Before Emmy Gold: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

This year’s Emmy category for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series is quite the mixed bag. Two are first time nominees, one has one nod and one win, and the other three have a combined 62 nominations, but only five Emmy’s between them. It should be interesting to see if the Emmy voters will choose a newcomer for the second year in a row, or if one of the three seasoned veterans will bring home Emmy gold. Here’s a look at each of the nominees. 

Matt Berry

Nominated For: What We Do In The Shadows

Previous Nominations: N/A

Hidden Gem: The IT Crowd (2007-2009)

Matt Berry has been a staple on the British comedy scene for over 25 years, making a career dabbling in buffoonery to varying degrees. In addition to his Emmy-nominated work in What We Do In The Shadows, Berry has appeared in comedy television roles such as The IT Crowd, Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, The Mighty Boosh, Snuff Box, and Toast of London, which he also co-created. That series earned him the 2015 BAFTA Award for Best Male Performance in a Comedy Programme. Berry is also an accomplished musician, releasing nine studio albums and composing all the music for Snuff Box and Toast of London, as well as the music for AD/BC: A Rock Opera, which he co-wrote. 

In What We Do In The Shadows, Berry portrays Laszlo Cravensworth, the 300-year-old sex-crazed vampire who loves to tend to his sexually explicit topiaries (prized among them are representations of vulvas he has known and loved). He is married to Nadja, his love of a century or two, as well as his sire (oh, and he’s also Jack the Ripper too). This is Berry’s first Emmy nomination. 

Larry David

Nominated For: Curb Your Enthusiasm

Previous Nominations: 30 Nominations (Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Saturday Night Live), 2 Wins- Seinfeld (1993)

Hidden Gem: The Plastic Surgeon Sketch from Fridays (1980)

Larry David has left an indelible mark on the television landscape over his nearly five-decade long career. Formerly a stand-up comedian, David went into television comedy, writing and starring in ABC’s sketch show Fridays, as well as writing briefly for Saturday Night Live (which he famously quit and came back to, a la George Costanza). David and Jerry Seinfeld created the television series Seinfeld, for which David was head writer and executive producer from 1989 to 1997. After Seinfeld ended in 1998, David returned to the spotlight with Curb Your Enthusiasm, which follows a fictionalized version of David as he navigates various social situations and personal misadventures. 

David was nominated almost yearly as both the writer and producer of Seinfeld, for which he took home Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing a Comedy Series in 1993. He went on the earn 17 Emmy nods for his work on Curb Your Enthusiasm, including nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series and Outstanding Comedy Series. 

Steve Martin

Nominated For: Only Murders In The Building

Hidden Gem: Bowfinger (1999)

Previous Nominations: 15 Nominations (Only Murders In The Building, Steve Martin & Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget For The Rest Of Your Life, Annual Academy Awards, 30 Rock, Van Dyke and Company, The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour), 1 Win- The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1969) 

With a career spanning over five decades, Steve Martin has established himself as one of the most versatile and influential figures in entertainment. Known for his distinctive comedic style, Martin has left an indelible mark on stand-up comedy, film, literature, and music (the man can sure strum a banjo). There are few sectors of the world of entertainment that have remained untouched by Martin’s creativity. It’s hard to overstate Steve Martin’s influence on comedy. 

Martin’s big break came when he began writing for television shows, including The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, for which he won his only Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy, Variety or Music in 1969. His work on the Academy Awards, 30 Rock, and Only Murders in the Building (among other projects) has given his later career the Emmy accolades that it deserves, though he has to bring home an Emmy for his recent efforts. 

Martin Short

Nominated For:  Only Murders In The Building

Hidden Gem: The Big Picture (1989)

Previous Nominations: 17 Nominations (SCTV, Merlin, Primetime Glick, Damages, AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute To Mel Brooks, Steve Martin & Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget For The Rest Of Your Life, The Morning Show, Only Murders In The Building), 2 Wins- SCTV (1983), AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute To Mel Brooks (2014)

Martin Short is one of the most beloved figures in the entertainment industry. Short’s career began with his involvement in the Toronto production of the musical “Godspell” in 1972. His big break came when he joined the cast of SCTV in 1982, where he won his first Emmy award for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program. After a short stint on Saturday Night Live, Martin made it to the big screen, with films such as Three Amigos, Innerspace, Clifford, and Mars Attacks. An accomplished stage actor, Short won a Tony and an Outer Critics Circle Award for his role in the revival of Little Me. He was also nominated for a Tony and took home an Outer Critics Circle Award for the musical version of Neil Simon’s The Goodbye Girl.

Short’s second Emmy win came in 2014, which he received for his hosting duties on the special AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute To Mel Brooks. Short has 17 Emmy nominations in total, five of which have been from Only Murders In The Building, including nods for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series and Outstanding Comedy Series. 

Jeremy Allen White

Nominated For: The Bear

Previous Nominations: 1 Nomination (The Bear), 1 Win-The Bear (2023)

Hidden Gem: After Everything (2018)

Jeremey Allen White is television’s current ‘it’ boy. With a dominating screen presence (and abs of steel), White has earned his recent accolades. His major breakthrough came in 2011 when he was cast as Philip “Lip” Gallagher in the Showtime series “Shameless.” White’s portrayal of the eldest son, known for his intelligence and complex personality, earned him widespread recognition. In addition to his television work, White has appeared in various films, such as Afterschool, The Time Being, and After Everything. 

After Shameless concluded, in 2021, White landed the lead role in the FX series The Bear, a drama centered around the culinary world. His role ion chef Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto earned him an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series in 2023. 

D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai

Nominated For: Reservation Dogs

Previous Nominations:  N/A

Hidden Gem: Beans (2020)

D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai is an emerging Canadian actor that has quickly made a name for himself in the entertainment industry with his compelling performances and natural charisma. Woon-A-Tai has appeared in various television series and films, including Murdoch Mysteries, Tribal, and Holly Hobbie. Woon-A-Tai’s big break came with his casting in the FX/Hulu series Reservation Dogs, which follows the lives of four Indigenous teenagers in rural Oklahoma as they navigate adolescence, crime, and culture.

Reservation Dogs has been praised for its authentic portrayal of Indigenous life and its groundbreaking representation of Native American talent both in front of and behind the camera. Woon-A-Tai’s performance has been highlighted for its emotional depth and relatability, earning him recognition and acclaim from critics and audiences alike.