2024 Emmys Guest Actor/Actress Predictions

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.

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2024 Emmy Predictions:
Outstanding Guest Actor/Actress in a Drama/Comedy Series

Weekly Commentary (Updated: May 23, 2024): The competition in the guest comedy actress category is fierce. Jamie Lee Curtis and Sarah Paulson are early favorites for “The Bear,” with multiple members from HBO/Max’s “Hacks” — Kaitlin Olson and J. Smith Cameron — who could be dark horses. Despite a robust list of names, this season’s female “SNL” hosts are in a stronger overall position than their male counterparts.

Rudolph, who won back-to-back trophies in 2020 and 2021, is currently the third most-nominated person in the category’s history with six nominations, behind Cloris Leachman’s eight and Tina Fey’s nine. In addition to her work in the second season of Apple’s comedy “Loot,” she could be on her way to multiple mentions, along with Wiig, starring in Apple’s “Palm Royale.” But Wiig has never won despite her nine Emmy nods.

Regarding “The Bear” and the infamous episode “Fishes,” it dishes out a heated Christmas dinner flashback of the Berzatto family. Directed by Christopher Storer, who also co-wrote the episode with Joanna Calo, Fishes” may be a goldmine for nominations, showcasing talents like John Mulaney, Sarah Paulson, Bob Odenkirk, Gillian Jacobs, Chris Witaske, Jamie Lee Curtis and Jon Bernthal.

Curtis, riding high two years after her Oscar win for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” is the undisputed frontrunner in the guest comedy actress race, eyeing what could be her second career Emmy nod that could bring her halfway to EGOT status (I can’t wait for a potential spoken word album).

Also in the Emmy race are recurring characters like Robert Townsend, who lights up the screen as Sydney’s supportive father, Emmanuel. After five decades in Hollywood, his sentimental turn across four episodes could earn him the first Emmy nod of his career, especially if TV Academy members are going all-in on “Bear.” Meanwhile, Emmy nominee Will Poulter (“Dopesick”) also makes a strong impression in “Honeydew” as Luca, a dessert chef mentoring Marcus, who could slip into the fray.

In the drama field, there’s more uncertainty. “The Morning Show” has a handful of candidates, with Marcia Gay Harden likely being the best shot for anyone.

Emmy submissions are due Thursday, May 9. The eligibility deadline for all series concluding their runs is May 31. The nominations-voting-round is open from June 13 to June 24.

Read: All Primetime Emmy predictions in every category on Variety’s Awards Circuit.

Guest Actor (Comedy)

And the Predicted Nominees Are

Guest Actress (Comedy)

And the Predicted Nominees Are

Guest Actor (Drama)

And the Predicted Nominees Are

Guest Actress (Drama)

And the Predicted Nominees Are

Eligible Performers (Guest Acting)

**The list below is incomplete and has been confirmed as officially submitted. All information is subject to change. Grouped by the network that airs each series.

Guest Actor (Drama)

• John Goodman — “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” (Apple TV+)

• Freddy Fox — “Slow Horses” (Apple TV+)

• Jonathan Pryce — “Slow Horses” (Apple TV+)

• Jesse Tyler Ferguson — “Elsbeth” (CBS)

• Arian Moayed — “Elsbeth” (CBS)

• Blair Underwood — “Elsbeth” (CBS)

• Paul Sun-Hyung Lee — “Ahsoka” (Disney+)

• Lars Mikkelsen — “Ahsoka” (Disney+)

• Evan Whitten — “Ahsoka” (Disney+)

• Walton Goggins — “Justified: City Primeval” (FX)

• Néstor Carbonell — “Shōgun” (FX)

• Michael Braugher — “The Gilded Age” (Max)

• Darren Goldstein — “The Gilded Age” (Max)

• Danny Burstein — “Tokyo Vice” (Max)

• Rob Morgan — “Winning Time: Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” (Max)

• John Bradley — “3 Body Problem” (Netflix)

• Simon Callow — “The Witcher” (Netflix)

• Morgan Freeman — “Special Ops: Lioness” (Paramount+)

• Bruce McGill — “Special Ops: Lioness” (Paramount+)

• David Cronenberg — “Star Trek: Discovery” (Paramount+)

• Michael Emerson — “Fallout” (Prime Video)

• Kyle MacLachlan — “Fallout” (Prime Video)

