10 Comedy Actors that Deserve, but won’t get, Emmy Nominations

It’s no secret that most award shows don’t get it completely right, but the Emmys are probably the most guilty of that. Why? Because they have years to nominate an actor or a show, but never do. Sometimes after years of ignoring, the Emmys finally give a show it’s fair notice (i.e. Friday Night Lights). However, most actors and shows simply go without the recognition they deserve. So, to give them that recognition, here is a list of 10 Comedy Actors (male or female, lead or supporting) that deserve Emmy nominations this year, but won’t get one (probably). Be sure to check out our Drama Actor version here!

Martha Plimpton | Raising Hope
Plimpton got a well-deserved Emmy nomination for the first season of the show, however she has been terribly ignored since then. She’s a great actress playing a great role. She can go from something ridiculous like sleeping with a pair of pantyhose on her head to something sincere like singing Hope a lullaby in the Pilot. Either way, her hilarious Virginia-isms and strange perspective on life offer Plimpton comedy gold that she handles with complete grace and ridiculousness.

Andy Daly | Review
He’s playing the role of a man reviewing life… enough said. It seems nearly impossible for someone to try to even attempt to play a character that is supposed to be so clearly in a real situation, act ridiculous, but still make it seem real. Yeah, that’s pretty hard. However, he succeeds with impeccable timing and delivery. Even when I first saw previews I thought it was a completely unscripted show, he is just that good.

Eden Sher | The Middle
The Middle has never seemed to catch on with viewers or the Emmys, but the critics have always been there. They have also consistently praised Eden Sher for her performance as the Heck’s perennially down on her luck daughter Sue. She has the distinctly difficult role of just being a complete goofball. Everything she tries to do is done in such vain, but her character’s bright demeanor always breaks through. Sher takes the role, which could have gone so over the top, and grounds it in something endearing. However, the perennially second child of ABC’s Wednesday comedy block will continue to be ignored.

Chelsea Peretti | Brooklyn Nine-Nine
There are so many great performances on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but Peretti’s role as the deadpan, dry humor, one-liner precinct administrator almost trumps every other deadpan, dry humor, one-liner role on television right now. It’s so hard to get a one-liner right. It either hits or it doesn’t. Her timing and delivery is spot on every time and her characters expression cuts me to pieces every time. It also doesn’t help that unlike many of those characters she get something to do past that, i.e. be as ridiculous as possible.

Jeremy Allen White | Shameless
I can’t even begin to explain how egregiously underrated Shameless is as a show. However, what’s easier to explain is how underrated the performers on the show are, in particular Jeremy Allen White. Emmy Rossum and William H. Macy deservedly get much praise, but White seems to slip to the wayside for his performance as the eldest Gallagher son Lip. His performance is so understated as he strikes the perfect balance between comedy and drama that the show so precariously juggles. I can’t say much more than that. It’s just a phenomenal performance. If the supporting actor in a comedy race wasn’t dominated by the Modern Family guys he would have a slim chance, but he’s basically out of the running.

Reid Scott | Veep
Veep is a show that relies on its cast of characters and every single one is so well-drawn out, but this last season no character got to do as much as Reid Scott in the role of Selina’s high-strung and passionate campaign manager. He plays the arc that is Dan so well from man fighting for the position, to excelling in the position, to failing in the position, to breaking down in the position, to losing the position. Reid Scott was there the entire way, and although he may not have gotten the huge laughs on the show, there’s no doubting his ability as an actor.

Keegan Michael Key | Key and Peele
Jordan Peele | Key and Peele
Key and Peele has consistently been one of the best and funniest variety series on television today and the titular Key and Peele are part of that. They are the masters of comic timing and delivery and rival every single person on SNL. They adapt to every sketch with such veracity that it seems like they’ve been playing each character for years.

Zosia Mamet | Girls
Like a lot of people on this list, the role of Shoshanna is a difficult one to play. She must represent a vast majority of twenty somethings in a charicature that is honest, ambitious, and clever while still being hilarious and tragic at the same time. She succeeds every time. However, in season 3, her character is broken down and hit by a realization of the real world.

Thomas Middleditch | Silicon Valley
I wasn’t a huge fan of Silicon Valley when it premiered. I did think it improved a lot as the season progressed, however the one consistent player from the beginning was Thomas Middleditch as the lead nerd Richard Hendriks. So much of the series relied on the stereotypical nerd characters, but Middleditch was able to add charm to his characters awkward delivery and demeanor. He can play understated and over-the-top, but he so brilliantly keeps his character in check.

BONUS: Zach Woods | Silicon Valley
Woods is a really underrated actor. Although his character had a mixed reception on The Office, he always proved to be a master in timing and adding an endearing flair to his character. He turned in great performances in The Good Wife and briefly in Veep, but his supporting role on Silicon Valley gives him the chance to fully display his talents. He doesn’t get the character’s character that the other actors get, but he has to deal with these caricatures as the straight character and rivals their laughs with his own. The driverless car scene in “Third Party Insourcing” alone warrants a nomination.

Be sure to check out our Drama Actor version here!