After playing Charles, Prince of Wales on the third and fourth seasons of “The Crown” and winning Best Drama Actor at the 2021 Emmys for the latter, Josh O’Connor has passed the role on to Dominic West. This means that he will not be able to collect a bookend trophy this year, but two former Emmy Awards champions – Sterling K. Brown (“This Is Us”) and Jeremy Strong (“Succession”) – do have that chance.
Brown is the only 2021 drama actor nominee who could return in 2022. Jonathan Majors (“Lovecraft Country”) and Billy Porter (“Pose”) are out because their shows ended during the last eligibility window, while Regé-Jean Page has exited the still-running “Bridgerton” and Matthew Rhys’s “Perry Mason” did not return in time.
Past nominees who are hoping for another shot at the gold are Jason Bateman (“Ozark”), Brian Cox (“Succession”), Bob Odenkirk (“Better Call Saul”), Milo Ventimiglia (“This Is Us”), and Sam Waterston (“Law & Order”). Michael C. Hall could also pick up his sixth bid for playing Dexter Morgan, a role he originated on “Dexter” and now plays on “Dexter: New Blood.”
Actors seeking recognition for new drama series include Lee Jung-jae (“Squid Game”), Adam Scott (“Severance”), and John C. Reilly (“Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty”).
Scroll through our photo gallery of 2022 Emmy predictions for Lead Actor (Drama Series).
-
Brian Cox, ‘Succession’ – Season 3
Image Credit: HBO Network: HBO
Role: Logan Roy, the founder of a media conglomerate whose children are trying to usurp him.
Emmys history:
Nominated for Season 2 (2020) -
Jeremy Strong, ‘Succession’ – Season 3
Image Credit: Macall B. Polay/HBO Network: HBO
Role: Kendall Roy, the second-eldest son of a global media company’s founder who attempts to distance himself from his father’s wrongdoings.
Emmys history:
Won for Season 2 (2020) -
Lee Jung-jae, ‘Squid Game’ – Season 1
Image Credit: Noh Juhan/Netflix Network: Netflix
Role: Seong Gi-hun, a single father who, out of financial desperation, enters a deadly contest.
-
Jason Bateman, ‘Ozark’ – Season 4
Image Credit: Netflix Network: Netflix
Role: Marty Byrde, a financial advisor laundering money for a drug boss in the Missouri Ozarks.
Emmys history:
Nominated for Seasons 1-3 (2018-2020) -
Bob Odenkirk, ‘Better Call Saul’ – Season 6
Image Credit: AMC Network: AMC
Role: Jimmy McGill, a lawyer who has slowly developed into shifty “Breaking Bad” character Saul Goodman.
Emmys history:
Nominated for Seasons 1-4 (2015-2017, 2019) -
Kevin Costner, ‘Yellowstone’ – Season 4
Image Credit: Paramount Network: Paramount
Role: John Dutton, a Montana rancher who continually deals with bordering landowners and developers.
-
Sterling K. Brown, ‘This Is Us’ – Season 6
Image Credit: NBC Network: NBC
Role: Randall Pearson, a successful financier who frequently looks back on his childhood.
Emmys history:
Won for Season 1 (2017)
Nominated for Seasons 2-5 (2018-2021) -
Adam Scott, ‘Severance’ – Season 1
Image Credit: Apple TV+ Network: Apple TV+
Role: Mark Scout, a widower who participates in an experiment wherein his personal and work memories are surgically separated.
-
John C. Reilly, ‘Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty’ – Season 1
Image Credit: Warrick Page/HBO Network: HBO
Role: Jerry Buss, the majority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team.
-
Patrick Stewart, ‘Star Trek: Picard’ – Season 2
Image Credit: Paramount+ Network: Paramount+
Role: Jean-Luc Picard, a former starfleet captain who takes on a new adventure.
-
Chiwetel Ejiofor, ‘The Man Who Fell to Earth’ – Season 1
Image Credit: Aimee Spinks/Showtime Network: Showtime
Role: Faraday, an alien who arrives on Earth and becomes responsible for saving the planet.
-
Lee Min-ho, ‘Pachinko’ – Season 1
Image Credit: Apple TV+ Network: Apple TV+
Role: Koh Hansu, a Korean fish merchant living in Japan.
-
Tom Hiddleston, ‘Loki’ – Season 1
Image Credit: Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios Network: Disney+
Role: Loki, a Marvel antihero who travels through time to fix the time variance he caused in “Avengers: Endgame.”
-
Jonathan Bailey, ‘Bridgerton’ – Season 2
Image Credit: Netflix Network: Netflix
Role: Anthony Bridgerton, the eldest of eight aristocratic siblings searching for love in 19th century London.
-
Gary Oldman, ‘Slow Horses’ – Season 1
Image Credit: Apple TV+ Network: Apple TV+
Role: Jackson Lamb, the head of a group of rejected British MI5 agents.
-
Milo Ventimiglia, ‘This Is Us’ – Season 6
Image Credit: NBC Network: NBC
Role: Jack Pearson, the deceased father of three children who frequently appears in their memories.
Emmys history:
Nominated for Seasons 1-3 (2017-2019) -
Freddie Highmore, ‘The Good Doctor’ – Season 5
Image Credit: ABC Network: ABC
Role: Sean Murphy, a young surgeon who continually has to overcome stigma associated with his autism.
-
Cillian Murphy, ‘Peaky Blinders’ – Season 6
Image Credit: BBC America Network: BBC America
Role: Tommy Shelby, who operated the titular English gang during the early 1900s.
-
Justin Hartley, ‘This Is Us’ – Season 6
Image Credit: NBC Network: NBC
Role: Kevin Pearson, a successful actor who frequently looks back on his childhood.
-
Adrien Brody, ‘Chapelwaite’ – Season 1
Image Credit: Epix Network: Epix
Role: Charles Boone, a widowed father who is faced with the responsibility of ending a dark family legacy.
-
Michael C. Hall, ‘Dexter: New Blood’ – Season 1
Image Credit: Kurt Iswarienko/Showtime Network: Showtime
Role: Dexter Morgan, a former forensic analyst who is attempting to get past his days as a vigilante serial killer.
-
Omar Sy, ‘Lupin’ – Season 1
Image Credit: Emmanuel Guimier/Netflix Network: Netflix
Role: Assane Diop, an African-born professional thief who sets out to avenge his father and mentor’s death.
-
Lee Pace, ‘Foundation’ – Season 1
Image Credit: Apple TV+ Network: Apple TV+
Role: Brother Day, one of several clones of Cleon I, ruler of the Galactic Empire.
-
Jeff Daniels, ‘American Rust’ – Season 1
Image Credit: Dennis Mong/Showtime Network: Showtime
Role: Del Harris, a Pennsylvania police chief who investigates a murder case that hits close to home.
-
More Emmy Predictions
Image Credit: A.T.A.S. Be sure to check out our other Emmy Awards predictions photo galleries:
Best Comedy Series
Best Comedy Actor
Best Comedy Actress
Best Comedy Supporting Actor
Best Comedy Supporting Actress
Best Drama Series
Best Drama Actress
Best Drama Supporting Actor
Best Drama Supporting Actress
Best Limited Series
Best TV Movie
Best Movie/Limited Actor
Best Movie/Limited Actress
Best Movie/Limited Supporting Actor
Best Movie/Limited Supporting Actress
