Emmy Winner Predictions: Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series

Nominees are pictured and listed in alphabetical order. Submitted episode titles are in parentheses. Beware of spoilers for listed episodes.

Dylan Baker as Colin Sweeney, The Good Wife (Bad)
If ever anyone milked a role for all it’s worth, it’s Baker, who guest-starred twice on CBS’ new legal drama as a seemingly remorseless man accused of killing his wife with a penchant for pestering Alicia. He’s up for his first appearance, and if he weren’t in the company of serial killers and villainous ex-Presidents, he might be a frontrunner. In this case, however, wish Baker congratulations on his first Emmy nomination and remember that he deserves to win the next time he gets recognized.

Beau Bridges as Detective George Andrews, The Closer (Make Over)
Bridges was nominated last year for his episode-grounding role as a deceased neighborhood handyman in “Desperate Housewives,” and now he’s got a whole lot more to show off as the cross-dressing former partner of Provenza who throws everyone for a loop when the former George shows up as Georgette. It’s the first non-Kyra nomination for “The Closer,” and should entertain more than a few voters.

Alan Cumming as Eli Gold, The Good Wife (Fleas)
Cumming is a fun choice for this category considering his season-long assistance to Peter and annoyance to everyone else he encountered. He’s nominated for his second appearance on the show in an arc that likely would best be taken all together rather than through only one outing. It’s a somewhat lighter role that probably won’t hold up as well against the more forceful veterans in this category.

Ted Danson as Arthur Frobisher, Damages (The Next One's Gonna Go in Your Throat)
If Danson was going to win, it would have been for the first season of FX’s legal drama. His inclusion now seems nothing more than routine considering he has little to do on the show. In his submitted episode, former cast member Timothy Olyphant returns to executive some long-delayed justice on Danson’s Frobisher, so it is a strong episode. The show has lost much of its buzz, however, and the other cast members (particularly Lily Tomlin) probably have a better shot at winning an award this year.

Gregory Itzin as President Charles Logan, 24 (Day 8: 1pm-2pm)
Itzin was previously nominated when he was a regular cast member of the real-time thriller back in season five. Now, he’s in the guest category for his returning role as the duplicitous, Bauer-hating ex-President of the United States. It’s absolutely a meaty role, and last year, a president from “24” won an Emmy (Cherry Jones in the supporting category). This is the only non-technical nomination for the departing series, which works in Itzin’s favor, and getting abducted and tortured by Jack Bauer in his submitted episode certainly doesn’t hurt his chances either.

John Lithgow as Arthur Mitchell, Dexter (Road Kill)
Lithgow is without question the frontrunner in this race. He won three times out of six nominations for his comedic role in “3rd Rock from the Sun,” and he already picked up a Golden Globe for his season-long performance as serial killer Arthur Mitchell on Showtime’s drama. Appearing in all twelve episodes of the season is definitely a plus, and submitting an episode where he goes ballistic was a smart move. He’s got this one in the bag.

Robert Morse as Bert Cooper, Mad Men (Shut the Door. Have a Seat)
Morse was previously nominated for the first season of AMC’s ad agency series, and he’s got a whopper of a submission this year. In the third season finale, Morse is on the entertaining end of a daring mutiny caper on the part of his central staff to form their own agency. The problem is that Morse doesn’t have as much to do as his costars and won’t necessarily stand out, especially compared to the other men nominated in this category.

Who should win (based on entire season): Lithgow (my ballot)
Who should win (based on individual episodes) : Lithgow
Who will win: Lithgow

Next up: Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series