| Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | |
| Awarded For: | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series |
| Presenter: | Academy of Television Arts & Sciences |
| Country: | United States |
| Year: | 1954 |
| Holder: | Matthew Macfadyen, Succession (2023) |
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series is an award presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). In early Primetime Emmy Award ceremonies, the supporting categories were not always genre, or even gender, specific. Beginning with the 22nd Primetime Emmy Awards, supporting actors in drama have competed alone. However, these dramatic performances often included actors from miniseries, telefilms, and guest performers competing against main cast competitors. Such instances are marked below:
FOX is the only one of the Big Four networks to not win this category, with only one nomination.
| Year | Actor | Role | Program | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Series (Lead or Support) | ||||
| 1960 (12th) | ||||
| Robert Stack | Eliot Ness | The Untouchables | ABC | |
| Richard Boone | Paladin | Have Gun – Will Travel | CBS | |
| Raymond Burr | Perry Mason | Perry Mason | ||
| Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role by an Actor or Actress in a Series | ||||
| 1961 (13th) | ||||
| Don Knotts | Barney Fife | The Andy Griffith Show | CBS | |
| Abby Dalton | Lt. Martha Hale | Hennesey | CBS | |
| Barbara Hale | Della Street | Perry Mason | ||
| Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role by an Actor | ||||
| 1962 (14th) | ||||
| Don Knotts | Barney Fife | The Andy Griffith Show | CBS | |
| Sam Jaffe | Dr. David Zorba | Ben Casey | ABC | |
| Barry Jones # | The Dean | Hallmark Hall of Fame | NBC | |
| Horace McMahon | Lt. Mike Parker | Naked City | ABC | |
| George C. Scott § | