The Nominees Ranked By Which Actor Should Win:
- Ted Danson for NBC's The Good Place - "Dance Dance Resolution"
- Bill Hader for HBO's Barry - "Chapter Seven: Loud, Fast and Keep Going"
- Donald Glover for FX's Atlanta - "Teddy Perkins"
- Anthony Anderson for ABC's Black-ish - "Advance to Go (Collect $200)"
- Larry David for HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm - "Fatwa!"
- William H. Macy for Showtime's Shameless - "Sleepwalking"
Donald Glover is absolutely deserving to win in this category again. Atlanta is so inventive in so many brilliant and surprising ways. However, I have ranked Bill Hader and Ted Danson above him in this race simply because they are equally deserving and I want to spread the love around. This is one of the most charismatic and phenomenal performances that Danson has ever delivered. Meanwhile, Hader got to carry himself as a true dramatic lead in a very strange and off-kilter world. Elsewhere, it's a little surprising that Anthony Anderson opted for a bottle episode of Black-ish that is broadly funny instead of an episode from the serialized separation arc at the end of the season. That would have been more of a dramatic showcase. And yet, this category isn't decided by which actor is the funniest. It's the best acting in a comedic series. And finally, it's still so disappointing that William H. Macy is the only performer constantly recognized for Shameless. He's not even the best part of the show. He's just the name actor. He has had good stories over the years too. In fact, his story at the start of the season was compelling. But his episode submission comes from later on when it pivoted to a more conventional and lame story.
The Nominees Ranked by Which Actor Will Win:
- Donald Glover for FX's Atlanta - "Teddy Perkins"
- Bill Hader for HBO's Barry - "Chapter Seven: Loud, Fast and Keep Going"
- Ted Danson for NBC's The Good Place - "Dance Dance Resolution"
- Anthony Anderson for ABC's Black-ish - "Advance to Go (Collect $200)"
- William H. Macy for Showtime's Shameless - "Sleepwalking"
- Larry David for HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm - "Fatwa!"
This category is starting to formulate a strong list of perennial bridesmaids. Larry David has been nominated six times with no wins. Macy has been nominated five times with no wins. And Anderson has been nominated four times with no wins. As such, the narrative is starting to formulate that maybe they will never actually win in this category. It's just nice that they keep getting nominations. They are favorites of the voters but aren't loved enough to actually lead to a victory. That's disappointing for some. And yet, one can really blame the voters for ultimately rewarding the newer talent in the category who are starring in more inventive and original shows. Danson has gotten more nominations in this category than any other performer. He was nominated for all eleven seasons of Cheers and actually won twice. As such, he is a serious threat in this race - even though Cheers is the only show he has won Emmys for. Meanwhile, Donald Glover is the reigning champion in this category. That means he is probably the contender to beat. Of course, I have to worry about "Teddy Perkins" possibly being the wrong episode submission for him. It's a mesmerizing performance. It's just one that's covered in a bunch of prosthetic make-up. That means that Hader could steal the victory for a performance that is so unlike what the voters know from him because of Saturday Night Live. Going against type can also be a strong Emmy winning strategy. And so, there are a couple directions this prize could go in.
What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with my predictions? Let me know in the comments below!
