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 minor spoilers for listed episodes.

Dan Bucatinsky as James Novak, Scandal (Nobody Likes Babies)
Bucatinsky is actually a two-time Emmy nominee thanks to his producing credits on “Who Do You Think You Are?” and “Web Therapy,” both last year. Now, he’s an odd but interesting choice in this race, recognized for his recurring role as Cyrus’ husband, who in his submitted episode is subpoenad to testify against Cyrus. He sure ignites a lot of passion into his portrayal, but I doubt he’ll be able to win given that he’s not necessarily the showiest actor of the hour or the most well-known actor in this category.

Michael J. Fox as Louis Canning, The Good Wife (Boom De Yah Da)
This is Fox’s third consecutive nomination for this part, yet he still hasn’t won, losing to Jeremy Davies last year and Paul McCrane the year before that. He does have five Emmys to his name, so he shouldn’t be underestimated. His submitted episode introduces his unexpectedly kindhearted wife, and affords him the opportunity to work in close quarters with his friendly nemesis Alicia again. It’s as good as ever, and Fox is now a familiar face on the show.

Rupert Friend as Peter Quinn, Homeland (Q and A)
The Showtime thriller followed up on its successful first year of nine nominations with eleven this year, and Friend is one of the five actors nominated, for his committed turn as a mysterious new agent assigned to work with Carrie. His submitted episode is also the choice of the show’s two stars, and there’s nothing quite like stabbing a man in the hand to make an impression. Given the actors who have won this category in past years, I wouldn’t be surprised if Friend was the winner.

Harry Hamlin as Jim Cutler, Mad Men (A Tale of Two Cities)
Despite being nominated for a Golden Globe three years in a row for his role on “L.A. Law,” this is Hamlin’s first shot at an Emmy. I wrote in my review of his submitted episode that this was a great showcase for him, since it allows him to interact with new characters and demonstrate his viewpoints. It’s still hard to argue with the fact that no “Mad Men” actor has won an Emmy yet, but maybe Hamlin could change that.

Nathan Lane as Clarke Hayden, The Good Wife (I Fought the Law)
Lane now has five career Emmy nominations, including a bid in the comedy guest acting category this year. This is his first time being nominated for a dramatic guest stint. He picked the season premiere, which introduces his character rather than one that already features him as an established player, but I did remark that he was particularly excellent in a scene with Zach Grenier’s David Lee. He could easily win since he’s a talented actor with a clear penchant for diversity of roles.

Robert Morse as Bertram Cooper, Mad Men (For Immediate Release)
Morse is a sporadic returning nominee, recognized for the first, third, fourth, and now sixth season of his show. He won an Emmy back in 1993 for his work on “American Playhouse.” This year, he chose an episode that puts his character in a tough situation, forced to consider financial realities and burdened with the duty to inform others about it. No actor from his show has ever won an Emmy, and I’d be perplexed to find out that he was the one to break that streak this year.

Who should win (based on entire season): N/A
Who will win (based on individual episodes): Hamlin, Friend, or Lane
Who will win: I’d say Friend or Hamlin, but I think it will be Bucatinsky because it’s the kind of choice that voters have gone for in the past.