Emmy Predictions: Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

The 64th Primetime Emmy Awards nominations will be announced on Thursday, July 19th. Please refer to my Emmy musings for this category for a detailed analysis of the contenders, and, as always, chime in below in the comments with any thoughts of your own.

Last year’s nominees: Will Arnett (30 Rock), Matt Damon (30 Rock), Idris Elba (The Big C), Zach Galifianakis (Saturday Night Live), Nathan Lane (Modern Family), Justin Timberlake (Modern Family)

The competition: Just one nominee from last year is eligible again, and that’s Will Arnett (30 Rock), who has been nominated three out of the last four years. He may or may not be back. Michael J. Fox (Curb Your Enthusiasm) will likely be a double guest acting nominee this year, earning his first comedy guest nod, and he’ll probably be joined by veterans Victor Garber (The Big C) and Alan Alda (The Big C). Though his USA role on “White Collar” isn’t getting him any traction, Matthew Bomer (Glee) is a lock to earn a nod for his performance as Blaine’s brother, and Jimmy Fallon (Saturday Night Live) seems set to net his first acting nomination for his hosting job. If voters truly endorse the show, Paul Rudd (Parks and Recreation) will earn a nod for his hapless politician, but he’ll face competition from a handful of actors. Greg Kinnear (Modern Family) may be the third consecutive male guest star on ABC’s comedy to earn a nomination for his least funny performance, and two-time nominee (in this category) Jon Hamm (30 Rock) may be back for a brief but hilarious guest spot this year. Two other “30 Rock” actors, Stanley Tucci and James Mardsen, are in the running for one appearance and a whole season’s worth, respectively. Tucci, who won this award in 2007 for “Monk,” has the edge, but this category is wildly unpredictable, especially when it comes to guests on the NBC series. I’m pulling for Richard Schiff (House of Lies), a three-time drama nominee (and one-time winner) for “The West Wing,” to make an appearance here.

The predicted nominees: Alan Alda, Matthew Bomer, Jimmy Fallon, Michael J. Fox, Victor Garber, Paul Rudd

The predicted winner: Bomer

Next up: Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series