2015 Emmy Nomination Predictions: Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

2015 Nomination Predictions
Jonathan Banks "Better Call Saul"
Jim Carter "Downton Abbey"
Peter Dinklage "Game of Thrones"
Joe Morton "Scandal"
Mandy Patinkin "Homeland"
Jon Voight "Ray Donovan"

Other Contenders - Ben Mendelsohn "Bloodline", Michael Kelly "House of Cards", Kit Harington "Game of Thrones", Alan Cumming "The Good Wife", Matt Czuchry "The Good Wife", Chris Noth "The Good Wife", John Slattery "Mad Men", Michael McKean "Better Call Saul", Walton Goggins "Justified", Christopher Eccleston "The Leftovers", Tobias Menzies "Outlander", Sam Elliott "Justified", Nikolaj Coster-Waldau "Game of Thrones", Norman Reedus "The Walking Dead", Frank Langella "The Americans", Rob-James Collier "Downton Abbey", Tony Goldwyn "Scandal", Jeff Perry "Scandal", Rupert Friend "Homeland", Andre Holland "The Knick", Jussie Smollet "Empire", Trai Byers "Empire", Bryshere Y. Gray "Empire", Bruce Greenwood "Mad Men", Vincent Kartheiser "Mad Men", Norbert Leo Butz "Bloodline", Noah Emmerich "The Americans", Jeffrey Wright "Boardwalk Empire", Mahershala Ali "House of Cards", James D'Arcy "Broadchurch", Teddy Sears "Masters of Sex", Tracey Letts "Homeland", Hank Azaria "Ray Donovan", Max Burkholder "Parenthood", Ray Romano "Parenthood", Sam Jaegar "Parenthood", Miles Heizer "Parenthood", Peter Krause "Parenthood", Craig T. Nelson "Parenthood", Dax Shepard "Parenthood", Patrick Dempsey "Grey's Anatomy", Justin Chambers "Grey's Anatomy", Kevin McKidd "Grey's Anatomy", James Pickens Jr. "Grey's Anatomy", Tim Daly "Madam Secretary", Alfred Enoch "How to Get Away With Murder", Jack Falahee "How to Get Away With Murder", Michael Gambon "Fortitude", Jesse L. Martin "The Flash", William Moseley "The Royals"

Commentary - This is a category that could get a lot of shakeup, but feels like it won't. I see five slots that feel like they are good to go, or at least, I would not bet against. Jonathan Banks won the CCTA for Better Call Saul, and there is a good reason. He is fantastic, was nominated in the guest category for this character, and seems like the one newcomer that is a lock. Then there are the four veterans that seem like safe to return: Jim Carter (someone who continues to get in despite a lot of folks going against him, Peter Dinklage (could win a second one with this season), Mandy Patinkin (The heart and soul of Homeland's revived fourth season), and Jon Voight (he's Jon Voight). That leaves one slot, and I'm not sure where to go with it. Ben Mendelsohn seemed like a safe bet, but is anyone talking about Bloodline? Michael Kelly had his best season, but there is a lot of subtly (less this year I know) to the role. Kit Harington had a great season on Game of Thrones, but I'm not sure two of their guys can get in. I would also throw Christopher Eccleston, Sam Elliott, Frank Langella, Andre Holland, and the guys from Mad Men and The Good Wife into the mix. But in the last slot I am going with last year's Guest Actor winner, who was forced to bump up into supporting due to the new rule changes. I am of course talking about Joe Morton. There is a reason that he won last year, and it is because he is a dominating force on Scandal. He would have been a shoo-in for a nod in Guest, but I think he has enough material, makes enough of an impact, and is clearly a well-liked veteran among voters to make the jump to supporting.