Emmy Winner Predictions: Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

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

Will Arnett as Devin Banks, 30 Rock (Into the Crevasse)
Arnett was nominated for this same role two years ago, when he lost out to more senior “30 Rock” guest star Tim Conway. While he does deliver a hilarious line about revenge being a dish best served cold like pizza, which elicits a fantastic response for Alec Baldwin’s Jack Donaghy, he doesn’t have all that much to do in this repeat performance, and if was going to win, it should have been for the show’s first season, when he wasn’t even nominated.

Jon Hamm as Dr. Drew Baird, 30 Rock (Emmanuelle Goes to Dinosaur Land)
Hamm’s nod comes as somewhat of a surprise considering most expected to see him here for his SNL hosting gig. Instead, it’s a minute reprisal of the role for which he was nominated last year. In an episode littered with old boyfriends, Dr. Baird is easily the funniest and most memorable, and in only a few short minutes should elicit more laughs from voters than all of the other nominees combined. This may be the best way to give the Emmy-less Mad Man an award.

Neil Patrick Harris as Bryan Ryan, Glee (Dream On)
Harris earned his fourth consecutive nod for HIMYM this year as well as recognition for his hosting of the Tony Awards, giving him three nominations this year. His fun-spirited spot on “Glee” as an old chorus nemesis of Will’s may be just the ticket to reward the Emmy-less comedian. It’s definitely the most versatile of all of the performances in this category since he gets to sing, dance, and crack jokes at Will’s expense.

Mike O'Malley as Burt Hummel, Glee (Wheels)
O’Malley isn’t much of a comedic actor in this guest spot, but fans of “Glee” definitely adore his portrayal of gay glee club star Kurt’s supportive dad. This isn’t the episode where he chews Finn out for calling Kurt a derogatory name, but rather the one where Kurt wants to do a “Defying Gravity” solo and Burt sticks up for him. He’s definitely not a comedic choice, but voters may be eager to honor this performer who’s been in a lot of bad shows and finally found a role that works.

Eli Wallach as Bernard Zimberg, Nurse Jackie (Chicken Soup)
Once famous as the “ugly” in the classic spaghetti western “The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly,” Wallach is now 94 years old and still working fairly regularly. He won an Emmy back in 1967 and has received three nominations since then, including one for his appearance on “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” back in 2007. He has little to do nothing to do on “Nurse Jackie” as a dying patient who only wants chicken soup. Old age and the respect he’s incurred may be on his side, but last year, nonagenarian Ernest Borgnine couldn’t beat Michael J. Fox, so don’t count on that too strongly.

Fred Willard as Frank Dunphy, Modern Family (Travels with Scout)
Funnyman Willard was nominated three years in a row in this category for playing a wacky parent on “Everybody Loves Raymond,” and now he’s back in the saddle as Phil Dunphy’s dad. One reason for his inclusion is his dead-on resemblance to actor Ty Burrell, who plays Phil. The show is extremely popular with audiences (and voters, judging by the number of nominations it received), so Willard could get his due for all the years he’s put in filling memorable supporting parts.

Who should win (based on entire season): Harris (my ballot)
Who should win (based on individual episodes) : Hamm
Who will win: Likely Hamm or Harris.