2023 Emmy Predictions: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
We will update this article throughout the season, along with all our predictions, so make sure to keep checking IndieWire for the latest news from the 2023 Emmys race. The nomination round of voting takes place from June 15 to June 26, with the official Emmy nominations announced Wednesday, July 12. The Creative Arts Emmy Awards will be presented over two consecutive nights on Saturday, September 9 and Sunday, September 10, with an edited presentation of the ceremonies to be broadcast on FXX at a later date. Finally, the 75th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards take place on Monday, September 18, and air live on FOX at 8:00 p.m. ET/ 5:00 p.m. PT.
The State of the Race
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series is one where predictions will easily change between now and Emmy nominations, and that is mostly because of “Ted Lasso.” Apple TV+’s hit sports comedy completely took over this category in its debut season, scoring half the nominations slots. Then last year, the show got three nominations with a new lineup. The only returnees we can probably count on are Brett Goldstein, who was the ultimate winner two years in a row, and Nick Mohammed, the only other cast member that was nominated twice, and currently has a standout arc as the antagonist of the final season.
However, “Ted Lasso” being absent from the recent winter awards season made room for “Abbott Elementary” star Tyler James Williams to win a Golden Globe, and the show has gone on to win even more. The ABC workplace sitcom already won three Emmys for its debut season, and is on pace to win even more, so co-stars Chris Perfetti and William Stanford Davis also have a better chance of making the cut this time.
“Barry” star Henry Winkler also earned his second Critics Choice Award this year, having not been up against any “Ted Lasso” stars. The veteran TV actor won this Emmy category in 2018 for the first season of the pitch-black HBO comedy, and is likely to get a boost from it being another show ending this year. Same goes for his co-stars Anthony Carrigan and Stephen Root. Though the latter was not nominated last year, previews of the new “Barry” season suggest he plays a bigger role in the series’ final episodes.
Two more prospective nominees to point out that are up for the final seasons of their shows are “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” star Tony Shaloub, who won this Emmy category in 2019 for his performance as the irascible Abe Weissman on the Amazon Prime Video hit, and “Atlanta” star Brian Tyree Henry, who has been nominated for the FX series once before, and has had a spotlight on him recently as a 2023 Oscar nominee.
“Saturday Night Live” stars Bowen Yang and Kenan Thompson are also reliable bets for a nomination here, with the former making it in the last two years, and the latter having five Emmy nominations under his belt, plus a successful night hosting it last year. Support has also been bubbling up for Harvey Guillén (“What We Do in the Shadows”) and Ebon Moss-Bacharach (“The Bear”) in the past year, neither having ever been nominated for an Emmy, but of course, the newcomer most likely to grab the TV Academy’s attention the most is “Shrinking” star Harrison Ford, who also happens to currently be a Lead Actor in a Drama contender as well for role in “1923” on Paramount+. Funnily enough, the Apple TV+ series is a comedy co-created by Goldstein.
Current Contenders (In Alphabetical Order):
Anthony Carrigan, “Barry” (HBO)
William Stanford Davis, “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
Harrison Ford, “Shrinking” (Apple TV+)
Brett Goldstein, “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV+)
Harvey Guillén, “What We Do in the Shadows” (FX)
Brian Tyree Henry, “Atlanta” (FX)
Nick Mohammed, “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV+)
Ebon Moss-Bacharach, “The Bear” (Hulu)
Chris Perfetti, “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
Stephen Root, “Barry” (HBO)
Tony Shaloub, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Amazon Prime Video)
Kenan Thompson, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
Tyler James Williams, “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
Henry Winkler, “Barry” (HBO)
Bowen Yang, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
More Comedy Category Predictions:
Outstanding Comedy Series
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
To see IndieWire’s full set of predictions for the 75th Emmy Awards click here.
Last Year’s Winner: Brett Goldstein, “Ted Lasso”
Still Eligible: Yes.
Hot Streak: A third consecutive Emmy win for Goldstein would put him in the Emmy history books next to “The Andy Griffith Show” star Don Knotts and “Entourage” Jeremy Piven, the only two actors to achieve that same feat playing one specific role. However, the “Ted Lasso” star will not have a chance to break “Night Court” star John Larroquette’s record of four consecutive wins, as the Apple TV+ comedy is reportedly set to end this year with Season 3.
Notable Ineligible Series: Carl Clemons-Hopkins and Paul W. Downs, “Hacks” (Season 3 was not eligible)