2015 Emmy Contenders: Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

2015 Contenders
Frankie J. Alvarez "Looking"
Aziz Ansari "Parks and Recreation"
Fred Armisen "Portlandia"
Justin Baldoni "Jane the Virgin"
Lance Barber "The Comeback"
Ike Barinholtz "The Mindy Project"
Murray Bartlett "Looking"
Kevin Bigley "Sirens"
Beck Bennett "Saturday Night Live"
Dirk Blocker "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"
Desmin Borges "You're The Worst"
Andre Braugher "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"
Miles Brown "black-ish"
Dan Bucatinsky "The Comeback"
Tituss Burgess "The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"
Ty Burrell "Modern Family"
Dan Byrd "Cougar Town"
Jaime Camil "Jane the Virgin"
Raul Castillo "Looking"
Michael Che "Saturday Night Live"
Bob Clendenin "Cougar Town"
Gary Cole "Veep"
Chris Colfer "Glee"
Terry Crews "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"
Darren Criss "Glee"
Kevin Daniels "Sirens"
Pete Davidson "Saturday Night Live"
Adam Driver "Girls"
Kevin Dunn "Veep"
Jay Duplass "Transparent"
Mark Duplass "Togetherness"
Billy Eichner "Parks and Recreation"
Jesse Tyler Ferguson "Modern Family"
Laurence Fishburne "black-ish"
Josh Gad "The Comedians"
John Gemberling "Marry Me"
Ian Gomez "Cougar Town"
Max Greenfield "New Girl"
Tony Hale "Veep"
Simon Helberg "The Big Bang Theory"
Josh Hopkins "Cougar Town"
Ken Jenkins "Cougar Town"
Clark Johnson "Alpha House"
Colin Jost "Saturday Night Live"
Alex Karpovsky "Girls"
Taran Killam "Saturday Night Live"
Josh Lawson "House of Lies"
Joe Lo Truglio "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"
Matt Malloy "Alpha House"
Stephen Mangan "Episodes"
Kevin McHale "Glee"
Joel McKinnon Miller "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"
T.J. Miller "Silicon Valley"
Kyle Mooney "Saturday Night Live"
Lamorne Morris "New Girl"
Robert Michael Morris "The Comeback"
Bobby Moynihan "Saturday Night Live"
Kunal Nayyar "The Big Bang Theory"
Matt Oberg "The Comedians"
Nick Offerman "Parks and Recreation"
Jim O'Heir "Parks and Recreation"
Ed O'Neill "Modern Family"
Chord Overstreet "Glee"
Adam Pally "The Mindy Project"
Jay Pharoah "Saturday Night Live"
Chris Pratt "Parks and Recreation"
Andrew Rannells "Girls"
Paul Reiser "Married"
Iwan Rheon "Vicious"
David Roberts "Please Like Me"
Mel Rodriguez "Getting On"
Mel Rodriguez "The Last Man on Earth"
Ben Schwartz "House of Lies"
Peter Scolari "Girls"
Reid Scott "Veep"
Marcus Scribner "black-ish"
Martin Sheen "Grace and Frankie"
Timothy Simons "Veep"
Eric Stonestreet "Modern Family"
Kenan Thompson "Saturday Night Live"
Nico Tortorella "Younger"
Russell Tovey "Looking"
Matt Walsh "Veep"
Thomas Ward "Please Like Me"
Sam Waterston "Grace and Frankie"
Damon Wayans Jr. "New Girl"
Ed Weeks "The Mindy Project"
Jeremy Allen White "Shameless"
Bradley Whitford "Happyish"
Zach Woods "Silicon Valley"
Damien Young "The Comeback"
Steve Zissis "Togetherness"

Commentary - There is a really good chance that all six nominees from last year make it back again. A lot of it depends on how Emmy voters view this season of Modern Family. Despite being left out, Eric Stonestreet and Ed O'Neill are always possibilities, but voters may be ready to move on from the two holdouts Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and less likely, Ty Burrell. But let's assume that, despite a dramatic drop in guild honors, that both are still in the game. Adam Driver had less to do on a strong season of Girls, but as his film career continues to grow (he's in Star Wars!), I think he will continue to get in. Tony Hale is having a great season on Veep, Andre Braugher is, well, Andre Braugher, and every year Portlandia continues to improve its nomination haul, and Fred Armisen is a beloved veteran, so a second nomination in a row seems like a safe bet. So who can crash the party? Besides the other Modern Family guys, watch out for some of the other supporting guys on Veep and particularly Brooklyn Nine-Nine which is a great ensemble piece with lots of great characters. After Bill Hader left, I am wondering if any of the SNL guys can get in. Veterans Taran Killam, Bobby Moynihan, and Kenan Thompson are probably the most likely although neither feel like a safe pick. There are a slew of new contenders to watch for: Josh Gad holding his own against Billy Crystal (and being a co-lead, kind of got the Emmy shaft), the great Laurence Fishburne as the scene-stealing grandpa in black-ish, Tituss Burgess is hilarious in Netflix's newest hit The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and veterans Sam Waterston and Martin Sheen could be standouts in the upcoming Grace and Frankie with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. Then there those litany of great supporting characters in great casts that could get one of their guys through like New Girl, The Mindy Project, The Big Bang Theory, Cougar Town, Parks & Recreation (especially Nick Offerman), Shameless, Silicon Valley, Looking, Glee, Jane the Virgin. For the record, I would also like to make a plug for the two guys in Togetherness, the guys from Sirens (a really great underrated gem on USA), Thomas Ward and David Roberts from Please Like Me, and Desmin Borges in You're the Worst, all great performances that will probably be ignored by the Television Academy voters.