Sam Waterston, The Newsroom
Jonathan Banks, Breaking Bad
Bobby Cannavale, Boardwalk Empire (Supporting Actor)
This 2005 guest actor winner (for Will & Grace) and 2012 nominee (for Nurse Jackie) was so scary good as psychotic Gyp Rosetti, we didn't know whether to applaud or run for cover.
Robert Carlyle, Once Upon a Time
Jim Carter, Downton Abbey
Josh Charles, The Good Wife
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Game of Thrones
Michael Cudlitz, Southland (Supporting Actor)
Not only did this (appallingly!) never-nominated veteran actor take home the Critics' Choice Award for his career-best portrayal of troubled Officer John Cooper, he deserved the hell out of it. If there's any justice in Hollywood, his name's already being engraved on this Emmy.
Alan Cumming, The Good Wife
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Noah Emmerich, The Americans
Walton Goggins, Justified
Larry Hagman, Dallas
Freddie Highmore, Bates Motel (Supporting Actor)
Even if we had no other reason to nominate the JV Norman Bates' portrayer -- and we have plenty (kid breaks our hearts weekly!) -- we'd still give him a nod just for the scene in which the future Psycho snaps and channels his controlling mother for the first time.
Mads Mikkelsen, Hannibal
David Morrissey, The Walking Dead
John Noble, Fringe
Mandy Patinkin, Homeland (Supporting Actor)
Though he was snubbed last year, he isn't likely to be overlooked again by Emmy: Saul's storyline was so meaty in Season 2 that his portrayer could just as easily have submitted himself as a lead.
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
Ron Perlman, Sons of Anarchy
Jeff Perry, Scandal (Supporting Actor)
Besides tearing Cyrus' monologues (and, for that matter, his friends!) to shreds, this powerhouse is the only guy on this list who we still rooted for after his character came thisclose to murdering his own husband.
James Purefoy, The Following
John Slattery, Mad Men
Dan Stevens, Downton Abbey
Corey Stoll, House of Cards (Supporting Actor)
As congressman Peter Russo, Stoll was handed -- and superbly handled -- an emotionally turbulent arc, unwittingly manipulated to and fro by Kevin Spacey's powerful politico while wrestling with all manner of demons. Amid a cadre of cold, calculating characters, he was the closest to a warm, beating heart, and certainly one of the few you rooted for.
Sam Waterston, The Newsroom
Jonathan Banks, Breaking Bad
Bobby Cannavale, Boardwalk Empire (Supporting Actor)
This 2005 guest actor winner (for Will & Grace) and 2012 nominee (for Nurse Jackie) was so scary good as psychotic Gyp Rosetti, we didn't know whether to applaud or run for cover.
Robert Carlyle, Once Upon a Time
Jim Carter, Downton Abbey
Josh Charles, The Good Wife
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Game of Thrones
Michael Cudlitz, Southland (Supporting Actor)
Not only did this (appallingly!) never-nominated veteran actor take home the Critics' Choice Award for his career-best portrayal of troubled Officer John Cooper, he deserved the hell out of it. If there's any justice in Hollywood, his name's already being engraved on this Emmy.
Alan Cumming, The Good Wife
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Noah Emmerich, The Americans
Walton Goggins, Justified
Larry Hagman, Dallas
Freddie Highmore, Bates Motel (Supporting Actor)
Even if we had no other reason to nominate the JV Norman Bates' portrayer -- and we have plenty (kid breaks our hearts weekly!) -- we'd still give him a nod just for the scene in which the future Psycho snaps and channels his controlling mother for the first time.
Mads Mikkelsen, Hannibal
David Morrissey, The Walking Dead
John Noble, Fringe
Mandy Patinkin, Homeland (Supporting Actor)
Though he was snubbed last year, he isn't likely to be overlooked again by Emmy: Saul's storyline was so meaty in Season 2 that his portrayer could just as easily have submitted himself as a lead.
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
Ron Perlman, Sons of Anarchy
Jeff Perry, Scandal (Supporting Actor)
Besides tearing Cyrus' monologues (and, for that matter, his friends!) to shreds, this powerhouse is the only guy on this list who we still rooted for after his character came thisclose to murdering his own husband.
James Purefoy, The Following
John Slattery, Mad Men
Dan Stevens, Downton Abbey
Corey Stoll, House of Cards (Supporting Actor)
As congressman Peter Russo, Stoll was handed -- and superbly handled -- an emotionally turbulent arc, unwittingly manipulated to and fro by Kevin Spacey's powerful politico while wrestling with all manner of demons. Amid a cadre of cold, calculating characters, he was the closest to a warm, beating heart, and certainly one of the few you rooted for.
Sam Waterston, The Newsroom
Ironically, death may breathe some new life into this category! With two of last year’s nominees — Breaking Bad‘s Giancarlo Esposito (RIP, Gus) and Mad Men‘s Jared Harris (RIP, Lane) — no longer eligible, a coupla slots have opened up for new contenders. (Or one, if Esposito pulls off a long-shot nod for Revolution.) Maybe this is exactly the confluence of events that Southland’s Michael Cudlitz needs to bring home an Emmy to keep his Critics’ Choice Award company?
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