2024 Emmy Predictions: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

We will update this article throughout the season, along with all our predictions, so make sure to keep checking IndieWire for the latest news from the 2024 Emmys race. The nomination round of voting takes place from June 13 to June 24, with the official Emmy nominations announced Wednesday, July 17. Afterwards, final voting commences on August 15 and ends the night of August 26. The 76th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards are set to take place on Sunday, September 15, and air live on ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET/ 5:00 p.m. PT.

The State of the Race

The last few years have seen the Emmy category for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series become pretty myopic. At one point four out of eight of the nomination slots were taken by “Ted Lasso” stars, with Brett Goldstein being the winner that year, and the following. In the case of that Apple TV+ series though, it was hard to protest because of how the show made such an effort to spotlight certain recurring cast members in season-long arcs each year.

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And that is ultimately something that is hard to do when a season only has 10 episodes, but reigning Comedy categories champ “The Bear” did an even better job of that in its second season. Given how the episodes were released all at once right as Emmy nominations voting commenced, one could argue Ebon Moss-Bacharach’s performance in “The Bear” Season 2, Taylor Swift singalong and all, is what really secured him the Emmy. Similarly, Lionel Boyce, who was more of a background character the first season, got to be front and center in the second most lauded episode of “The Bear” Season 2, set in Denmark and directed by Emmy nominee Ramy Youssef.

There is the theory that voters will love a show so much that they click the box to nominate every star on the ballot, so the idea that “The Bear” star Oliver Platt and Matty Matheson also make it into the category is growing, but there are just too many actors that have already been nominated for the specific performance they are contending for to say for sure that “The Bear” totally dominates here.

“Hacks” star Carl Clemons-Hopkins has made it in before, why not co-star (and co-creator of the show) Paul W. Downs make it in too? Tyler James Williams was theorized by many to win this past season, up until the “The Bear” Season 2 snuck up, so who is to say his co-stars Chris Perfetti and William Stanford Davis don’t break through as well, especially since their female counterparts have won the past two seasons.

Like James Marsden’s unique role on surprise comedy hit “Jury Duty” last year, the novelty of Paul Rudd on “Only Murders in the Building” probably makes it too difficult for voters to overlook, but there is still a bit of room for newcomers that feel like the heart of their show, whether it’s Daniel Ings on “The Gentlemen” or even J.B. Smoove on the final season of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

Current Contenders (In Alphabetical Order):
Lionel Boyce, “The Bear” (FX)
Carl Clemons-Hopkins, “Hacks” (Max)
William Stanford Davis, “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
Paul W. Downs, “Hacks” (Max)
Harvey Guillén, “What We Do in the Shadows” (FX)
Marcello Hernández, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
Daniel Ings, “The Gentlemen” (Netflix)
Ricky Martin, “Palm Royale” (Apple TV+)
Ebon Moss-Bacharach, “The Bear” (Hulu)
Chris Perfetti, “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
Paul Rudd, “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
J.B. Smoove, “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (HBO)
Kenan Thompson, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
Tyler James Williams, “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
Bowen Yang, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

More Comedy Category Predictions:
Outstanding Comedy Series
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

To see IndieWire’s full set of predictions for the 76th Emmy Awards click here.

Last Year’s Winner: Ebon Moss-Bacharach, “The Bear”
Still Eligible: Yes.
Hot Streak: Should Ebon Moss-Bacharach win, it would not set any records, but if “Saturday Night Live” star Kenan Thompson were nominated, it would extend his record as the most nominated star of the late night comedy series in this category. If Thompson were left off, but co-star Bowen Yang still got a nomination, it would tie said record.
Notable Ineligible Series: Brett Goldstein and Phil Dunster, “Ted Lasso” (ended); Henry Winkler and Anthony Carrigan, “Barry” (ended); James Marsden, “Jury Duty” (Season 2 is not eligible)

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