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AWARDS DATABASE
All of the winners, all of the nominees, all of the awards shows.
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EMMY AWARDS Actor in a drama series
Last year Kiefer Sutherland pulled off a jaw-dropping upset that's unlikely to be repeated. Voters wanted to reward an overdue star after a stellar season, but now that bill's paid and "24" is back to being merely good.
TV thug James Gandolfini is most likely to snatch the gold. The three-time champ hasn't won since 2003, but could rally, thanks to the bravura sample episode he gave to judges. In "The Second Coming," we see him flex his muscles as an actor: one minute knocking out the teeth of a bully who insulted his daughter, then showing us the tender heart of a papa who comforts his sobbing son after a suicide attempt. But Gandolfini could be bumped off by TV's sneakiest doctor. "House" star Hugh Laurie won the Screen Actors Guild award once and Golden Globe twice, but he's still Emmyless. Now he can finally prevail after impressing judges in his episode "Half-Wit" with, egad, humility and a surprising ability to play the piano. An upset is possible from Denis Leary. The "Rescue Me" firefighter really burns up the screen as an alcoholic falling off the wagon in "Retards," raging, "I'm more bad boy than you'll ever be able to handle!" Voters in rehab-chic Hollywood are addicted to boozy story lines, which have fueled past Emmy wins by Dennis Franz, Candice Bergen and Kirstie Alley. Devilish "Boston Legal" lawyer James Spader pulled off two surprising Emmy verdicts in the past, often thanks to flashy jury speeches. But this year he may need to wipe that smirk off his face. He gets three minutes to grandstand in his episode, "Angel of Death," but not much additional airtime.
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