2015 Emmy Contenders: Best Actor in a Drama Series

2015 Contenders
Luke Arnold "Black Sails"
Kevin Bacon "The Following"
Scott Bakula "NCIS: New Orleans"
Jamie Bell "Turn"
Hugh Bonneville "Downton Abbey"
Steve Buscemi "Boardwalk Empire"
Kyle Chandler "Bloodline"
Charlie Cox "Daredevil"
Timothy Dalton "Penny Dreadful"
Jeff Daniels "The Newsroom"
Patrick Dempsey "Grey's Anatomy"
Taye Diggs "Murder in the First"
Jamie Dornan "The Fall"
Travis Fimmel "Vikings"
Clark Gregg "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."
Grant Gustin "The Flash"
Jon Hamm "Mad Men"
Josh Hartnett "Penny Dreadful"
Sam Heughan "Outlander"
John Benjamin Hickey "Manhattan"
Freddie Highmore "Bate's Motel"
Terrence Howard "Empire"
Charlie Hunnam "Sons of Anarchy"
Joel Kinnaman "The Killing"
Andrew Lincoln "The Walking Dead"
Ben McKenzie "Gotham"
Bob Odenkirk "Better Call Saul"
Timothy Olyphant "Justified"
Clive Owen "The Knick"
Lee Pace "Halt and Catch Fire"
Jeremy Piven "Mr. Selfridge"
Tom Riley "Da Vinci's Demons"
Matthew Rhys "The Americans"
Liev Schreiber "Ray Donovan"
Michael Sheen "Masters of Sex"
Kevin Spacey "House of Cards"
James Spader "The Blacklist"
Aaron Stanford "12 Monkeys"
David Tennant "Broadchurch"
Justin Theroux "The Leftovers"
Titus Welliver "Bosch"
Dominic West "The Affair"
Aden Young "Rectify"

Commentary - Without Bryan Cranston in the race, this really opens it up for several newcomers and veterans to take the crown. Jon Hamm could finally win for Mad Men, Kevin Spacey for House of Cards, Hugh Bonneville, Timothy Olyphant, Jeff Daniels, and Steve Buscemi all previous nominees/winners with potential. A crop of new contenders hope to breakthrough as well, and could steal an Emmy from deserving veterans (not that they won't be deserving as well). Terrence Howard could get an Emmy nod for the wildly successful Empire. Bob Odenkirk, especially after winning the Critics Choice Award, is a serious threat for Better Call Saul. Kyle Chandler, a previous winner, could return to the lineup for Netflix's latest hit Bloodline. Clive Owen, Josh Hartnett, John Benjamin Hickey, Ben McKenzie, Aaron Stanford, David Tennant, Jamie Bell, Timothy Dalton, Charlie Cox, Justin Theroux, and Grant Gustin are all hot newcomers with popular shows that could make a splash at the Emmys this year. I'd also like to make a plea for veteran actors from veteran shows who have somehow missed the Emmy mark. Matthew Rhys is stunning in The Americans, Charlie Hunnam has been Sons of Anarchy's fearless leader for seven seasons, James Spader is phenomenal, Andrew Lincoln, Patrick Dempsey, Michael Sheen, Freddie Highmore, Travis Fimmel, and Clark Gregg have turned out great work for years now, and an Emmy nod would be deserving. The question is, of all these contenders who wins? Cranston's void is felt, and there is no clear front runner. This one will really come down to which six get in, and which ones submit the best episodes. It will likely be a fight to the finish.