Giancarlo Esposito (‘Better Call Saul’) would make Emmy history

Since 2021, Giancarlo Esposito has held the distinction of being the most-recognized Black performer in the history of the Best Drama Supporting Actor Emmy category. After coming up short on all of his past nominations for “Breaking Bad” (2012), “Better Call Saul” (2019-2020) and “The Mandalorian” (2021), he now has a shot at finally triumphing on his potential third “Better Call Saul” bid. This would not only finally make the six-season AMC drama an Emmy-winning show, but would also make Esposito his category’s first Black winner.

Esposito’s appearance in the final season of “Better Call Saul” serves as the conclusion of a performance that had begun 13 years earlier on “Breaking Bad.” Although the newer series mainly functioned as a backstory for Jimmy “Saul Goodman” McGill (Bob Odenkirk), it naturally fleshed out many more featured “Breaking Bad” characters, including Esposito’s Gus Fring. In his last moments on screen, the narcotics kingpin reaches the end of his intense rivalry with Lalo Salamanca (Tony Dalton) and settles into his role as controller of the northern section of Albuquerque’s drug territory.

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SEECarol Burnett (‘Better Call Saul’) would be oldest acting Emmy winner ever

Over seven decades into the existence of the Primetime Emmys, Best Drama Supporting Actor remains the only acting category in which a Black performer has never won. Most of the others were covered before 1994, with the exception of Best Drama Actress, where “How to Get Away with Murder” star Viola Davis made history in 2015. At this point, the only Black man who has received a supporting Emmy for any continuing series is Robert Guillaume, who was honored for the sitcom “Soap” in 1979.

Since Esposito played Gus on “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul,” he could now become the first Black man to earn four Emmy nominations for a single dramatic supporting role. When he received his third three years ago, he joined a small group consisting of Greg Morris (“Mission: Impossible,” 1969-1970; 1972) and Eriq La Salle (“ER,” 1995; 1997-1998). Factoring in the corresponding comedy category, he would tie with four-time contenders Tituss Burgess (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” 2015-2018) and Andre Braugher (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” 2014-2016; 2020).

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Esposito’s initial nomination made him the ninth of 13 Black men to ever compete for this particular award. In addition to Morris and La Salle, he was preceded by Taurean Blacque (“Hill Street Blues,” 1982), James Earl Jones (“Under One Roof,” 1995), James McDaniel (“NYPD Blue,” 1996), Steve Harris (“The Practice,” 1999-2000), Dulé Hill (“The West Wing,” 2002) and Braugher (“Men of a Certain Age,” 2010-2011). He has since been followed by Ron Cephas Jones (“This Is Us,” 2017), Jeffrey Wright (“Westworld,” 2017; 2020), O-T Fagbenle (“The Handmaid’s Tale,” 2021) and Michael K. Williams (“Lovecraft Country,” 2021).

Gold Derby’s current odds show Esposito running second in the drama supporting actor race behind reigning victor Matthew Macfadyen (“Succession”). What could end up giving him a boost is the fact that he just won a Critics Choice Award (11 years after earning one for “Breaking Bad”), which also seemed to help eventual Emmy champs Aaron Paul (“Breaking Bad,” 2014), John Lithgow (“The Crown,” 2017) and Billy Crudup (“The Morning Show,” 2020). Given how revered his portrayal of Gus has become, his possible win would hardly come as a surprise.

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