This year’s contenders on the Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category are consists of two previous winners, one previous nominee, and three first-time nominees. One of them has played The Doctor. One of them is a Broadway and TV veteran. One of them is soon to play the iconic Hellboy. This is probably one of the most nerve-wrecking categories since there is no strong frontrunner right now. We can’t wait to find out this September 17 about who will follow the steps of last year’s winner, John Lithgow. Here’s my analysis and predictions in this category.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau – Game of Thrones
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau plays the role of Jaime Lannister. This is his first Emmy nomination despite being part of the show since the pilot episode. He submitted the episode, “The Spoils of War,” which is his only obvious nomination for the seventh season as he is part of an iconic and epic battle scene. Will he win? Not highly likely. The reason is that he doesn’t have the kind of performance that can easily lure the voters to vote him. Plus, he might vote-split with his co-star Peter Dinklage. Depending on how his character will play out on the final season, that might be the time for him to possibly win. He can still win this year as long as he campaigns and if a lot of voters are fans of his character.
Peter Dinklage – Game of Thrones
Peter Dinklage plays the role of Tyrion Lannister. This is his seventh nomination and he has won twice before. He submitted the season finale episode, “The Dragon and the Wolf,” in which he had a lot of conversational scenes with Cersei. Will he win? Possibly. He plays a fan favorite character and he previously won before which proves that he is on the radar. It won’t be surprising to see him win. The only thing that would stop him from winning is a vote-split with his co-star Nikolaj Coster Waldau.
Joseph Fiennes – The Handmaid’s Tale
Joseph Fiennes plays the role of Commander Fred Waterford. This is his first nomination. He submitted the episode, “First Blood,” in which his character is overseeing the construction of a new building, offers sex to Offred, and a flashback of him and Serena during the pre-Gilead days. Will he win? Maybe. He is part of the show that won Outstanding Drama Series last year and a frontrunner again this year. But, the downside is that he is playing a very character that is hated by many viewers. It’s also a feminist show and most attention is given to the female characters.
David Harbour – Stranger Things
David Harbour plays the role of Jim Hopper. This is his second consecutive nomination. He submitted the episode, “Chapter Four: Will the Wise,” in which he had an argument with Eleven and discovered a tunnel connected to the Upside Down. Will he win? Maybe. He had an amazing story line during the second season and gave his best performance on the show so far. He is also playing a fan favorite character. The downside is that Stranger Things is not the Drama Series frontrunner so the voters might not vote for him because of that.
Mandy Patinkin – Homeland
Mandy Patinkin plays the role of Saul Berenson. This is his fourth nomination for the show. He previously won an Emmy for his leading role in the drama series Chicago Hope. He submitted the episode, “Species Jump,” in which he is investigating Russia’s interference to the United States. Will he win? Maybe. He is a veteran actor and this is his fourth nomination for the show which means that he might be overdue. Also, his character has a story line that is parallel to the current political events. The downside is that the show is not nominated in the Drama Series category. If he wins, it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise.
Matt Smith – The Crown
Matt Smith plays the role of Prince Philip. This is his first nomination. He submitted the season two finale episode, “Mystery Man,” in which there are speculations that his character is attending Stephen Ward’s parties and there is a confrontational scene with Queen Elizabeth. Will he win? Possibly. The reason that I can give is because I heard that he has been campaigning right now. He has a great episode submission. The show won in this category last year. He is also known for playing The Doctor before. The downside is that The Crown is currently not the Drama Series frontrunner.
VERDICT: My prediction right now is David Harbour of Stranger Things. I think he is the safest to predict right now in this category due to obvious reasons. But, it can be anyone. It won’t also be surprising if Harbour doesn’t win.
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