Long wait for Emmy nominations: 26 series regulars who reaped their first bids after 6+ seasons

One of the most celebrated acting Emmy nominations in recent years was that of “Better Call Saul” cast member Rhea Seehorn in 2022. Her first of two Best Drama Supporting Actress bids for the series was especially well-received because she earned it after her portrayal of Kim Wexler had been ignored by the TV academy five times. Scroll through our photo gallery below to learn more about this and the other 25 instances of specific TV character performances that finally merited Emmy bids after six or more years.

Including Seehorn, 11 actors were first nominated for their respective shows’ sixth seasons, and the other 15 were forced to wait up to 12 years for their initial mentions. Among those who came close to this distinction by first being recognized five seasons into their performances are Tom Bosley (“Happy Days”), Mike Farrell (“M*A*S*H”), Mariska Hargitay (“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”), and Suzanne Pleshette (“The Bob Newhart Show”).

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This list only includes performers who were classified as comedy or drama series regulars for six full seasons each before first being nominated for said shows. For example, this rules out Marla Gibbs, who appeared in every season of “The Jeffersons” and received her first supporting bid for its seventh, but had been deemed a guest star until season four. Also excluded are variety show nominees who meet the season number requirement but mainly played non-continuing characters, such as Kenan Thompson (“Saturday Night Live”) and Harvey Korman (“The Carol Burnett Show”).

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Launch Gallery: Long Wait for Emmy Nominations

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