Emmy Analysis: Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Wednesday, September 6, 2023 at 10:36AM 
Lukita Maxwell and Jason Segel in "Shrinking," now streaming on Apple TV+.
Isn’t this supposed to be a comedy category? Yes, two of the shows with a questionable genre distinction -- Barry and The Bear – are represented here, but all five men chose relatively serious fare as their episode submissions. Before we dig in, let’s start with a mention of the three eligible nominees from last year who didn’t make the cut this time around. Donald Glover, a past winner of this category, had his last shot for Atlanta, and Steve Martin missed out on a repeat bid for season two of Only Murders in the Building. Most lamentably, Nicholas Hoult was somehow not selected for The Great. How that’s possible is beyond me, but fortunately the five men who did make the cut are all worthwhile…
I’m most excited to see an Emmy newbie here in the form of Jason Segel, who I had hoped would have earned recognition for the mind-bending Dispatches from Elsewhere a few years ago. Fortunately, he’s now here for a show that only got better as it went on, Shrinking. His chances at winning seem slim given that his show missed the top category and his costar Harrison Ford wasn’t nominated. Segel and the equally excellent Jessica Williams are the show’s only nominations, but at least that’s something. In “Imposter Syndrome,” Segel’s submitted episode, he shows great range as he thinks back to his complicated marriage and then finally starts to discipline his teenage daughter. It’s a wonderful performance that melds comedy and drama in an endearing way.
Jeremy Allen White and Liza Colon-Zayas in The Bear. Credit Matt Dinerstein/FX
The other first-time nominee is Jeremy Allen White, who should have been nominated for years on Shameless, a show that fell victim to confused category placement and mysteriously only ever netted bids for William H. Macy, Joan Cusack, and its stunt coordination. I also thought he would have been cited for his guest spot on Homecoming, but that didn’t materialize either. Fortunately, he’s now red-hot for his involved portrayal of a hard-working chef on The Bear, which benefits from having its second season at the forefront of voters’ minds. He opted for the finale, “Braciole,” which is a superb dramatic showcase but not the episode I would have chosen to show his range. He’s terrific nonetheless.
Martin Short in Only Murders in the Building. Photo by Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu
Though his costars Steve Martin and Selena Gomez are nowhere to be found, Martin Short is back for Only Murders in the Building. One of my first experiences with Short was watching him in a radically different context on Damages, which earned him an Emmy nomination and showed how effective he is at being a villain. That’s not at all the case here, though there’s more depth than usual to his outlook on life as he gets some surprising family news in his chosen episode, “The Tell.” I also found his treatise on the idea of hearing something versus remembering hearing something very captivating, and it’s nice to see a slightly more serious side of his spreads-obsessed Broadway director character.
Bill Hader in Barry. Photograph by Merrick Morton/HBO
Bill Hader won this prize for the first two seasons of Barry before his show took a nearly three-year (!) hiatus. Now it’s all over but it was quite the memorable final season. What’s interesting is that he opted for an episode before the show’s time jump, therefore not showcasing an entirely different layer of his captivating performance. In the third episode, “you’re charming,” Barry has a memorable scene that tests his friendship with Noho Hank and there’s also some brief action, but I’m not sure how accessible it is for those who don’t regularly watch the show.
Jason Sudeikis and Hannah Waddingham in "Ted Lasso," now streaming on Apple TV+.
And that brings us to the two-time defending champion, Jason Sudeikis, whose series came to a rather neat close at the end of its third season but has yet to be officially confirmed as over. Isn't that strange? Ted Lasso is a phenomenon and is also in the running for its third consecutive Best Comedy Series prize. If voters are still hot on the show, there’s no reason that Sudeikis wouldn’t triumph again for the finale, “So Long, Farewell.” It’s an endearing sendoff for an extremely likeable character, and Sudeikis plays is perfectly.
WHO WILL WIN?
I don’t think Segel factors into this race, sadly, and I’d be just as surprised if Hader won. In theory, Short benefits from Martin’s absence, but his show also didn’t do all that well across the nominations, so there probably isn’t a groundswell of support. That said, season three is airing while voting happens, so that could help. But, ultimately, I think this is a two-way race between Sudeikis and White. While it could be Sudeikis again, I think that White has the needed momentum. He would also get my vote, but this lineup is very solid and any of them would make deserving winners.
Who are you rooting for?
Reader Comments (5)
Jason Sudeikis all the way! I love Ted!
I keep going back and forth between Sudeikis and White and I ultimately landed on Sudeikis, who has yet to lose a major award for Ted Lasso (2x Globe, 2x SAG, 2x Emmy), in a show that seems poised to win Comedy Series.
For as much as I like Ted Lasso, this season was a slog to get through. It's a show that Emmy voters watch, and after two wins for far superior work, I don't think Sudeikis will be reawared again.
I think Jeremy Allen White wins this quite easily. His show is a hit, voters can honor the biggest part of the show, and he's a rising star. Emmy voters love to reward budding stars (Rami Malek, Zendaya).
If there's a dark horse, I think it's Jason Segel, who is well liked, has been on television for years, and is giving a performance that voters clearly like (he got a nomination from nowhere). Sometimes, that works and is enough.
I'm personally rooting for Hader. I admit that I didn't know until I saw him as the only person masking at last year's Emmys that he has an autoimmune condition and takes immune-suppressing medication, but still managed to resume making Barry while worried about the costs associated if he did contract COVID. Plus, he's been nominated as both an actor and a writer, as well as a director and a producer, for all 4 seasons, so the resonance of the dual strikes during voting may cause voters to be more aware of how involved he's been in the show. And I think his performance this season took the character to a whole new level. I know he already has 2 acting Emmys for the show, but I'd really like to see him rewarded somewhere for this season.
I think White is the front runner. As much as I love Ted Lasso and Sudekis' performance, season 3 was a bit of a let down where as The Bear was excellent.