Kieran Culkin (‘Succession’) poised to make Emmys history

As soon as the third episode of the current season of “Succession” aired, viewers began speculating about whether certain previously Emmy-nominated cast members would change categories based on their characters’ new levels of prominence. The first to switch was Kieran Culkin, who is officially seeking his first lead notice for playing Roman Roy after competing twice as a featured player. If he does land in the Best Drama Actor lineup, he will be only the sixth man in Emmys history to have reaped lead and supporting bids for a single role on a single series.

Culkin has appeared as a regular on all four seasons of “Succession” and achieved TV academy recognition in both 2020 and 2022. He was respectively bested in those supporting contests by Billy Crudup (“The Morning Show”) and his own “Succession” cast mate, Matthew Macfadyen. Among his strongest challengers in this year’s lead race are his on-screen brother and father, Jeremy Strong and Brian Cox, each of whom is vying for his third bid in the category.

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Culkin is set to make history among dramatic male actors in that he would be the first to be nominated as a lead after earning multiple supporting mentions for the same series. The three men who have been recognized in both drama categories for single roles each received just one featured notice before being bumped up. This small group consists of Michael Tucker (“L. A. Law”), Jeffrey Wright (“Westworld”), and Kit Harington (“Game of Thrones”). Wright’s is a special case because he picked up a second supporting bid for “Westworld” two years after earning his sole lead one.

The remaining two comedic instances involved Michael J. Fox (“Family Ties”) and Jon Cryer (“Two and a Half Men”). Fox started with one supporting nomination before collecting three lead prizes between 1986 and 1988. Conversely, Cryer triumphed on one of his six featured bids (in 2009) and then conquered the lead category on his only try in 2012.

Also worth mentioning are Robert Guillaume and Kelsey Grammer, who were each nominated across both comedy categories for playing a single role on multiple series. Their Benson DuBois and Frasier Crane began as supporting characters on “Soap” and “Cheers” before headlining the spinoffs “Benson” and “Frasier.” Guillaume preceded Cryer as the second of three men to ever win supporting (1979) and lead (1985) Emmys for playing one character, with the first being Ed Asner as Lou Grant (Best Comedy Supporting Actor for “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” 1971-1972, 1975; Best Drama Actor for “Lou Grant,” 1978, 1980).

As logical as Culkin’s new category placement is, it remains to be seen whether or not it will make his path to victory easier. His movement greatly benefits Macfadyen, who can now more easily achieve a second consecutive supporting win, but significantly hinders Strong, who is in the hunt for another lead trophy after snagging his first in 2020. Culkin currently sits in fourth place on Gold Derby’s odds-based Best Drama Actor predictions list, and, with three more episodes left in his show’s final season, there is plenty of time for his standing to keep improving.

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