TV’s second Golden Age has produced so much talent that, despite their amazing work, many outstanding actors often go unnoticed. If you think about it, some of the biggest Emmy “losers” aren’t really losers at all—they’re some of the most well-known and respected household names in the business. The Primetime Emmys tend to reward the same shows and actors over and over again, which means some deserving folks remain as just nominees year after year. These unlucky actors, writers, and producers hold the unfortunate title of most Emmy losses.
Let’s examine some of the biggest Hollywood names who have received numerous Emmy nominations but have yet to win any awards.
1. Jane Kaczmarek—7 Nominations
It’s difficult to believe that out of the seven Emmy nominations for playing Lois on Malcolm in the Middle, Jane Kaczmarek did not win a single one of them. The actress lost the award to Jennifer Aniston, Patricia Heaton, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and a few others. Interestingly, Jane Kaczmarek is currently the most nominated star in the history of the Comedy Lead Actress category who never won an Emmy.
2. Matt LeBlanc—8 Nominations
Matt LeBlanc was a three-time nominee for playing Joey Tribbiani on Friends but somehow lost to the likes of Kesley Grammer, Ray Romano, and Tony Shalhoub. Then he was nominated four times for playing himself on Showtime’s episodes, but The Big Bang Theory was much more popular at the time. It’s funny how only Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow were the only co-stars to actually win some Emmy awards.
3. Jason Alexander—8 Nominations
Jason Alexander’s performance as George Costanza on Seinfeld was quite a spectacle, but, just like his character, he didn’t quite cut it. Jason was bested by Kramer, aka Michael Richards, Michael Jeter, Hyde Pierce from Frasier, and Rip Torn. In 2016, the actor joked about his series of losses on Twitter, saying, “Dammit! Seven losses! I KNEW the Emmys were rigged!”
4. Kristen Wiig—9 Nominations
Kristen Wiig has been a fan favorite since she appeared on Saturday Night Live. She was nominated 4 years in a row but lost to Julie Bowen, Kristin Chenoweth, and Jane Lynch. Another nomination was for voice acting in The Looney Tunes Show in 2012 and for The Spoils of Babylon in 2014. The last three nominations also came from hosting SNL in 2013, 2017, and as recently as 2021. Still no luck.
5. Hugh Laurie—10 Nominations
After all those years portraying Greg House, Hugh Laurie never managed to win an Emmy. And he was nominated six whole times for Lead Actor, only to remain a runner-up. Laurie was also nominated as a producer for Best Drama Series in 2009. In 2016, the actor got a double nomination for The Night Manage, and in 2017, his most recent nomination was for a guest role on Veep.
6. Steve Carell—11 Nominations
Steve Carell’s performance as Michael Scott on The Office didn’t win him any Emmys. He was nominated for Comedy Lead Actor for The Office’s second season in 2006 and got five more nominations after that, but still no wins. Later, Carell became a producer for Season 4, which got him into the Best Comedy Series category from 2009-11. And lastly, he received a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role in The Morning Show.
7. Don Cheadle—11 Nominations
Don Cheadle got four nominations for his role as Marty Kaan in House of Lies, but, alas, none of them were good enough. He was bested by the likes of Jon Cryer, Jim Parsons, and Jeffrey Tambor. There were also other projects worth mentioning, like three TV movies and a guest spot on ER. In 2019 and 2020, he got nominated for his work in Black Monday, and in 2021, someone finally saw how good he was as James “Rhodey” Rhodes in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
8. Angela Lansbury—18 Nominations
Angela Lansbury holds the absolute record for the most Emmy nominations without a win, with 18 losses throughout her long career. She was nominated 12 years in a row for her role in Murder, She Wrote but never managed to snag that iconic award. In 2016, Lansbury expressed her frustration about this losing streak, stating that not having an Emmy bothers the hell out of her. That’s probably why she received an honorary award in 1996.