• Billy Campbell — “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” (Prime Video)

• Paul Dano — “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” (Prime Video)

• Wagner Moura — “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” (Prime Video)

• Ron Perlman — “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” (Prime Video)

• John Turturro — “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” (Prime Video)

• Corbin Bernsen — “The Curse” (Showtime)

• Vincent Pastore — “The Curse” (Showtime)

Guest Actress (Drama)

• Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer — “9-1-1” (ABC)

• Alexis Louder — “The Changeling” (Apple TV+)

• Sasha Alexander — “The Morning Show” (Apple TV+)

• Lindsay Duncan — “The Morning Show” (Apple TV+)

• Marcia Gay Harden — “The Morning Show” (Apple TV+)

• Natalie Morales — “The Morning Show” (Apple TV+)

• Elizabeth Perkins — “The Morning Show” (Apple TV+)

• Glenn Close — “The New Look” (Apple TV+)

• Rashida Jones — “Silo” (Apple TV+)

• Laura Benanti — “Elsbeth” (CBS)

• Jane Krakowski — “Elsbeth” (CBS)

• Linda Lavin — “Elsbeth” (CBS)

• Ariana Greenblatt — “Ahsoka” (Disney+)

• Genevieve O’Reilly — “Ahsoka” (Disney+)

• Yûko Miyamoto — “Shōgun” (FX)

• Laura Benanti — “The Gilded Age” (Max)

• Melanie Nicholls King — “The Gilded Age” (Max)

• Zine Tseng — “3 Body Problem” (Netflix)

• Arden Cho — “Avatar: The Last Airbender” (Netflix)

• Claire Foy — “The Crown” (Netflix)

• Liz Carr — “The Witcher” (Netflix)

• Jennifer Ehle — “Special Ops: Lioness” (Paramount+)

• Tig Notaro — “Star Trek: Discovery” (Paramount+)

• Dale Dickey — “Fallout” (Prime Video)

• Michaela Coel — “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” (Prime Video)

• Beverly Glover — “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” (Prime Video)

• Sharon Horgan — “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” (Prime Video)

• Sarah Paulson — “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” (Prime Video)

• Parker Posey — “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” (Prime Video)

• Dahabo Ahmed — “The Curse” (Showtime)

• Rachael Ray — “The Curse” (Showtime)

• Constance Shulman — “The Curse” (Showtime)

Guest Actor (Comedy)

• Bradley Cooper — “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)

• Keegan-Michael Key — “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)

• Adam Scott — “Loot” (Apple TV+)

• Bruce Dern — “Palm Royale” (Apple TV+)

• Merrick McCartha — “Act Your Age” (BET+)

• Troy Iwata — “The Daily Show” (Comedy Central)

• Josh Johnson — “The Daily Show” (Comedy Central)

• Jon Bernthal — “The Bear” (FX)

• John Mulaney — “The Bear” (FX)

• Bob Odenkirk — “The Bear” (FX)

• Will Poulter — “The Bear” (FX)

• Robert Townsend — “The Bear” (FX)

• Graham Greene — “Reservation Dogs” (FX)

• Ethan Hawke — “Reservation Dogs” (FX)

• Zahn McClarnon — “Reservation Dogs” (FX)

• Peter Bartlett — “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)

• Matthew Broderick — “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)

• Rob Corddry — “Bookie” (Max)

• Wayne Knight — “Bookie” (Max)

• Steve Buscemi — “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (Max)

• Ted Danson — “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (Max)

• Saverio Guerra — “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (Max)

• Sean Hayes — “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (Max)

• Greg Kinnear — “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (Max)

• Conan O’Brien — “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (Max)

• Jerry Seinfeld — “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (Max)

• Bruce Springsteen — “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (Max)

• Vince Vaughn — “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (Max)

• Tony Goldwyn — “Hacks” (Max)

• Christopher McDonald — “Hacks” (Max)

• Max Beesley — “The Gentlemen” (Netflix)

• Guz Khan — “The Gentlemen” (Netflix)

• Rob Canada — “Girls5eva” (Netflix)

• Thomas Doherty — “Girls5eva” (Netflix)

• John Early — “Girls5eva” (Netflix)

• Richard Kind — “Girls5eva” (Netflix)

• Sendhil Ramamurthy — “Never Have I Ever” (Netflix)

