2015 Emmy Contenders: Best Actor in a Comedy Series

2015 Contenders
Anthony Anderson "black-ish"
Jay Baruchel "Man Seeking Woman"
Gael Garcia Bernal "Mozart in the Jungle"
Adam Brody "Billy and Billie"
Louis C.K. "Louie"
Cedric The Entertainer "The Soul Man"
Don Cheadle "House of Lies"
Steve Coogan "Happyish"
Jon Cryer "Two and a Half Men"
Billy Crystal "The Comedians"
Will Forte "The Last Man on Earth"
Johnny Galecki "The Big Bang Theory"
Billy Gardell "Mike & Molly"
Jeff Garlin "The Goldbergs"
Chris Geere "You're The Worst"
John Goodman "Alpha House"
Jonathan Groff "Looking"
Derek Jacobi "Vicious"
Jake Johnson "New Girl"
Keegan Michael Key "Key and Peele"
Matt LeBlanc "Episodes"
Thomas Lennon "The Odd Couple"
William H. Macy "Shameless"
Ken Marino "Marry Me"
Ian McKellen "Vicious
Thomas Middleditch "Silicon Valley"
Michael Mosley "Sirens"
Randall Park "Fresh Off the Boat"
Jim Parsons "The Big Bang Theory"
Jordan Peele "Key and Peele"
Matthew Perry "The Odd Couple"
Tyler Ritter "The McCarthys"
Andy Samberg "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"
Adam Scott "Parks & Recreation"
Jeffrey Tambor "Transparent"
Josh Thomas "Please Like Me"

Commentary - There is a real opportunity for Emmy voters to shake up this category after years of it being kind of a bore. I'm sure Louis C.K. and Jim Parsons are in again, and rightfully so. And William H. Macy, especially after winning the SAG Award, seems like a shoo-in as well. But those other three slots are where it gets interesting. It would be easy to continue to predict Matt LeBlanc and Don Cheadle, but haven't they simply felt like placeholders until better competition comes along? Well this year, for the first time in a long time, better competition has come along, and their once safe spots are up for grabs. He may not be as funny as usual, but Globe winner Jeffrey Tambor is a real threat for the hit Amazon series Transparent. The legend himself Billy Crystal should be an easy pick for voters even though The Comedians didn't quite have the landing most thought it would. Will Forte might have a shot for The Last Man on Earth, but his character was so unlikable by the second half of the season, he might have turned some voters away. Randall Park led a popular first season of Fresh Off the Boat, Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi hurled insults splendidly on Vicious, Chris Geere made grumpy kind of endearing on You're the Worst, Steve Coogan did his best to save Happyish, and Jay Baruchel continues to play awkward well. But a real contender could be Anthony Anderson, who was great in the first season of black-ish, really the only new broadcast sitcom to land with critics and viewers this year. There are also plenty of guys from veteran shows such as Thomas Middleditch, Andy Samberg, Jake Johnson, Adam Scott, Josh Thomas, Key and Peele, Jonathan Groff, Jeff Garlin, and, one last time, Jon Cryer. For the first time in a long time, this race is actually semi-interesting to watch.