The Strange History of Iconic TV Characters That Never Won Emmys.
Thursday, July 27, 2023 at 11:07AM by Eric Blume
It seems inconceivable that Brian Cox will not win an Emmy for his towering, iconic performance as Logan Roy, the heart and soul (relatively speaking) of one of television’s all-time greatest shows, Succession. And yet, it appears he will not! Cox only has a handful of episodes, far less a cumulative punch than his fellow nominees for Best Actor in Drama Series. He simply didn’t have enough screen time in this final season to pull through with a victory. If Kieran Culkin and Sarah Snook win the lead Emmys (which I strongly believe they will), that means that all of Cox’s key co-stars will walk away from the series with the industry’s highest honor, while its central figure will go unrewarded. It’s a great example of the randomness and silliness of awards shows. It's not that his co-stars didn't absolutely deserve it, but it's crazy that the mighty Cox will go Emmyless.
Still, he’s in good company. After the jump let's look at a few other actors who created truly quintessential characters on major shows, but despite many nominations, never won the elusive Emmy for their creation...
Steve Carell nabbed six nominations for Best Actor in a Comedy for his inspired work on The Office. The entire show is unthinkable without him at the helm, as he brought cringe comedy to glorious heights through multiple seasons, and set the breezy, weird improvisational tone for all the other actors. Those four Emmys for Jim Parsons always looked dubious, but considering two of those wins were during Carell’s final years, when they had a good chance to reward him, it’s particularly jarring years later.
Michael C. Hall created one of TV’s most original, fascinating character with Dexter, and he received five nominations for Best Actor in a Drama. Unfortunately, three of those were against Bryan Cranston at the height of Breaking Bad, and Hall just never quite broke through. Hall found a beautiful perversity in Dexter, giving the character a crisp comic edge many actors wouldn’t have found, and a not-quite-human humanity that was incredibly compelling.
While her fellow Sex and the City co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Cynthia Nixon grabbed their Emmys, Kim Cattrall went through five nominations without ever scoring. Cattrall’s Samantha was a sparkling comic creation, and she was surely the funniest of the actresses on the show. Her contribution to the original series seems even grander when considering her absence in the execrable And Just Like That (where the acting is almost unbelievably bad). Doris Roberts beat Cattrall three times, which seems absurd in retrospect!
Another five-time iconic nominee is Lena Headey, whose work as Cersei Lannister across all seasons of Game of Thrones, was chilling AF. Headey found all sorts of interesting beats for this cruel monster, making her character far more complex and dynamic than she could have been, and always bringing a tangy human edge to the series. She deserved to win somewhere in there, maybe Julia Garner’s first of her three…
A personal favorite iconic character is Jane Krakowski’s Jenna Maroney from 30 Rock. Krakowski nabbed four nominations (too few!), and it’s basically a crime against comedy that she did not win at least one Emmy for this peerless creation. Few people can detonate a line like Krakowski did episode after episode here, finding endless variations on recurring jokes and runs. Every time she sang, it was funny…not just the material, but how she sang it. She scored with slapstick physical comedy, juicy wordplay, as the source of the joke, and with reckless abandon. Krakowski’s work as Jenna is true comic genius.
And a final note for the ladies of Mad Men, Elisabeth Moss and Christina Hendricks, who each received six nominations yet no wins for the all-time great characters of Peggy and Joan. These two actresses dazzled every single episode in ways that continually surprised. And that show’s matchless leading man, Jon Hamm, who created one of the medium’s most iconic leading characters with Don Draper, almost went Emmy-less himself, winning Best Actor in a Drama only on his seventh and final nomination!
There are other actors who weren’t able to break through with Emmy either. I could easily have also paid tribute to Martin Sheen, Jason Alexander, Amy Poehler, or going back a bit, Angela Lansbury. Do you have any other favorites, with multiple nominations and completely original characters, that you mourn as well?
Reader Comments (19)
As soon as I saw the title of the article, I immediately thought about Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman on PARKS & REC. Though of course the latter never even got a nomination.
And speaking of those that didn't even sniff a nomination... there's the full snubbing of anything from the WB -- Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy), Kirsten Bell (Veronica Mars), Keri Russell (Felicity), Lauren Graham & Alexis Bledel (Gilmore Girls). Insanity.
But yes Moss/Hendricks never winning for MAD MEN is... maddening.
The fact Nick Offerman was never even nominated for Ron Swanson is beyond baffling. Both him and Aubrey Plaza getting their first nominations (for acting) this year is a nice treat, though.
Jane Krakowski never winning is also my #1 complaint. How she wasn't even nominated for Guest Actress in Comedy this year for Schmigadoon is madness - she is easily better than all the nominees (which, strangely I've all seen).
The reason why most actors lost is because, in the older Emmy days, voters had to sign an affidavit that they watched an actor's submitted episode. Typically, the one with the "strongest" episode won, despite buzz or the full season. Some of the losing actors submitted pretty terribly, such as episodes where they weren't the focus. Some of those actors were also up against actors in other iconic roles (Kim Cattrall vs. Doris Roberts; Steve Carrell vs. Alex Baldwin).
However, voters don't really have to do that anymore, and it seems like buzz and love for a show carry the day. I actually think Brian Cox has a decent shot of winning - people like his performance.
I'd include Martin Sheen's iconic President Bartlet on this list, as well as Jane Kaczmarek's Lois, Calista Flockhart's Ally McBeal, and Amy Poehler's Leslie Knope, and Agnes Moorehead's Endora.
Also, Sandra Oh for Dr. Christina Yang. She wall brilliant in that role.
Omg! I suffered the pain of logging in just to shout ANGELA LANSBURY! MURDER SHE WROTE! 12 nominations for that most iconic of roles & no statue!
Jason Alexander never winning as George Can't Stand Ya is just a crime.
Same with John Goodman as Dan Conner.
Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha Stevens with five consecutive nominations for Bewitched. She lost to Mary Tyler Moore, twice to Lucille Ball and twice to Hope Lange.
Leonard Nimoy as Dr. Spock with three consecutive nominations for Star Trek. He lost to Eli Wallach, Milburn Stone and Werner Klemperer.
Maureen McCormick who received no nominations for five seasons playing the iconic Marcia Brady on the The Brady Bunch. The first child actresses nominated for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series were Lisa Bonet and Keshia Knight Pulliam for The Cosby Show.
I've always been found atrocious that Jane Kaczmarek received a nomination for every single season of Malcolm in the Middle but she never won.
Lois is a phenomenal character
Clair Huxtable, THE COSBY SHOW
Phylicia Rashad should have won several times for her work on this show.
She was the best thing about it!
What a great idea for an article. Thanks! 1000% yes to Krakowski’s next-level brilliance. But Jason Alexander and John Goodman should have more space in this article, specifically because of their: 1) rarely-matched tally of consecutive nominations, 2) iconic contributions to their iconic shows, and 3) fellow cast members winning repeatedly. I’m sure I’m forgetting a few others who would fall into that category, but those two jump to mind first.
Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart, for which she racked up 6 nominations for The Good Wife and then 0 nominations for The Good Fight. I'm hoping she still somehow ends up showing up on Elsbeth (whenever that airs) so that Baranski might at least eke out a guest actress Emmy for the part then.
Really fun to see everyone's input. I was trying to keep emphasis on contemporary TV, sort of the year 2000 and beyond. Definitely others in past years, though, for sure! And I was really aiming for iconic characters. As much as I love Poehler and Offerman, and their work on P&R, I don't consider the show or their characters that important (no offense, Ryan T and others). But keep 'em coming! Always enjoy the feedback. Particularly nice to see so many Jenna Maroney fans out there. :)
Nancy fucking Marchand in The Sopranos. A titanic performance. I'm glad for the performers from the show that did win, but that still rankles
agnes moorhead as endora on bewitched [six nominations]
D'Arcy Carden as Janet on the Good Place. Receiving a lone nomination for such an iconic character and no wins. Baffling.
Lisa Kudrow in the Comeback!
All the Friends casts that never won (or in the case of Cox not even nominated)
From your list, Krakowski and Hendricks are the two who I wish had won at some point.
As others have noted, Goodman and Moorehead never winning is really a shame too.
The name I'd throw into the mix is Julia Duffy. Newhart is such an enjoyable show, and her work, on her own and opposite Peter Scolari, was key to what made it work.
Calista Flockhart and Frances Conroy.
Hugh Laurie for HOUSE. 5 Nominations, no wins for one of the most iconic characters of his era.
Further, Laurie now has 10 nominations without a single win.
I was going to say Martin Sheen til I got to the last paragraph. Also, the entire cast of Six Feet Under got multiple nominations and none of them ever won.
Whenever I think of Jenna Maroney, I think of “I’m petitioning the Tonys to add a category for acting theatrically in regular life.”