NEVER THE BRIDE

These actors have been nominated for the Emmy but have never won—could this be their year?

By Jack Smart

THE APPROACH OF THE 73RD ANNUAL PRIMETIME EMMY AWARDS

reminds us television watchers of an uncomfortable fact: It marks 73 whole years of the deserving actors below missing out on the prize. Yes, it’s an honor just to be nominated for a major Hollywood accolade, and, yes, the very design of awards shows guarantees that more artists fail to make the cut than take the prize. But looking at this year’s list of TV MVPs in the running for 2021 Emmys who have been previously nominated, it’s hard to resist petitioning the Television Academy for long-overdue victories. Let’s get some gold on these actors’ mantles!

Anthony Anderson and

Tracee Ellis Ross

EMMY NOMINATIONS: 9 and 4 ELIGIBLE FOR: “Black-ish” (ABC) It’s about time someone from the Johnson family made it to the top of Emmy voters’ lists. Anderson and Ross’ Dre and Bow represent the best of traditional family sitcoms and everything the genre is becoming. Full of history and recognizably relatable, their dynamic can still both produce laughs and unpack thorny, modern-day issues, even after seven seasons of “Black-ish.” (Ross also brings Bow’s humor and charm to spinoff “Mixed-ish,” another chance for Emmy gold!)

Kathryn Hahn

EMMY NOMINATIONS: 1 ELIGIBLE FOR: “WandaVision” (Disney+) Sure, she has the fewest Emmy nods of anyone on this list, but there aren’t many stars more deserving of mainstream awards attention than Hahn, whose performance as Agatha on the hit “WandaVision” was hailed as the breakout for which her longtime fans had been hoping. From that magical “Transparent” performance to her scenestealing turn on “Parks and Recreation” to bearing her soul on “I Love Dick” and “Mrs. Fletcher,” Hahn has done it all on TV. Oh— and she killed Sparky, too.

Christina Hendricks

EMMY NOMINATIONS: 6 ELIGIBLE FOR: “Good Girls” (NBC) There should be a Television Academy rule that if you get enough nominations in a row for the same performance, you’re guaranteed a win. That’s certainly what fans of “Mad Men” would have wanted when, year after year, the show raked in drama Emmys, but only once an award for any of its actors. It took Jon Hamm until the final season to win; Elisabeth Moss didn’t become an Emmy winner until “The Handmaid’s Tale”; and

Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross on “Black-ish”

Hendricks is still empty-handed. Her fiery leading performance on “Good Girls,” four seasons in, could finally get her in the club.

Jane Krakowski

EMMY NOMINATIONS: 5 ELIGIBLE FOR: “Dickinson” (Apple TV+) Krakowski, who somehow never snatched an Emmy for her legendary “30 Rock” theatrics, followed up those four nods with another for her equally funny work on “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” Her distinct knack for haughty hilarity can be seen on this Hailee Steinfeld–starring, irreverently inventive Emily Dickinson series, but a new, nuanced sense of drama is threaded throughout; her Mrs. Dickinson finds true pathos amid the dissonance of the show’s period piece–skewering silliness.

Ewan McGregor

EMMY NOMINATIONS: 3 ELIGIBLE FOR: “Halston” (Netflix) McGregor’s three Emmy nods are proof of his prolific, wide-ranging career: “ER,” “Fargo” Season 3, and narration for a series about Scotland! He’s stretching himself yet again on this summer’s Netflix biopic “Halston,” about the titular flashy designer—the kind of role sure to catch nominators’ attention. Competition will be tough in the limited series categories this year, but could McGregor sweep in for the win?

Rosie Perez

EMMY NOMINATIONS: 3 ELIGIBLE FOR: “The Flight Attendant” (HBO Max) Fun fact: Perez is a three-time Emmy nominee for dance. Her choreography work on “In Living Color” in the ’90s never got her a trophy, and despite compelling appearances on the small screen throughout the years, her acting hasn’t yet been recognized. In addition to being riotously funny on the U.K. action comedy “Bounty Hunters” and memorably heartbreaking on an episode of “High Maintenance,” Perez brought her inimitable presence to this year’s juiciest dramathriller, “The Flight Attendant.”