2022 Emmy Predictions: Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

When there are as many shows coming on as there are now, Emmy competition is going to be stiff. Every acting category is a race to watch this year and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series is no different. This year’s fight looks to be between actors that have all been in the race before, with only a couple of real newcomers in the mix. 

There are several previous winners competing in this category, including last year’s winner, Brett Goldstein. Goldstein should be considered a lock this year, returning for his performance on Ted Lasso. The winner of the Emmy in this category from 2019, Tony Shalhoub, will also likely be a lock when it comes to getting the nomination. HBO’s Barry is back, which means that the winner of the 2018 Emmy, Henry Winkler, will be formidable as well. Both Ted Lasso and Barry have also had success in getting several nominations in this category for their casts (Jeremy Swift, Nick Mohammed and Brendan Hunt for Ted Lasso; Anthony Carrigan and Stephen Root for Barry), so all of those actors are back in play for this year’s award. 

Previous nominee Brian Tyree Henry has a high probability of getting into the nominations again this year for Atlanta’s third season. His co-star, Lakeith Stanfield, hasn’t received a nomination for his work in the show, but will he be able to break into the race in such a competitive year?  Kenan Thompson and Bowen Yang from Saturday Night Live were both nominated last year and could potentially both find themselves back in the pool of nominees. Hacks has previously been nominated in this category for Carl Clemons-Hopkins’ performance and with even more to do in the second season, they could easily grab enough attention to be back in the race this year. 

Taika Waititi has brought much attention to Our Flag Means Death with his performance as Blackbeard, so the actor can’t be disregarded when it comes to awards possibilities. Brandon Scott Jones has never been nominated for an Emmy, but he was recently recognized by the Critics Choice Awards for his work in the CBS comedy Ghosts. Harvey Guillén has been doing great work in What We Do in the Shadows since its first season, but the series has never received an acting nomination – could that change this year?

My predictions for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series:

1. Brett Goldstein, Ted Lasso (AppleTV+)
2. Henry Winkler, Barry (HBO)
3. Anthony Carrigan, Barry (HBO)
4. Tony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video)
5. Brian Tyree Henry, Atlanta (FX)
6. Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live (NBC)
7. Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Hacks (HBO Max)
8. Kenan Thompson, Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Look out for: Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary (ABC); Brendan Hunt, Ted Lasso (AppleTV+); Brandon Scott Jones, Ghosts (CBS); LaKeith Stanfield, Atlanta (FX); Taika Waititi, Our Flag Means Death (HBO Max)

Photo: Merrick Morton/HBO