Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series

The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series is an award presented annually by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It is given in honor of an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a guest starring role on a television drama series for the primetime network season.

The award was first presented at the 27th Primetime Emmy Awards on May 19, 1975, to Patrick McGoohan for his performance on Columbo: By Dawn's Early Light. It has undergone several name changes, originally honoring leading and supporting actors in single appearances on drama and comedy series through 1978. The award was reintroduced at the 38th Primetime Emmy Awards under the name Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series, honoring actors and actresses in guest starring roles on television drama series. In 1989, the category was split into categories for each gender, resulting in the name change to its current title.

Since its inception, the award has been given to 36 actors. Charles S. Dutton, John Lithgow, Ron Cephas Jones and Patrick McGoohan have won the most awards in this category with two each. Michael J. Fox has been nominated for the award on seven occasions, the most within the category.

Winners and nominees
Listed below are the winners of the award for each year, as well as the other nominees.



Performers with multiple wins

 * 2 wins
 * Charles S. Dutton (consecutive)
 * Ron Cephas Jones
 * John Lithgow
 * Patrick McGoohan

Programs with multiple wins

 * 6 wins
 * The Practice (5 consecutive)


 * 3 wins
 * This Is Us (2 consecutive)


 * 2 wins
 * Scandal (consecutive)

Performers with multiple nominations

 * 7 nominations
 * Michael J. Fox


 * 5 nominations
 * Beau Bridges
 * James Cromwell
 * Robert Morse


 * 4 nominations
 * Charles Durning


 * 3 nominations
 * Dylan Baker
 * Reg E. Cathey
 * Charles S. Dutton
 * Harold Gould
 * Ron Cephas Jones


 * 2 nominations
 * F. Murray Abraham
 * Alan Alda
 * Hank Azaria
 * Bill Bixby
 * Don Cheadle
 * Christian Clemenson
 * Ted Danson
 * Jeremy Davies
 * Will Geer
 * Louis Gossett Jr.
 * John Glover
 * Michael Jeter
 * James Earl Jones
 * Richard Kiley
 * Martin Landau
 * John Larroquette
 * John Lithgow
 * Tim Matheson
 * Patrick McGoohan
 * Gerald McRaney
 * Arian Moayed
 * Oliver Platt
 * Matthew Perry
 * Robert Reed
 * Glynn Turman
 * James Whitmore
 * Robin Williams

Programs with multiple nominations

 * 14 nominations
 * ER


 * 11 nominations
 * The Practice


 * 10 nominations
 * The Good Wife


 * 8 nominations
 * This Is Us


 * 7 nominations
 * Mad Men
 * Succession
 * The West Wing


 * 6 nominations
 * St. Elsewhere


 * 5 nominations
 * Chicago Hope
 * House of Cards
 * Picket Fences


 * 4 nominations
 * The Last of Us


 * 3 nominations
 * Boston Legal
 * Homeland
 * Homicide: Life on the Street
 * L.A. Law
 * The Mandalorian
 * Midnight Caller
 * thirtysomething
 * Touched by an Angel
 * Without a Trace


 * 2 nominations
 * Cagney & Lacey
 * Columbo
 * The Crown
 * Damages
 * Dexter
 * Justified
 * Masters of Sex
 * Moonlighting
 * Mr. & Mrs. Smith
 * Ray Donovan
 * Rescue Me
 * Scandal
 * The Sopranos
 * Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
 * Tales from the Crypt