||
| 1994 (46th) | |||||
| Richard Kiley | Picket Fences | Hayden Langston | "Buried Alive" | CBS | |
| Tim Curry | Tales from the Crypt | Mother/Father/Sister/Daughter | "Death of Some Salesman" | HBO | |
| Dan Hedaya | NYPD Blue | Lou the Werewolf | "NYPD Lou" | ABC | |
| James Earl Jones | Picket Fences | Attorney Bryant Thomas | "System Down" | CBS | |
| Robin Williams | Homicide: Life on the Street | Robert Ellison | "Bop Gun" | NBC | |
| 1995 (47th) | |||||
| Paul Winfield | Picket Fences | Judge Harold Nance | "Enemy Lines" | CBS | |
| Milton Berle | Beverly Hills, 90210 | Saul Howard | "Sentenced to Life" | Fox | |
| Beau Bridges | The Outer Limits | Simon Kress | "Sandkings" | Showtime | |
| Vondie Curtis-Hall | ER | Rena | "ER Confidential" | NBC | |
| Alan Rosenberg | Sam Gasner | "Into That Good Night" | |||
| 1996 (48th) | |||||
| Peter Boyle | The X-Files | Clyde Bruckman | "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" | Fox | |
| Danny Glover | Fallen Angels | Philip Marlowe | "Red Wind" | Showtime | |
| Michael Jeter | Chicago Hope | Bob Ryan | "A Coupla Stiffs" | CBS | |
| Richard Pryor | Joe Springer | "Stand" | |||
| Rip Torn | Warren Schutt | "Hello Goodbye" | |||
| 1997 (49th) | |||||
| Pruitt Taylor Vince | Murder One | Clifford Banks | "Diary of a Serial Killer" | ABC | |
| Alan Arkin | Chicago Hope | Zoltan Karpathein | "The Son Also Rises" | CBS | |
| Louis Gossett Jr. | Touched by an Angel | Anderson Walker | "Amazing Grace" | ||
| William H. Macy | ER | Dr. Morgenstern | — | NBC | |
| Ewan McGregor | Duncan Stewart | "The Long Way Around" | |||
| 1998 (50th) | |||||
| John Larroquette | The Practice | Joey Heric | "Betrayal" | ABC | |
| Bruce Davison | Touched by an Angel | Jake | "Elijah" | CBS | |
| Vincent D'Onofrio | Homicide: Life on the Street | John Lange | "Subway" | NBC | |
| Charles Durning | Thomas Finnegan | "Finnegan's Wake" | |||
| Charles Nelson Reilly | Millennium | Jose Chung | "Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense" | Fox | |
| 1999 (51st) | |||||
| Edward Herrmann | The Practice | Atty. Anderson Pearson | — | ABC | |
| Tony Danza | The Practice | Tommy Silva | — | ABC | |
| Charles S. Dutton | Oz | Alvah Case | "The Tip" | HBO | |
| John Heard | The Sopranos | Det. Vin Makazian | "Nobody Knows Anything" | ||
| Mandy Patinkin | Chicago Hope | Dr. Jeffery Geiger | "Curing Cancer" | CBS |
- Christopher Lloyd won in the category of Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his guest appearance on Road to Avonlea.
- Kirk Douglas was nominated in the category of Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his guest appearance on Tales from the Crypt.
- Richard Kiley was nominated in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his guest appearance on The Ray Bradbury Theater, but lost to Richard Dysart, who won for his role on L.A. Law.
- Harrison Page was nominated in the category of Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his guest appearance on Quantum Leap.
- Jimmy Smits was nominated in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his guest appearance on L.A. Law, but lost to his co-star, Richard Dysart.
2000s
2010s
2020s
Performers with multiple wins
- 2 wins
- Charles S. Dutton (consecutive)
- Ron Cephas Jones
- John Lithgow
- Patrick McGoohan
Programs with multiple wins
|
|
Performers with multiple nominations
|
|
Programs with multiple nominations
|
|
|
See also
- TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Drama
- Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series
- Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
- Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
References
- "27th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- "28th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- "28th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- "29th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- "29th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- "30th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- "30th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- "38th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- "39th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- "40th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- "38th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- "42nd Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- "43rd Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- "45th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- "46th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- "47th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- "48th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- "49th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- "50th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- "51st Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- "52nd Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "53rd Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "54th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "55th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "56th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "57th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "58th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "59th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "60th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "61st Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "62nd Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "63rd Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "64th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "65th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "66th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "67th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "68th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 1 October 2016.