The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards Predictions - Part 2

With the Emmy Awards show premiering this weekend, I think it's time to offer my final predictions for the acting categories.  I left out the nominees from the Miniseries/Made for TV movie category because I haven't seen them and wouldn't want to give a uneducated guess.  I have already given my picks for the series categories, which can be found here.  Quickly wanted to give my biggest surprises/disappointments; once again no nomination for Justin Kirk (Weeds) and True Blood receiving no nominations.  Truly a shame.  On with the predictions!

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

• Simon Baker - The Mentalist
• Gabriel Byrne - In Treatment
• Bryan Cranston - Breaking Bad
• Michael C. Hall - Dexter
• Jon Hamm - Mad Men
• Hugh Laurie - House

I think it's a 3 way race between Cranston, Hall and Hamm.  Cranston surprised some last year and walked away with the prize, but I'm not sure he'll be able to pull it off again.  The buzz surrounding Mad Men puts Hamm as the front runner in my mind and I think he'll be holding a statue on Sunday.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

• Glenn Close - Damages
• Sally Field - Brothers & Sisters
• Mariska Hargitay - Law & Order: SVU
• Holly Hunter - Saving Grace
• Elisabeth Moss - Mad Men
• Kyra Sedgwick - The Closer

A rather dull category when you consider that every nominee is the same from last year with only the addition of Moss.  Close won last year and you have to consider her the favorite.  I'd like to see Hunter up there, but I think Close will win again.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

• Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock
• Steve Carell - The Office
• Jermaine Clement - Flight of the Conchords
• Jim Parsons - The Big Bang Theory
• Tony Shalhoub - Monk
• Charlie Sheen - Two and a Half Men

This is by far the most talented category if you throw out Sheen.  Last year Baldwin won as 30 Rock dominated the entire night.  My heart goes out to Carell who I think has taken a well established character in the UK series and has completely made it his own.  I think he finally gets his due on Sunday.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

• Christina Applegate - Samantha Who?
• Toni Collette - United States of Tara
• Tina Fey - 30 Rock
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus - The New Adventures of Old Christine
• Mary-Louis Parker - Weeds
• Sarah Silverman - The Sarah Silverman Program

Lots of wonderful ladies here, but how the votes are cast is a question.  Are we looking for an actress who is funny, or a great performance on a show that's considered a comedy.  In the former we would have Silverman or Fey or Dreyfus, but the later would have to be Parker or Collette.  I strictly on an acting basis that Collette should win and upset Fey.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

• Christian Clemenson - Boston Legal
• Michael Emerson - Lost
• William Hurt - Damages
• Aaron Paul - Breaking Bad
• William Shatner - Boston Legal
• John Slattery - Mad Men

Slattery and Emerson are the front runners in my mind.  But I think Emerson finally gets his props for the brilliant portrayal of the creepy and tormented Benjamin Linus as Lost's final season begins in early 2010. 

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

• Rose Byrne - Damages
• Hope Davis - In Treatment
• Cherry Jones - 24
• Sandra Oh - Grey's Anatomy
• Dianne Wiest - In Treatment
• Chandra Wilson - Grey's Anatomy

Wiest (an Oscar winner) absolutely holds the best of odds of repeating from last year.  I just don't see any others in this category that will best her.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

• Jon Cryer - Two and a Half Men
• Kevin Dillon - Entourage
• Neil Patrick Harris - How I Met Your Mother
• Jack McBrayer - 30 Rock
• Tracy Morgan - 30 Rock
• Rainn Wilson - The Office

Again, throw out Cryer and this category is stacked.  Jeremy Piven won last year for Entourage, and I'm slightly surprised he wasn't nominated again.  NPH is hosting the award show so that my help or hurt his chances.  The 30 Rock guys sort of cancel each other out so I think it has to go to either Dillon (easily the best actor on Entourage) or Wilson as Dwight Schrute.  I'll have my fingers crossed for Dillon.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

• Kristin Chenoweth - Pushing Daisies
• Jane Krakowski - 30 Rock
• Elizabeth Perkins - Weeds
• Amy Poehler - Saturday Night Live
• Kristen Wiig - Saturday Night Live
• Vanessa L. Williams - Ugly Betty

I absolutely love Kristen Wiig, but I don't see her winning.  I think Elizabeth Perkins finally gets notice and Weeds finally wins something.

Catch the Primetime Emmy's at 8:00pm EST September 20, 2009 on CBS.