Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie 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 leading role on a television limited series or television movie for the primetime network season.

The award was first presented at the 7th Primetime Emmy Awards on March 7, 1955, to Robert Cummings, for his performance as Juror #8 on the Studio One episode "Twelve Angry Men". It has undergone several name changes, with the category split into two categories at the 25th Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy; and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series. By the 31st Primetime Emmy Awards, the categories were merged into one, and it has since undergone several name changes, leading to its current title.

Since its inception, the award has been given to 58 actors. Steven Yeun is the current recipient of the award, for his portrayal of Danny Cho on Beef. Laurence Olivier has won the most awards in this category, with four, while Hal Holbrook has received the most nominations for the award, on seven occasions.

Programs with multiple wins

 * 2 wins
 * American Crime Story

Performers with multiple wins

 * 4 wins
 * Laurence Olivier


 * 3 wins
 * Peter Ustinov


 * 2 wins
 * Fred Astaire
 * Hume Cronyn
 * Peter Falk
 * Hal Holbrook
 * Anthony Hopkins
 * Al Pacino
 * James Woods

Programs with multiple nominations

 * 13 nominations
 * Hallmark Hall of Fame


 * 7 nominations
 * Playhouse 90


 * 4 nominations
 * Fargo
 * Luther
 * Sherlock


 * 3 nominations
 * American Crime Story
 * CBS Playhouse
 * The Dick Powell Theatre
 * Studio One


 * 2 nominations
 * An Early Frost
 * Behind the Candelabra
 * Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
 * Brian's Song
 * Brideshead Revisited
 * Columbo
 * The Defenders
 * Ford Star Jubilee
 * Genius
 * Hamilton
 * Hatfields & McCoys
 * Holocaust
 * The Kennedys
 * Lonesome Dove
 * Masada
 * McCloud
 * The Night Of
 * Producers' Showcase
 * Promise
 * Recount
 * Rich Man, Poor Man
 * Shōgun
 * Something the Lord Made
 * The Special Relationship
 * The United States Steel Hour

Performers with multiple nominations

 * 7 nominations
 * Hal Holbrook


 * 6 nominations
 * Benedict Cumberbatch
 * Laurence Olivier


 * 5 nominations
 * Beau Bridges
 * James Garner
 * Jack Lemmon
 * Jason Robards
 * Mickey Rooney
 * George C. Scott
 * James Woods


 * 4 nominations
 * Kenneth Branagh
 * Richard Chamberlain
 * Hume Cronyn
 * Robert Duvall
 * Idris Elba
 * William H. Macy


 * 3 nominations
 * Lee J. Cobb
 * Laurence Fishburne
 * Peter Falk
 * Henry Fonda
 * Louis Gossett, Jr.
 * Anthony Hopkins
 * Ben Kingsley
 * Fredric March
 * Al Pacino
 * Christopher Plummer
 * Peter Strauss
 * Peter Ustinov


 * 2 nominations
 * Alan Alda
 * Alan Arkin
 * Fred Astaire
 * Antonio Banderas
 * Robert Blake
 * Michael Caine
 * Brian Dennehy
 * William Devane
 * Melvyn Douglas
 * Albert Finney
 * Ricky Gervais
 * John Gielgud
 * Hugh Grant
 * Alec Guinness
 * Edward Herrmann
 * Trevor Howard


 * Jeremy Irons
 * Tommy Lee Jones
 * John Lithgow
 * Ewan McGregor
 * Ian McKellen
 * Barry Pepper
 * Sidney Poitier
 * Alan Rickman
 * Cliff Robertson
 * Mark Ruffalo
 * Geoffrey Rush
 * Martin Sheen
 * Gary Sinise
 * Rod Steiger
 * Dennis Weaver
 * Tom Wilkinson
 * Ed Wynn