The Emmy Nominations are announced next week, which will afford us all new opportunities to grouse about the snubs and complain that members from the Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men cast were nominated once again. But an occasional snub is one thing; it's quite another when an incredibly worthy actor is snubbed yearly, often in different roles in different categories on different television shows.
It's not too late for the 10 actors below, but the fact that none of them have been nominated for an Emmy yet in category for any show is absolutely criminal.
John C. McGinley -- For years, McGinley was one of television's lowest profile character actors, but a nine-year stint on Scrubs raised his profile considerably. Not enough, unfortunately, to garner an Emmy Nomination, even as he whiplash transformed from angry rants to deep pathos. The fact that he wasn't nominated for the third season episode, "My Screw Up," is a major award injustice.
Garrett Dillahunt -- Among an incredibly talented Deadwood cast, it might have been easier to overlook Garret Dillahunt's contributions. But just how good was he in Deadwood? He played two different characters -- Jack McCall (Bill Hickock's murderer) and Francis Wolcott -- and barely anyone even noticed it was the same guy. But it wasn't until his brilliant comedic turn on Raising Hope that I understood just flat-out amazing an actor Dillahunt is. It's time Emmy people take notice, too.
Katey Sagal -- Before you do a double take, go ahead. Look it up. Yes, she's won a Golden Globe, but despite 10 years of strong work on Married... with Children and an about-face into drama on Sons of Anarchy, Sagal has never been nominated. Not once. Fewer actresses deserved it more than Sagal for her season-two turn on Sons of Anarchy, as a bad-ass old-lady dealing with the aftermath of a rape.
Donal Logue -- Anyone that's followed Logue's career from his days on MTV through his stint on the short-lived but great Life to the equally short-lived but great Terriers knows how versatile Logue is. He can do great comedy or great drama, and he can do likable or sleaze bag. Right now, he just needs the right show -- particularly one that lasts more than a couple of seasons -- to give him the exposure necessary to attract the necessary attention of Emmy voters.
Paula Malcolmson -- Another Deadwood alum, Malcomson first attracted attention as the foul-mouthed but compassionate prostitute in David Milch's Western. That role put her on the map, which should've -- at the very least -- gotten her enough attention to merit a nomination in the guest star category for her outstanding turn in Sons of Anarchy. To fully appreciate her talents, it may help to see the contrast between her characters and her in real life, as demonstrated in the video below.
Michael Cudlitz -- Though he's bounced around television for over 20 years (most notably Band of Brothers), Cudlitz is not a particularly well known actor. However, anyone who has seen Southland understands why Cudlitz is on this list. In Southland, he's created a truly unique television character: A gay cop whose sexuality is never a question. He's tough as nails, but as he's demonstrated in several episodes that he can absolutely snatch your soul with powerful, tender performances.
John Noble -- I had to triple check to make sure Noble had not been nominated yet because he seems like such a natural Emmy choice. He has gravitas, and he can play goofy. Yet, despite playing the eccentric and soft-hearted Walter in Fringe, as well as the grim Walter-net on the same show, and despite the fact that he's carried more than a few of the show's episodes all by himself, an Emmy nomination has still eluded him. I can only assume that it's because the Emmy voters have a natural bias against sci-fi.
Also, I didn't realize it until just now, but John Noble is also Australian.
Lauren Graham -- Even if you weren't a big fan of Gilmore Girls, it's hard to understand why she was passed by for a nomination all seven years of her run in Gilmore Girls. The Golden Globes loved her. The Television Critics Association adored her. Where were the Emmy voters? She should've merited a nomination based simply on words-per-minute. She's a terrific actress, and what she does best -- as she demonstrated in Gilmore Girls and now in Parenthood is bounce off another actor. Nobody riffs like Lauren, and it's that ability that can help bring a scene alive.
J.K. Simmons -- You can put aside everything else -- over the last 15 years, he's been in scores of television shows. You can put aside his strong big-screen presence in Up in the Air and Juno (to name a few), his turn in The Closer, his recurring role in Law & Order, and his two-episode arc in Party Down. You need only see one performance to know what an injustice it is that J.K. Simmons was never nominated: He was Vern Schillinger in Oz, and that should've been worth at least three Emmys.
Michael K. Williams -- Really, Emmy voters. REALLY? No love for Omar, one of the most dynamic and compelling characters of the last decade? That's just plain ridiculous. In The Wire, he humanized a murdering gangster WHO WAS GAY? That's right up Emmy Alley. They haven't done so yet, but I hope that the Emmy voters atone for this mistake by at least recognizing him for his part in Boardwalk Empire or sneak him in for a nomination under the best guest star category for his work on Community.
![[avatar]](http://p.uproxxcdn.com/photo/4006/thumb)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/03/indeed-150x150.gif)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/02/tumblr_m85wktnSgY1qf20ovo1_500-150x150.jpg)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/01/Screen-Shot-2013-01-23-at-2.06.55-AM-150x150.png)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/01/tumblr_mgvq9fh7zc1rsbda6o1_5001-150x150.jpg)
And yet Charlie Sheen was nominated four fucking times for Two and a Half Laugh Tracks, while Jon Cryer won.
