The guest categories are very difficult to predict this year since instead of getting an edited version of submitted episodes with just the scenes that the nominees appear in, voters will get the entire episode. This is going to hurt the contenders with smaller screen time in their episode.
Just based on submissions, I think this is a race between Joan Cusack (Shameless) and Laverne Cox (Orange is the New Black). Both submissions have range, screen time, and impact. While Cusack is a 4-time nominee for her show, Cox is the first transgender nominee at the Emmys and her show is arguably the hottest new show of the season.
However, we also have to look out for Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black) to sneak the win. She is one of the breakout stars and has become iconic in the eyes of fans. Where she falters is her episode submission. She and Cox submitted the same episode, and while she gets some really funny moments she doesn't have the screen time that the other contenders have.
1. Laverne Cox, Orange is the New Black (“Lesbian Request Denied”)
2. Joan Cusack, Shameless (“Liver, I Hardly Know Her”)
3. Uzo Aduba, Orange is the New Black (“Lesbian Request Denied”)
4. Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live (“Host: Tina Fey”)
5. Natasha Lyonne, Orange is the New Black (“WAC Pack”)
6. Melissa McCarthy, Saturday Night Live (“Host: Melissa McCarthy”)
Hey, I'm Karl, founder and film critic at Smash Cut. I started Smash Cut in 2014 to share my love of movies and give a perspective I haven't yet seen represented. I'm also an editor at The New York Times, a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, and a member of the Online Film Critics Society.