• Lamont Thompson — “The Upshaws” (Netflix)

• Ryan Gosling — “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

• Jake Gyllenhaal — “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

• Ramy Youssef — “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

• Elijah Wood — “I’m a Virgo” (Prime Video)

Guest Actress (Comedy)

• Estelle Parsons — “The Conners” (ABC)

• Lidia Porto — “Not Dead Yet” (ABC)

• Whitney Cummings — “Physical” (Apple TV+)

• Phylicia Rashad — “Diarra from Detriot” (BET+)

• Octavia Spencer — “Young Sheldon” (CBS)

• Grace Kuhlenschmidt — “The Daily Show” (Comedy Central)

• Olivia Colman — “The Bear” (FX)

• Jamie Lee Curtis — “The Bear” (FX)

• Gillian Jacobs — “The Bear” (FX)

• Sarah Paulson — “The Bear” (FX)

• Lily Gladstone — “Reservation Dogs” (FX)

• Jane Lynch — “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)

• Andrea Martin — “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)

• Da’Vine Joy Randolph — “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)

• Allison Janney — “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (Max)

• Ellia English — “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (Max)

• Sanaa Lathan — “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (Max)

• Sienna Miller — “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (Max)

• Keyla Monterroso Mejia — “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (Max)

• Stephanie Styles — “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (Max)

• Stockard Channing — “Hacks” (Max)

• J. Smith Cameron — “Hacks” (Max)

• Christina Hendricks — “Hacks” (Max)

• Helen Hunt — “Hacks” (Max)

• Kaitlin Olson — “Hacks” (Max)

• Hannah Einbinder — “Julia” (Max)

• Judith Light — “Julia” (Max)

• Marsha Warfield — “Night Court” (NBC)

• Catherine Cohen — “Girls5eva” (Netflix)

• Adriane Lenox — “Girls5eva” (Netflix)

• Ingrid Michaelson — “Girls5eva” (Netflix)

• Niecy Nash-Betts — “Never Have I Ever” (Netflix)

• Gabrielle Dennis — “The Upshaws” (Netflix)

• Marsha Warfield — “The Upshaws” (Netflix)

• Ayo Edebiri — “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

• Kate McKinnon — “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

• Maya Rudolph — “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

• Emma Stone — “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

• Kristen Wiig — “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

• Peri Gilpin — “Frasier” (Paramount+)

• Bebe Neuwirth — “Frasier” (Paramount+)

• Judith Light — “Shining Vale” (Starz)

More Information (Guest Acting)

2023 category winners:
Guest Comedy Actor: Sam Richardson – “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV+)
Guest Comedy Actress: Judith Light — “Poker Face” (Peacock)
Guest Drama Actor: Nick Offerman — “The Last of Us” (HBO)
Guest Drama Actress: Storm Reid — “The Last of Us” (HBO)

2024 Emmy Awards Calendar and Timeline (all dates are subject to change)

• Eligibility period: June 1, 2023 – May 31, 2024

• Feb. 29: Submissions open

• May 9: Deadline for programs identifying as Primetime programming to upload all entry materials.

• June 13: Nominations-round voting begins

• June 24: Nominations-round voting ends at 10:00 p.m. PT

• June 28 – July 8: Voting for peer group-specific top ten rounds panels (if applicable)

• July 17: Primetime Emmy nominations are announced.

• July 24: Deadline for errors and omissions to the nominations.

• August 5: Find-round videos available for viewing.

• August 15: Final-round voting begins.

• August 26: Final-round voting ends at 10:00 p.m. PST.

• Sept. 7-8: Creative Arts Emmy Awards and Governors Gala

• Sunday, Sept. 15: 76th Primetime Emmy Awards to air on ABC.

Emmy Prediction Categories

About the Primetime Emmy Awards

The Primetime Emmy Awards, commonly known as the Emmys, are awarded by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). Established in 1949, these celebrate outstanding achievements in American primetime television. The Emmys are categorized into three divisions: the Primetime Emmy Awards for performance and production excellence; the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, recognizing achievements in artistry and craftsmanship; and the Primetime Engineering Emmy Awards, which honor significant engineering and technological advancements. The eligibility period typically extends from June 1 to May 31 each year. The Television Academy hosts the Emmys and has over 20,000 members across 30 professional peer groups, including performers, directors, producers, art directors, artisans and executives.

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