5 Actors That Should've Won (or Been Nominated) for An Emmy

The Emmys are the biggest platform for series to be recognized in the television industry. While everyone can't win or earn recognition for their work, there are a few performances that didn't earn Emmy gold which always amazes me. Some actors have either been entirely overlooked in their category year after year, or just managed to lose out to other nominees. Here are five actors, who now looking back should've been nominated or won an Emmy. Who do you think has been snubbed by the Emmys in the past? I'm interested to hear your picks!

Lead Actor in A Drama Series: Andrew Lincoln

The odds of this happening was astronomical, but a girl can be delusional every once in a while, can't she?. Not only will the Emmys never recognize a post-apocalypse/sci-fi series, but the timing was never in Andrew's favor. I can't believe nine seasons into The Walking Dead, and Andrew was never nominated for Rick Grimes. Even when the writing wasn't on his side, he always delivered heartbreaking, chilling, or ferocious moments, and a driving arc to a series that was increasingly spiraling out of control. Despite the fact that he's the central character, I always get the feeling that people don't truly admire his performance, one that's impossible to think anyone else could've done better. It's bad when a show has the direction, writing, and actor all working together seamlessly but never gets nominated. It's worse when a show has great talent who gives everything they have, but the writing and direction holds them back. 

Guest Actress in a Drama Series: Sarah Paulson

My girl Sarah Paulson is doing so much better now with American Horror Story, but before she became famous on Ryan Murphy's hit anthology, she had a guest starring role on his other show Nip/Tuck. The series was a trash bin of ideas Murphy had about plastic surgery, superficial ideals, and so many other things I've blacked out and don't want to remember, but I always think about Paulson as Agatha Ripp, a patient who self-harms and claims she spontaneously woke up with the same marks as Jesus nailed to the cross. It's a minor performance that makes you question whether or not she's telling the truth over if she made the marks or herself or if it's the work of a higher power, and it also convinces you take notice of a good character actress in-the-making.

Best Supporting Actor in A Drama Series: Ron Cephas Jones

Unlike other picks on this list, Ron Cephas Jones was nominated for his role on This Is Us. But lost out to John Lithgow as Winston Churchill on The Crown..and to be honest, that just honestly stumps me. I feel like we've seen a performance of Churchill countless times before, and Lithgow was okay. Meanwhile, This Is Us has struggled since the loss of Ron's performance of Will; one that gave depth and hope to the Pearson family (who all kind of act like spoiled brats, sorry). He was a warm presence for two seasons, and it's a shame that he was overlooked for a typical performance that usually plays to the academy's sensibilities.

Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Freddie Highmore

During its four-season run, Bates Motel was only ever nominated three times at the Emmys. Which is insane, considering the breadth of work the leads put into the story. Norma (Vera Farmiga) smothers, protects, and loves Norman (Freddie Highmore) to the point that it drives him crazy. Mother and son are like one person in the prequel to Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, so much so that the actors often mirrored each other. For Norman to take on the psychological torment and support of his mamma, Highmore harnessed everything about Farmiga's performance from her mannerisms to her voice. Depending on his character's mental state, he played two or three versions of Norma where she was the light of his life or the alienating voice in his head driving him to kill. Freddie was never nominated (Vera and the writing were rarely recognized too), and it's disappointing to see that same trend continues for his performance as an autistic doctor finding his way in the world for The Good Doctor - a completely different role than his work as Norman.

Lead Actor in A Comedy Series: Steve Carrell
Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: John Krasinski

The Office is honestly a tv classic by now, but it's impossible to think that these two castmates never won an Emmy. Carrell was nominated for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for six consecutive years, but often lost to Jim Parsons for The Big Bang Theory, Tony Shalhoub for Monk, and Alec Baldwin for 30 Rock. Sorry to the fans of those shows, but nothing beats the comedic timing and heartwarming presence of Carrell as Michael Scott. John Krasinski, on the other hand, was never nominated for his performance. From giving iconic looks that said everything about he was thinking to playing a prankster who grows up and builds a family where he thought he didn't have a future, he offered a lot of nuance to Jim Halpert. Everyone was an intricate part to the show, but these two helped tie the show together perfectly where I don't know if other actors could've done a better job.