Last Year’s Winner: John Lithgow, “The Crown”
Still Eligible: No.
Hot Streak: Peter Dinklage is the only “Game of Thrones” actor to be nominated for every season.
Fun Fact: With one more win, Peter Dinklage would tie the record for most wins in the Supporting Actor category. Art Carney, Don Knotts, and Aaron Paul have three wins each.
If anyone is a lock to be nominated in this category, it’s Peter Dinklage. Though ineligible last year due to “Game of Thrones'” late release, he’s a two-time winner with a strong season behind him. That being said, Kit Harrington (a nominee in 2016) is moving to the lead race, so can another member of Westeros take his spot? Look to Nikolaj Coster-Waldau to sneak in if the series can keep its momentum after an off-year.
So that’s Westeros, but what about “Westworld”? Jeffrey Wright and Ed Harris are moving to lead, so can James Marsden step in and replace Wright’s nomination? Maybe, but he’ll have stiff competition in David Harbour (“Stranger Things”) and Mandy Patinkin (“Homeland”), who were both nominated last year. (They’re the only two 2017 nominees still eligible.)
So what other new faces might make the cut? Considering “This Is Us” Season 2 felt specifically designed to win Justin Hartley an Emmy, he could make up for his freshman year snub (thanks to increased screentime, heavy subject matter, and the fact that Sterling K. Brown and Milo Ventimiglia are both in the Lead Actor race.) Then there are new series, like “Trust” and its breakout star Brendan Fraser. Alex Hibbert hopes to become one of the category’s youngest nominees for “The Chi,” and Richard Schiff wants back in the race for his new show, “The Good Doctor.”
Meanwhile, there are still more strong contenders in Noah Schnapp (“Stranger Things”), Asia Kate Dillon (“Billions”), Jon Voight (“Ray Donovan”), Joseph Fiennes (“The Handmaid’s Tale”), and Noah Emmerich (“The Americans”). Depending on how these series are received and which way the campaigns shifts, any one of these fine thespians could hear their name read in July.
Below are IndieWire TV Critic Ben Travers’ predictions for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (listed in alphabetical order), which will be updated throughout the season. Make sure to keep checking IndieWire for all the latest buzz and highlights from the 2018 race, and read predictions in the rest of the categories, as well.
Predicted Nominees:
- Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, “Game of Thrones”
- Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones”
- Brendan Fraser, “Trust”
- David Harbour, “Stranger Things”
- Justin Hartley, “This Is Us”
- Mandy Patinkin, “Homeland”
Spoilers: Asia Kate Dillon, “Billions”; Joseph Fiennes, “The Handmaid’s Tale”; James Marsden, “Westworld”; Noah Schnapp, “Stranger Things”; Jon Voight, “Ray Donovan”
In a Perfect World: Noah Emmerich, “The Americans”; Alex Hibbert, “The Chi”