Guest Who? Emmys Edition

We at the HSB continue to share our thoughts about the 2010 Emmy Nominations. Next on the list: guest actors! As we've mentioned before, a good guest actor can blend seamlessly into a show, enhancing its strengths and downplaying its weaknesses. A good guest actor is one you want to see again. Unfortunately, producers and the like often get confused about the difference between casting a great guest actor and stunt-casting a really, really famous person. Not all star appearances are good, and not all good guest appearances are by big names. Here's how the 2010 nominations rank next to 2009:



Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy

2009 Nominations: Justin Timberlake (Saturday Night Live), Alan Alda (30 Rock), Jon Hamm (30 Rock), Steve Martin (30 Rock), Beau Bridges (Desperate Housewives)

2010 Nominations: Mike O'Malley (Glee), Neil Patrick Harris (Glee), Fred Willard (Modern Family), Eli Wallach (Nurse Jackie), Jon Hamm (30 Rock), Will Arnett (30 Rock)

How they compare: 2009 was heavy on the famous guest star love; all of its nominees were household names. I felt that all the 30 Rock nods were a bit much, considering that Hamm's guest appearance is the only one of the three I can even remember now. In contrast, this year features Hamm again (a richly deserved repetition; he's got hooks for hands!), but branches out nicely to include Arnett (perhaps 30 Rock's best recurring guest), Hey-it's-that-guy favorite Willard, the impressively elderly (seriously, he's 95, you guys) Eli Wallach, NPH (two words: Bryan Ryan), and the amazing, not-at-all-famous Mike O'Malley, who moved me to tears more than once as Burt Hummel on Glee. 2010 for the win!

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy

2009 Nominations: Tina Fey (S
aturday Night Live), Jennifer Aniston (30 Rock), Elain
e Stritch (30 Rock), Gena Rowlands (Monk), Betty White (My Name Is Earl), Christine Baranski (The Big Bang Theory)

2010 Nominations: Christine Baranski (The Big Bang Theory), Kathryn Joosten (Desperate Housewives), Kristin Chenoweth (Glee), Tina Fey (Saturday Night Live), Betty White (Saturday Night Live), Elaine Stritch (30 Rock), Jane Lynch (Two and a Half Men)

How they compare: I must admit I'm a bit of a sourpuss when it comes to nominating Saturday Night Live hosts in this category. There's something about it that rubs me the wrong way; maybe it's because there's no need to integrate the host into an existing story arc or ensemble, or maybe it's because SNL is so spotty in quality that it's hard to get a consistent impression of the acting. Anyway, I tend to disapprove when there's more than one SNL host as a nominee. This is the Year of Betty White, so her nod is no surprise; but as much as I love Tina Fey, I'm not sure she should have made it on the list. I'd have loved to have seen, say, Kristen Bell nominated instead, for her hilarious turn as Uda on Party Down. In general I would have liked to have seen more of a shakeup here; three returning
nominees is too many for such a potentially rich field. I think 2009 wins this round.


Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama

2009 Nominations: Michael J. Fox (Rescue Me), Edward Asner (CSI:NY), Ted Danson (Damages), Jimmy Smits (Dexter), Ernest Borgnine (ER)

2010 Nominations: Beau Bridges (The Closer), Ted Danson (Damages), John Lithgow (Dexter), Alan Cumming (The Good Wife), Dylan Baker (The Good Wife), Robert Morse (Mad Men)


How they compare: OK, so right away I'm starting with a chip on my shoulder. You may recall that I desperately wanted to get this man an Emmy, or at least a nomination, for his fantastically moving work on Friday Night Lights. I knew it was a long shot, but that doesn't dim my disappointment. Zach Gilford was robbed! That said, I don't think 2010 is any worse off than 2009 in terms of actual nominees. I eagerly await the DVD release of Dexter's 4th season, as I've heard so much about John Lithgow's performance that I'm confident he will win this category handily. I'm a longtime Alan Cumming fan, I think Robert Morse is fine on Mad Men, and I really have nothing against Danson, Bridges, or Baker. I'd call this a draw.

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama

2009 Nominations: Ellen Burstyn (Law & Order: SVU), Sharon Lawrence (Grey's Anatomy), Brenda Blethyn (Law & Order: SVU), Carol Burnett (Law & Order: SVU), CCH
Pounder (The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency)

2010 Nominations: Mary Kay Place (Big Love), Sissy Spacek (Big Love), Shirley Jones (The Cleaner), Lily Tomlin (Damages), Ann-Margret (Law & Order: SVU), Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost)

How they compare: I'm happy that the Academy has moved away from the Law & Order: SVU domination this year. The Law & Order shows constantly draw a plethora of talented, famous guest actors, but from what I've seen they rarely get to show their stuff. I'm sure Ann-Margret was fun to watch, but I haven't heard anything noteworthy about her guest appearance itself. I haven't watched the past season of Big Love, but I've seen Mary Kay Place work her magic before, and I'm confident that Sissy Spacek would fit right in on the polygamist compound, so I'll give them both a thumbs-up. I've never seen The Cleaner or Damages, though Lily Tomlin is always formidable, and, embarrassingly, I've also never gotten into Lost. As far as dramas I have watched, I would have loved to have seen Kristin Bauer recognized for her funny, scary appearances as Pam on True Blood, or Deirdre Lovejoy - sadly overlooked during her years on The Wire - for her creepy Gravedigger character on Bones.

For a complete list of nominees, visit emmys.tv.