Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie

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 2024 Emmys race. The nomination round of voting takes place from June 13 to June 24, with the official Emmy nominations announced Wednesday, July 17. Afterwards, final voting commences on August 15 and ends the night of August 26. The 76th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards are set to take place on Sunday, September 15, and air live on ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET/ 5:00 p.m. PT.

The State of the Race

There are a lot less serial killer roles this time around when it comes to the contenders for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie, though “True Detective: Night Country” and “Fargo” are still doing their best to keep the crime wave alive. Both the HBO and FX series boast several actors who have a fair shot of being nominated, especially if voters decide (as they are wont to do) to just nominate as many actors as they can from one show they love. “True Detective: Night Country” star John Hawkes and “Fargo” star Joe Keery may lead the pack of their respective shows, but are still the most likely potential nominees to be joined by a co-star.

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If the winter awards season helped determine any sort of frontrunners in the acting races, it would be here specifically, given how Jonathan Bailey already won a Critics Choice Award for his decades spanning performance as Tim Laughlin in Showtime’s “Fellow Travelers.” And, of course, Robert Downey Jr. just won an Oscar for his supporting role in “Oppenheimer,” so the idea he could knock out two letters of EGOT in one year is very exciting for those who keep track of that sort of thing. Playing five different roles in “The Sympathizer,” an adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, led to a bit of a polarizing reaction, but that has made it a performance to watch either way. Securing an Emmy nomination especially comes down to getting a large number of people to watch your show any way possible.

While there are certainly more contenders to highlight, the unfortunate trend to note this year is that late actors Treat Williams and Ron Cephas Jones are in the running, for “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans” and “Genius: MLK/X,” respectively. The former actor has been nominated, and the latter has won a Primetime Emmy, so it is not out of the question that either could receive a posthumous honor from the TV Academy.

Current Contenders (In Alphabetical Order):
Jonathan Bailey, “Fellow Travelers” (Showtime)
Finn Bennett, “True Detective: Night Country” (HBO)
Robert Downey Jr., “The Sympathizer” (HBO)
Christopher Eccleston, “True Detective: Night Country” (HBO)
Johnny Flynn, “Ripley” (Netflix)
Hugh Grant, “The Regime” (HBO)
John Hawkes, “True Detective: Night Country” (HBO)
Ron Cephas Jones, “Genius: MLK/X” (National Geographic)
Joe Keery, “Fargo” (FX)
Barry Keoghan, “Masters of the Air” (Apple TV+)
Lamorne Morris, “Fargo” (FX)
Lewis Pullman, “Lessons in Chemistry” (Apple TV+)
Sam Spruell, “Fargo” (FX)
Brian Tee, “Expats” (Prime Video)
Treat Williams, “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans” (FX)

More Limited Series and TV Movie Category Predictions:
Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
Outstanding TV Movie
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie

View IndieWire’s full set of predictions for the 76th Emmy Awards.

Last Year’s Winner: Paul Walter Hauser, “Black Bird”
Still Eligible: No.
Hot Streak: Last season, Hauser helped Apple TV+ score its first win in this category. Though competition is tough, someone like “Lessons in Chemistry” star Lewis Pullman, or “Masters of the Air” star Barry Keoghan winning could help the streaming service get a streak going.
Notable Ineligible Series: Alessandro Nivola, “The Big Cigar” (the season will not air in time to be eligible); Ed O’Neill, “Clipped” (the season will not air in time to be eligible); Peter Sarsgaard, O-T Fagbenle, and Bill Camp, “Presumed Innocent” (the season will not air in time to be eligible)

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