Dillahunt plays Burt Chance, a young grandfather who owns a lawn care/pool cleaning business. He has no previous Emmy nominations for this role.
Schwartzman plays Jonathan Ames. He has no previous Emmy nominations in his career.
McBride plays Kenny Powers. He has no previous Emmy nominations in his career.
Scott plays Ben Wyatt, a government auditor who becomes a campaign manager. He has no previous Emmy nominations for this role.
Arnett plays Chris Brinkley, a former lawyer who is now a stay-at-home father with an infant daughter. This is his first time eligible at the Emmys for this role. He has four previous nominations in his career.
Davis plays a fictional version of himself, a dwarf actor with his trials and tribulations in show business. This is his first time eligible at the Emmys for this role.
Allen plays Mike Baxter, a director of marketing for an outdoor sporting goods store, whose home life is dominated by his wife and three daughters. This is his first time eligible at the Emmys for this role. He has one previous nomination in his career.
Jane plays Ray Drecker, a former star athlete who becomes a prostitute to earn money for his family. He has no previous Emmy nominations for this role.
Lowe plays Chris Traeger, a very positive and health-conscious government official in a small Indiana town. He has no Emmy nominations for this role. He has one previous nomination in his career.
Flynn plays Mike Heck, manager of an Indiana quarry with a wife and three children. He has no previous Emmy nominations for this role.
Morrison plays Will Schuester, a high school Spanish teacher now in charge of the glee club and hoping to restore it to its past glory. He has one previous Emmy nomination for this role.
Neff plays Jimmy Chance, the young father of a toddler who lives at home with his parents. He has no previous Emmy nominations for this role.
C.K. plays Louie, a stand-up comedian and newly divorced father living in New York City. He has one Emmy nomination for this role. He has one previous win in eight overall nominations.
David plays a fictional version of himself, the wealthy creator of "Seinfeld" who struggles to conform to society's rules. He has four Emmy nominations for this role. He also has two previous wins in 18 other nominations.
Connolly plays Eric Murphy, best friend and manager of a young Hollywood superstar. He has no previous Emmy nominations for this role.
Radnor plays Ted Mosby, a New York architect who enjoys hanging out with his four friends. He has no previous Emmy nominations for this role.
Cryer plays Alan Harper, a chiropractor and free-loader in Malibu. With new billing on the show, it is expected that he will move to the lead category from supporting, where he has one Emmy win in six nominations for this role.
Galecki plays Dr. Leonard Hofstadter, an experimental physicist who is romantically challenged and lives with his friend in an apartment. He has one previous Emmy nomination for this role.
McHale plays Jeff Winger, a snarky former lawyer who is forced to return to community college to get his degree. He has no previous Emmy nominations for this role.
Parsons plays Dr. Sheldon Cooper, a former child prodigy and current theoretical physicist who is awkward in social situations. He has won two Emmys for this role and had one previous nomination.
Sisto plays George Altman, a single father and architect who lives New York City to move to the suburbs. This is his first time eligible at the Emmys for this role.
Wood plays Ryan Newman, a depressed young man on the verge of suicide who starts imagining his neighbor's dog as a real person. This is his first time eligible at the Emmys for this role.
Helms plays Andy Bernard, former salesman and now regional manager for a Pennsylvania paper company. He has no previous Emmy nominations for this role.
Cheadle plays Marty Kaan, a partner on a team of management consultants who travel the world. This is his first time eligible at the Emmys for this role. He has four previous nominations in his career.
Duchovny plays Hank Moody, an erratic but esteemed writer who frequently becomes involved in scandalous situations. He has no Emmy nominations for this role. He has four previous nominations in his career.
Gardell plays Mike Biggs, a Chicago police officer in a new romantic relationship. He has no previous Emmy nominations for this role.
Kutcher plays Walden Schmidt, a recently divorced internet billionaire who moves into a Malibu beach house. He replaced Charlie Sheen as the lead on the show. This is his first time eligible at the Emmys for this role.
Baldwin plays Jack Donaghy, the president of the NBC television network who gets heavily involved in his employees' lives. He has won the Emmy two times for this role in five nominations. He also has seven previous nominations in his career.
Grenier plays Vincent Chase, a young superstar Hollywood actor. He has no previous Emmy nominations for this role.