Emmy Awards: ‘Veep’ Star Peter MacNicol Disqualified as Guest Actor
By Debra Birnbaum
Veep star Peter MacNicol, who was nominated last week for an Emmy Award for guest actor in a comedy, has been ruled ineligible and will no longer be competing in the category.
Per the Emmy rules that were instituted last year, “Only performers appearing in less than 50% of the eligible episodes are able to submit in the Guest Performer categories.” MacNicol, who played Jonah’s (Tim Simons) uncle Jeff Kane, appeared in five episodes of the ten-episode HBO comedy.
The Television Academy issued a statement that said: “Upon review of the Guest Actor in a Comedy Series category, the Television Academy has determined that Peter MacNicol unfortunately exceeds the number of episodes permissible for inclusion in that category.
HBO’s guest actor entry for Peter MacNicol was accurate at the time of the submission deadline, but he was subsequently included in an additional Veep episode. Unfortunately, that additional appearance places him in 50% of the season’s episodes and makes him no longer eligible to compete in the guest actor category. This decision is in no way a diminishment of Mr. MacNicol’s stellar performance on this season of Veep.”
He was nominated alongside Veep co-star Martin Mull, Tracy Morgan (Saturday Night Live), Larry David (Saturday Night Live), Bob Newhart (The Big Bang Theory) and Bradley Whitford (Transparent).
The Television Academy will announce a replacement candidate in the category quickly, likely as soon as Thursday.
A similar mistake derailed Jason Sudeikis’ candidacy in the category, ruling him ineligible for contention during the nomination process. He appeared in 11 of the second season of Last Man on Earth’s 18 episodes as Mike Miller, brother of Phil Miller (Will Forte).
Henry Winkler lost his Emmy bid on a technicality, too, back in 2000 because the episode didn’t air with the eligibility period. He was nominated for comedy guest actor in NBC’s Battery Park, but the slot went to William H. Macy for ABC’s Sports Night.
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