The 2024 Emmy category for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series is so wide open that not only is picking the nominees a crapshoot, but we’re not even sure there is a legitimate frontrunner yet to win it (or ever will be). The reason is a rare one in Emmy land, it appears none of 2023’s nominees are eligible this go around. It will be five (or potentially six) new nominees. Sorta wild, to be honest.
READ MORE: Drama Series Emmys 2024 Predictions and Contenders
The truth is there are four semi-likely nominees and even they could easily get looked over. Dominic West is probably an easy pick for Emmy favorite “The Crown,” Oscar winner Gary Oldman would be earning a nom for “Slow Horses” third season, Tom Hiddleston could get recognized for “Loki” (a character he has portrayed eight times before on the big and small screen), and two-time Emmy winner Donald Glover may land his 12th nomination for his performance in “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.” Then things get dicey.
Colin Farrell has a shot for Apple TV+’s LA-set sunny noir thriller “Sugar,” Morgan Spector could ride a wave of nominations for HBO’s “The Gilded Age,” and Emmy voters could do something smart and recognize Nathan Fielder for “The Curse.” There’s also Ben Mendelson for the potentially forgotten “The New Look,” and Timothy Olyphant for “Justified: City Primeval.” Maybe Omar Sy is finally recognized for “Lupin”? Maybe Walton Goggins stuns for Prime Video’s breakout hit “Fallout”? Hey, stranger things have happened. [Posted May 1]
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SEMI-LIKELY
Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses”
Donald Glover, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”
Tom Hiddleston, “Loki”
Dominic West, “The Crown”
ALMOST THERE
Colin Farrell, “Sugar”
Morgan Spector, “The Gilded Age”
Ben Mendelson, “The New Look”
Nathan Fielder, “The Curse”
Timothy Olyphant, “Justified: City Primeval”
LONGSHOTS
Omar Sy, “Lupin”
Walton Goggins, “Fallout”
Idris Elba, “Hijack”
Jamie Dornan, “The Tourist”
Paul Giamatti, “Billions”
Alan Ritchson, “Reacher”