Since 1949, the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has honored the best in television by distributing annual Oscars when it comes to episodic cinematic works. The Emmy Awards cover all genres, and they are given to actors, directors, writers, and producers.
Over the years, quite a few beloved actors have fallen through the cracks when it comes to winning awards, either losing or being ignored altogether for their critically acclaimed work on television shows. In recent years, a few names stick out when it comes to Emmy snubs. This list highlights 10 actors who have yet to receive the Emmy they deserve.
Steve Carell
That's right. The Office's run on NBC. Between 2006 and 2011, Carell was nominated five times for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series at the Primetime Emmy Awards, but he lost to someone else every year.
Carell also did some writing and producing for The Office, but his additional work on the series did not yield any Emmy Awards. Carell is doing just fine without an Emmy, starring in Jon Stewart's forthcoming political comedy Irresistible and Greg Daniels's new Netflix series Space Force.
Lena Headey
Like Steve Carell, Lena Headey from HBO epic fantasy has earned her untold praise. Headey gives depth and nuance to a progenitor of evil and chaos in the series.
Yet, Headey never won any of the five times she was nominated for an Emmy. Game of Thrones is honored with more Emmy Awards than any other series – 59 to be exact. Not one of them went to Headey, though. What's up with that?
Brian Tyree Henry
Brian Tyree Henry is a talented stage, film, and television actor whose breakout role as Paper Boi in Donald Glover's comedy-drama Atlanta. Glover and Henry were both nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards. While Glover won, Henry did not – a total shame.
Previously, Henry received another Emmy nomination for his guest role in NBC's drama This Is Us, which he ultimately lost as well. Henry's film career involves titles like The Eternals.
Sandra Oh
Sandra Oh established herself as a dynamic, entertaining performer long before playing the title character in the queer espionage thriller Killing Eve. Oh is brilliant as MI6 agent Eve Polastri, and her chemistry with Jodie Comer's assassin character Villanelle is undeniable.
Oh is the first person of Asian descent to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. She racked up five nominations between 2005 and 2009 for her role in Saturday Night Live, and two for Killing Eve. She has yet to win.
Michael K. Williams
Michael K. Williams is an impressive actor who brings an intense emotional depth to his roles. Williams is best-known for playing Omar Little on HBO dramas. Believe it or not, Williams did not receive any Emmy nominations for his work on either series.
Michael K. Williams did earn three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for the HBO movie When They See Us. Unfortunately, he did not win any of them.
Mj Rodriguez
Mj Rodriguez gives a harrowing performance as Blanca in FX's pioneering series Pose. Pose, which focuses on New York's ballroom culture in the '80s and '90s, features the largest trans cast in television history. As the head of the House of Evangelista, Rodriguez's character provides guidance, food, and love to everyone in her community.
While Rodriguez's co-star Billy Porter is the first gay black man to win a Primetime Emmy Award for his portrayal of ballroom MC Pray Tell, Rodriguez's performance also stands out. There's no doubt Rodriguez deserves the honor, too.
Hugh Dancy
British actor Hugh Dancy is attached to multiple renowned television series, most notably The Path. In Hannibal, Dancy plays Will Graham, the jaded and brilliant detective first brought to life in Thomas Harris's novels. In The Path, Dancy plays Cal Roberts, the head of a New Age, cult-like religious movement.
Dancy digs into these complicated characters, providing audiences with engrossing performances. Despite the praise he received for his work on these series, Dancy never received a nomination for either. Dancy did receive a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for the 2005 British miniseries Elizabeth I, but he did not win.
Evan Rachel Wood
Evan Rachel Wood plays the AI host Dolores in Westworld, a visually stunning and emotionally compelling series about robots ri against their abusive makers. Dolores's development over the course of the series is a testament to Wood's acting prowess.
In addition to receiving a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for her role in Westworld, Wood also received a nomination for her portrayal of Veda Pierce in HBO's miniseries Mildred Pierce. Wood – also an accomplished film actor – lost both times at the Emmy Awards.
Lee Pace
Lee Pace stars as the commanding entrepreneur Joe MacMillan in AMC's acclaimed period drama Halt and Catch Fire. Set in the '80s and '90s, Halt and Catch Fire follows a group of people involved in the early days of developing home computers and the Internet.
Long before starring in Halt and Catch Fire, Pace played the lead, Ned, in Bryan Fuller's cult favorite one of the best series of the 2010s.
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Jake Gyllenhaal's older sister is also a talented, adept actor. Maggie Gyllenhaal is known for both film and television. Gyllenhaal earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 2015 as Nessa Stein in the British spy miniseries The Honourable Woman – her one and only so far.
Gyllenhaal's most recently acclaimed television performance is Eileen "Candy" Merrell in HBO's The Deuce, which traces the burgeoning pornography scene in '70s New York City. Despite all the critical acclaim she received, Gyllenhaal never earned an Emmy nomination during The Deuce's run.