Tuesday, September 6, 2022

Emmy Winner Predictions: Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Nominees are listed in alphabetical order. Submitted episode titles are in parentheses. Beware of minor spoilers for listed episodes.
 
Anthony Carrigan as Noho Hank, Barry (forgiving jeff
Carrigan is back for his second nomination after his show took two seasons off, and what a welcome return it is. He’s easily the nicest and most endearing character on his show, and he’s tremendously funny too. While he’s great in the season premiere, I do think he might have a better shot if he had chosen a later episode that gives him some meaty dramatic material too. It’s also hard to see him beating out costar and past winner Henry Winkler, though I would be thrilled. Check out our interview here.

Brett Goldstein as Roy Kent, Ted Lasso (Rainbow
Goldstein is the defending champion, back again for portraying the gruffest and grumbliest member of AFC Richmond as he navigates a new career path and an increasingly serious relationship. There’s little to suggest that Goldstein won’t win again since he’s absolutely terrific in the role and everybody seems to like him a lot. He recently took home prizes from the Critics Choice Association and the Hollywood Critics Association, and I think he’s far ahead of the rest of the pack here.

Toheeb Jimon as Sam Obisanya, Ted Lasso (Do the Right-est Thing
This is Jimoh’s first nomination after a promotion in screentime from season one of his show to season two. It’s great to see Sam explore the meaning behind his participation in the team and sweet to watch him pursue a romance that most people think could never happen. While it’s easy to like Jimoh and many voters are likely to be compelled by his performance, I don’t think he can eclipse his more prominent costar Brett Goldstein.

Nick Mohammed as Nathan Shelley, Ted Lasso (Inverting the Pyramid of Success)
Mohammed is back for his second consecutive nomination. While he’s great both in real life and on the show, I’m honestly a bit surprised since most people I talk to immediately conflate the performer and the performance, too angry at his character’s behavior to appreciate the quality of the actor. Mohammed is a crucial part of his show but I do think that this nomination is his win given the general perception of his character. Check out our interview here and here.

Tony Shalhoub as Abe Weissman, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Everything is Bellmore)
Shalhoub returns to the lineup after previous bids for all three seasons of his show and a win for season two, along with three trophies for his time on “Monk.” Though his show earned considerably fewer nominations than in the past, Shalhoub is as good as ever, particularly in his submitted episode, which finds him making the unfortunate decision to review the production of a family friend. I don’t expect Shalhoub to win this year given his show’s lack of buzz, but he could take this trophy home for the show’s upcoming final season.

Tyler James Williams as Gregory Eddie, Abbott Elementary (Work Family)
This is the first Emmy nomination for Williams, who gets to play the most frequently irritated member of the staff at his show’s title school. While he typically gets lots of chances to roll his eyes at the camera and seem annoyed by every little thing, he takes on a more sentimental part in his submitted episode. His show is definitely popular and seems poised to upset in other categories, but unless it sweeps, I think the chances of Williams winning here are unlikely.

Henry Winkler as Gene Cousineau, Barry (starting now)
Winkler, who had five Emmy nominations for acting between 1976 and 2000, is back after winning for the first season of his show in season one and the next year for season two in 2019. He has a great arc in season three and a particularly astounding role in the season finale, which is his episode submission, but I’m not sure it’s all that humor-laced. But he did win the Hollywood Critics Association prize this past year, which shows that he’s still popular and well-respected, which could lead to another win for the highly-regarded show.

Bowen Yang as Various Characters, Saturday Night Live (Rami Malek / Young Thug )
Yang is back for his second consecutive nomination, this time the lone representative from his show in this category. While he had a standout scene as the iceberg that sank the Titanic last year, he’s just as memorable in this year’s submitted episode. But it’s hard to judge the quality of his performance alongside the actors playing the same roles all season, and the only actor from his show to win this prize in the past was Alec Baldwin. I don’t think his chances are great.

Who should win (based on entire season): Carrigan or Goldstein
Who should win (based on individual episodes): Winkler
Who will win: I’m betting on Goldstein to repeat.

Next up: Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

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