Between 1968 and 2003, the detective drama series “Columbo” produced a total of 69 episodes and won 13 Primetime Emmy awards from 39 nominations. Each installment involved the titular police lieutenant outsmarting a careless murderer, often played by a famous TV or film star. Several actors were apprehended by Columbo more than once, with George Hamilton and William Shatner appearing in two episodes each, Jack Cassidy and Robert Culp in three apiece, and Patrick McGoohan in four.
McGoohan took home a Best Drama Guest Actor Emmy for the 1990 episode “Agenda for Murder,” which also brought the series’ star, Peter Falk, his fourth and final trophy for playing Columbo. McGoohan portrayed an unscrupulous lawyer with hopes of being appointed Attorney General who offs a blackmailer with 20-year-old dirt on him. At 62, he was initially the second oldest man to ever win the award, but he has since been surpassed by eight others, five of whom were over 70.
Since 1964, a total of 35 actors have won for their roles as guest performers on continuing drama programs, beginning with Jack Klugman (“The Defenders”). Three of these winners have triumphed more than once. The honor has been bestowed on an annual basis since 1993 and was awarded occasionally before then.
Check out our photo gallery to find out who ranks ahead of McGoohan on the list of 10 oldest Best Drama Guest Actor Emmy winners.
-
10. Patrick McGoohan (‘Columbo,’ 1990)
Image Credit: ABC Age: 62
Role: Oscar Finch
McGoohan won two awards for his work on this series, the first of which came in 1975 for his portrayal of another character. In addition to playing four different murderers over the course of the show, he directed five episodes, including this one.
Other nominees:
Peter Frechette (“Thirtysomething”)
Harold Gould (“The Ray Bradbury Theater”)
William Hickey (“Tales from the Crypt”)
Bruce Weitz (“Midnight Caller”) -
9. Barnard Hughes (‘Lou Grant,’ 1978)
Image Credit: FilmDallas Pictures Age: 63
Role: Judge Felix Rushman
Hughes’s single-episode appearance on this series led to his only Emmy nomination and win.
Other nominees:
David Cassidy (“Police Woman”)
Will Geer (“The Love Boat”)
Judd Hirsch (“Rhoda”)
John Rubinstein (“Family”)
Keenan Wynn (“Police Woman”) -
8. Ron Cephas Jones (‘This Is Us,’ 2020)
Image Credit: Ron Batzdorff/NBC Age: 63
Role: William Hill
With this victory, Jones made history as the first man to win this award twice for playing the same character. He collected his first trophy in 2018 and earned nominations in 2017 and 2019.
Other nominees:
Jason Bateman (“The Outsider”)
James Cromwell (“Succession”)
Giancarlo Esposito (“The Mandalorian”)
Andrew Scott (“Black Mirror”)
Martin Short (“The Morning Show”) -
7. John Lithgow (‘Dexter,’ 2010)
Image Credit: Showtime Age: 64
Role: Arthur Mitchell
This was Lithgow’s fifth of six Emmy wins. He previously won in this category for his work on “Amazing Stories” (1986).
Other nominees:
Dylan Baker (“The Good Wife”)
Beau Bridges (“The Closer”)
Alan Cumming (“The Good Wife”)
Ted Danson (“Damages”)
Gregory Itzin (“24”)
Robert Morse (“Mad Men”) -
6. Joe Morton (“Scandal,” 2014)
Image Credit: Richard Cartwright/ABC Age: 66
Role: Eli Pope
Before he was promoted to a regular cast member, Morton made over three dozen appearances during the second, third, and fourth seasons of this series as the father of protagonist Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington).
Other nominees:
Dylan Baker (“The Good Wife”)
Beau Bridges (“Masters of Sex”)
Reg E. Cathey (“House of Cards”)
Paul Giamatti (“Downton Abbey”)
Robert Morse (“Mad Men”) -
5. Gerald McRaney (‘This Is Us,’ 2017)
Image Credit: Ron Batzdorff/NBC Age: 70
Role: Dr. Nathan Katowski
This was McRaney’s first of two consecutive nominations for this role. He made his TV acting debut 45 years earlier on the anthology series “Night Gallery.”
Other nominees:
Hank Azaria (“Ray Donovan”)
Brian Tyree Henry (“This Is Us”)
Ben Mendelsohn (“Bloodline”)
Denis O’Hare (“This Is Us”)
BD Wong (“Mr. Robot”) -
4. Richard Kiley (‘Picket Fences,’ 1994)
Image Credit: NBC Age: 72
Role: Hayden Langston
Kiley appeared on two episodes of this series and received as many notices for his work. In this case, he faced off against another guest from the same show, James Earl Jones.
Other nominees:
Tim Curry (“Tales from the Crypt”)
Dan Hedaya (“NYPD Blue”)
James Earl Jones (“Picket Fences”)
Robin Williams (“Homicide: Life on the Street”) -
3. William Shatner (‘The Practice,’ 2004)
Image Credit: ABC Age: 73
Role: Denny Crane
After this victory, Shatner played this same character as a regular on the spinoff series “Boston Legal,” resulting in five more nominations and a second win.
Other nominees:
James Earl Jones (“Everwood”)
Martin Landau (“Without a Trace”)
Bob Newhart (“ER”)
Matthew Perry (“The West Wing”) -
2. David Opatoshu (‘Gabriel’s Fire,’ 1991)
Image Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures Age: 73
Role: Max Goldstein
This series won a total of three acting awards for what turned out to be its sole season, with regulars James Earl Jones and Madge Sinclair each nabbing a trophy as well.
Other nominees:
Dabney Coleman (“Columbo”)
Peter Coyote (“Road to Avonlea”)
John Glover (“L.A. Law”) -
1. James Whitmore (‘The Practice,’ 2000)
Image Credit: Columbia Pictures Age: 78
Role: Raymond Oz
Three years after his win, Whitmore received a second nomination in this category for recurring on the short-lived political drama “Mister Sterling.”
Other nominees:
Alan Alda (“ER”)
Paul Dooley (“The Practice”)
Kirk Douglas (“Touched by an Angel”)
Henry Winkler (“The Practice”)
