2019 Emmys: Who will join Bill Hader in the Emmy lineup for Best Comedy Actor?

Unlike the dragon scorched wasteland that is the Drama acting races, the comedy field is filled to the brim with possible nominees and potential winners with only last year’s Best Comedy Actor winner Bill Hader (Barry) a sure thing for a nomination. 

Also attempting a return: Anthony Anderson (Black-ish); Ted Danson (The Good Place) and William H. Macy (Shameless). Both Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm) and Donald Glover (Atlanta) are sitting this season out. With two open slots and a dozen plus competitors who will make the lineup of six?

Let’s take a look at who could join Hader in the Best Comedy Actor lineup.

The Possible Returnees

• Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
• Ted Danson, The Good Place
• William H. Macy, Shameless

Each has a big problem to overcome—none received a SAG Award nomination. Macy is a three-time SAG winner but was snubbed for the first time since Shameless moved from Drama to Comedy. Plus, it’s hard to know if the recent college admissions scandal involving his wife, Emmy winner Felicity Huffman, will have a direct or an indirect impact on him when voters see his name on the ballot. With previous two consecutive nominations Anderson may be in danger of being snubbed for the first time. It’s shocking that after his surprise Emmy nomination last year, Danson was snubbed at both the SAG Awards and Golden Globes.

The Heavy Weights

• Jim Carrey, Kidding
• Sacha Baron Cohen, Who Is America?
• Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method

Douglas is all but assured a nomination after winning the Golden Globe and receiving a SAG Award nomination earlier in the year. Both Carey and Cohen scored Globe nominations for their respective Showtime series and each could score a nomination. 

The Possible Returnees 

• Don Cheadle, Black Monday
• Ricky Gervais, After Life

Cheadle received four consecutive Best Comedy Actor nominations for his last Showtime series House of Lies but with other big names in the race he might be snubbed for his latest series. Gervais is one to not underestimate—a past winner for Extras, and he received another nomination for his short-lived Netflix series Derek. The creator of The Office is a Television Academy favorite and calling After Life  a dramedy isn’t exactly accurate as it teeters more towards depressing as Gervais’s character deals with the death of his wife.

One Last Time?

Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Parsons has received six consecutive nominations winning four Best Comedy Actor prizes. But after his fourth win in 2014 he’s been snubbed every year. With The Big Bang Theory coming to an end the voters may give one of their past favorites a goodbye nomination.

The Cult Favorite

Eugene Levy, Schitt’s Creek

Schitt’s Creek has amassed cult-status thanks to the show being available to stream on Netflix. Its unclear if Pop Network can mount a competitive campaign. If they’re able to get the television academy’s attention this could help out comedy legend Eugene Levy.

My Preliminary Predictions 

• Jim Carrey, Kidding
• Ted Danson, The Good Place
• Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
• Ricky Gervais, After Life
• Bill Hader, Barry
• Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

2019 Emmys: Who will make the ultra-competitive Best Comedy Actress lineup?