Fuck you, America.
So you’re saying that Charlie Sheen DOESN’T nail playing a drunken degenerate?
Even if my day isn’t the greatest, it’s always made just a little worse when I’m reminded that Terriers is no longer on the air.
Oh man, you’re not going to like the news about Cheers and M*A*S*H, then.
Garrett Dillahunt also played dual characters on Terminator Sarah Conner Chronicles as John Henry (who played Beast Wizard!) and Cromartie.
In a show that often veered into the ridiculous, he was seriously awesome. The scene at the end of the first season at the motel with Johnny Cash in the background is one of my favorites
I never watched the show, but since it went off the air, I’ve seen that scene a dozen times.
Dr. Cox FTW.
Scrubs doesn’t get enough credit for not only being consistently hilarious (well, not the last 2 seasons) while also being able to turn around a deliver a swift emotional kick in the nuts at the end of most of the episodes.
Cried like a bitch to this and the Ben episode.
I’ll add my name to the list of people who cried like a little bitch to the Ben episode.
When Michael K. Williams said “A man’s got to have a code” in Community I squeed. That dude is just straight awesome.
That being said on the Wire he was hardly a supporting character. The male leads were McNulty, String, and Marlo, the supporting characters were Lester, Bunk, Rawls, Avon, Daniels. and Chris. Didn’t really fit in during the Wire for an Emmy…but that was some of the finest work any one has ever done. With The Wire it was really hard to pick out a single performance when there were so many stand outs, Bubs was fantastic and you really can’t picture him as anything but a drug dealer. That was more of a team effort with the actors, the writers, and the producers. That’s a career case right there.
I haven’t watched Boardwalk Empire yet, I keep meaning too but other things get in the way. Hopefully Omar will get his due there.
Emmy voters are soooo biased against sci-fi. I mean, there’s not a lot of Great sci-fi on TV to begin with, but look at how they repeatedly snubbed BSG.
John Noble kills it, though. He’s practically playing two different characters, and multiple versions of them, to boot.
Agreed 100% Patty, the conversation between Walter and Walternate (he played two different characters in the same scene!) was amazing, as are most of his scenes with Peter.
Sci-fi series attract so many fine actors. Maybe Emmy voters can’t spy them out from amongst all the Canadians.
Oh holy shit. The episode where Walter got lost in Chinatown? Made me cry like a little bitch. He should have won for that alone.
Great list man. I don’t really set much store by awards but what you’ve got there are a group of actors who deserve all the appreciation they get and more.
Now I’ll be in a corner imagining season3 of Terriers and the eventual crossover episode with Justified.
Garrett Dillahunt was also on the “short-lived but great Life.”
I agree with all of these. I would also add Anthony Head. Even on a cheesy show like Buffy the Vampire Slayer he managed to stay all British and classy.
Dude, if Anthony Head isn’t winning everything, there’s something wrong.
I realized that Garrett Dillahunt played two different characters and thought it was lazy of HBO to do so, but he did play the shit out of those roles.
The Wire only received two nominations for any of its five seasons: Best writing in a drama series (twice).
Why do people even give a shit about the emmys? It’s clearly not about television as an art form or celebrating anything creative about the medium.
Garrett Dillahunt might be the most booked/overlooked actor in the last few years.
Since 2004, he’s had either starring or major recurring roles in 9 series among them ER and John from Cincinnati, plus the other ones already mentioned. Also supporting roles in The Road, No Country for Old Men, Winter’s Bone, The Last House on the Left, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, plus a dozen other roles in smaller productions.
He’s like the J.K. Simmons of this list… wait, he’s just like J.K. Simmons. He just needs an overplayed hocky insurance commercial to complete the set.
He’s so awesome I added an extra T to his name.
Ever since the Tao of Steve, I’ve kept an eye out for all things Donal Logue.
He’s the best part of Blade hands down. And… now that I think about it… that’s a pun. Why the hell not?
Ray McKinnon has won an Oscar for a short film he produced, but received no nominations for his role as Rev. Smith on Deadwood, or any of the other series that he’s been involved with since. That is criminal.
Not to be all contrarian, but that was a terrible video for showcasing Micheal K Williams as Omar. That was all Wee-bay.
Also, McGinley owned Scrubs.
I don’t think Scrubs is on for more than a season without McGinley. He was the glue that kept that show together. For him to have never even been nominated is a joke.
Donal Logue deserved an Emmy for Knights of Prosperity.
Holy crap, I did not realize that was the same guy in Deadwood playing both parts.
(Also, it’s “Walternate”, as in Walter+Alternate. Small knit-pick, but hey, it’s the internet so that’s what we do, right?)
Now I’m off to mispell my own name, as I did on a form at work this morning.
Didn’t McGinley win the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Point Break?