Something old, something new, and a lot of competition. The 2022 Lead Actor in a Drama Series category is going to give the Emmys headaches and should prompt those in charge to consider expanding the category from six to 10 nominees. Not only will “Succession”‘s Brian Cox and Jeremy Strong go at it again following Strong’s win in 2020, but they each face a likely new frontrunner: SAG Award winner Lee Jung-jae of “Squid Game.”
“Better Call Saul”‘s Bob Odenkirk and “Ozark”‘s Jason Bateman should also make it, but the other nominee (or two) is basically a pick ’em. You could certainly argue for Adam Scott of “Severance” and previous winner Sterling K. Brown eligible for the final season of “This Is Us.” “Loki” is the most popular and watched Marvel series on Disney+ to date. Does that give Tom Hiddleston a legitimate shot? Can “Yellowstone”‘s newfound guild notoriety propel Kevin Costner to his second Emmy acting nomination? Will enough voters watch “The Man Who Fell To Earth” to catch Chiwetel Ejiofor‘s impressive performance? Will Lakers fans in the Television Academy love John C. Reilly in “Winning Time”? Can Oscar-winner Gary Oldman land his second nomination in 21 years for “Slow Horses”? Or will the popular Netflix series “Bridgerton” or “Lupin” push Jonathan Bailey or Omar Sy, respectively, into the nomination circle? And do any of these contenders somehow knock an expected nominee, such as Cox or Bateman, out of contention? Oh, so much to ponder. [Posted April 25]
Likely
Brian Cox, “Succession”
Jeremy Strong, “Succession”
Lee Jung-jae, “Squid Game”
In the Mix
Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”
Jason Bateman, “Ozark”
Adam Scott, “Severance”
Sterling K. Brown, “This Is Us”
John C. Reilly, “Winning Time”
Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses”
Chiwetel Ejiofor, “The Man Who Fell To Earth”
Tom Hiddleston, “Loki”
Kevin Costner, “Yellowstone”
Longshots
Jonathan Bailey, “Bridgerton”
Lee Min-Ho, “Pachinko”
Omar Sy, “Lupin”
Morgan Spector, “The Gilded Age”
Ewan McGregor, “Obi-Wan Kenobi”
Lee Pace, “Foundation”
Jeremy Renner, “Mayor of Kingstown”
Patrick Stewart, “Star Trek: Picard”
Ken Watanabe, “Tokyo Vice”
Ansel Elgort, “Tokyo Vice”