Five years after it won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Elizabeth Strout’s novel, “Olive Kitteridge,” was adapted into a four-part limited series that went on to win eight Primetime Emmy awards from 13 nominations. Besides being named the Best Limited Series of 2015, the HBO program also garnered acting prizes for supporting player Bill Murray and leads Frances McDormand and Richard Jenkins. The pair of stars had previously appeared in three theatrical films together, including two directed by McDormand’s husband, Joel Coen.
Jenkins, whose TV acting career began in 1974, had never been recognized by Emmy voters before this. The 68-year-old automatically became the 10th oldest man to ever win the Best TV Movie/Limited Series Actor award, and still holds that position today. Of the older actors who place higher than him, six were over 75 when they won, and two were over 80. Additionally, all 10 entrants had previously been Oscar-nominated, with five having triumphed in the Best Actor category.
Since 1955, a total of 60 actors have won Emmys for their lead roles on non-continuing programs, beginning with Robert Cummings (“12 Angry Men”). Eight of the winners have prevailed two or more times.
Check out our photo gallery to find out who ranks ahead of Jenkins on the list of 10 oldest Best TV Movie/Limited Series Actor Emmy winners.
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10. Richard Jenkins (‘Olive Kitteridge,’ 2015)
Image Credit: HBO Age: 68
Role: Henry Kitteridge
Jenkins was honored for his portrayal of a pharmacist who is faced with helping his wife manage her worsening depression.
Other nominees:
Adrien Brody (“Houdini”)
Ricky Gervais (“Derek: The Special”)
Timothy Hutton (“American Crime”)
David Oyelowo (“Nightingale”)
Mark Rylance (“Wolf Hall”) -
9. Michael Douglas (‘Behind the Candelabra,’ 2013)
Image Credit: HBO Age: 68
Role: Liberace
Aside from this win, Douglas has earned seven acting nominations as a supporting player on “The Streets of San Francisco,” a guest performer on “Will & Grace,” and a lead on “The Kominsky Method.”
Other nominees:
Benedict Cumberbatch (“Parade’s End”)
Matt Damon (“Behind the Candelabra”)
Toby Jones (“The Girl”)
Al Pacino (“Phil Spector”) -
8. Al Pacino (‘You Don’t Know Jack,’ 2010)
Image Credit: HBO Age: 70
Role: Dr. Jack Kevorkian
This was Pacino’s second win in this category following his first successful outing for “Angels in America” in 2004. He also received a nomination for his performance in “Phil Spector” in 2013.
Other nominees:
Jeff Bridges (“A Dog Year”)
Ian McKellen (“The Prisoner”)
Dennis Quaid (“The Special Relationship”)
Michael Sheen (“The Special Relationship”) -
7. Alfred Lunt (‘The Magnificent Yankee,’ 1965)
Image Credit: NBC Age: 73
Role: Oliver Wendell Holmes
Lunt shared the joy of this triumph with his wife of 55 years, Lynn Fontanne, who took home the corresponding lead female award for her own performance in this TV movie.
Other nominees:
None -
6. Jack Lemmon (‘Tuesdays with Morrie,’ 2000)
Image Credit: Hallmark Age: 75
Role: Morrie Schwartz
Lemmon finally prevailed on his fifth nomination in this category after losing for “The Entertainer” (1976), “The Murder of Mary Phagan” (1988), “12 Angry Men” (1998), and “Inherit the Wind” (1999).
Other nominees:
Beau Bridges (“P.T. Barnum”)
Brian Dennehy (“Death of a Salesman”)
William H. Macy (“A Slight Case of Murder”)
Liev Schreiber (“RKO 281”) -
5. Robert Duvall (‘Broken Trail,’ 2007)
Image Credit: AMC Age: 76
Role: Prentice Ritter
Prior to his win, Duvall contended for this award three times with his performances on the limited series “Lonesome Dove” (1989) and in the TV movies “Stalin” (1992) and “The Man Who Captured Eichmann” (1996).
Other nominees:
Jim Broadbent (“Longford”)
William H. Macy (“Nightmares & Dreamscapes”)
Matthew Perry (“The Ron Clark Story”)
Tom Selleck (“Jesse Stone: Sea Change”) -
4. Laurence Olivier (‘King Lear,’ 1984)
Image Credit: ITV Granada Age: 77
Role: King Lear
Olivier triumphed in this category four times, with his first three wins coming for “The Moon and Sixpence” (1960), “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” (1973), and “Love Among the Ruins” (1975). He also earned nominations for “David Copperfield” (1970) and “The Merchant of Venice” (1974).
Other nominees:
Ted Danson (“Something About Amelia”)
Louis Gossett Jr. (“Sadat”)
Mickey Rooney (“Bill: On His Own”)
Daniel J. Travanti (“Adam”) -
3. Fred Astaire (‘A Family Upside Down,’ 1978)
Image Credit: NBC Age: 79
Role: Ted Long
This was Astaire’s third Emmy win and first for a traditional acting performance. He was also honored for starring in the variety specials “An Evening with Fred Astaire” (1959) and “Astaire Time” (1961).
Other nominees:
Alan Alda (“Kill Me If You Can”)
Hal Holbrook (“Our Town”)
Martin Sheen (“Taxi!!!”)
James Stacy (“Just a Little Inconvenience”) -
2. Hume Cronyn (‘To Dance with the White Dog,’ 1994)
Image Credit: CBS Age: 83
Role: Sam Peek
This was Cronyn’s second win in this category after scoring his first for “Age-Old Friends” in 1990. He received two additional nominations here for “Foxfire” in 1988 and “Christmas on Division Street” in 1992.
Other nominees:
Michael Caine (“World War II: When Lions Roared”)
James Garner (“Breathing Lessons”)
Matthew Modine (“And the Band Played On”)
Sam Waterston (“I’ll Fly Away: Then and Now”) -
1. John Gielgud (‘Summer’s Lease,’ 1991)
Image Credit: Gramercy Pictures Age: 87
Role: Haverford Downs
Gielgud garnered a total of five bids for his roles in various TV movies and miniseries over a nine-year period and succeeded on his final try. His only other lead nomination came for his work on “War and Remembrance” in 1989.
Other nominees:
James Garner (“Decoration Day”)
Dennis Hopper (“Paris Trout”)
Sidney Poitier (“Separate but Equal”)
Christopher Walken (“Sarah, Plain and Tall”)
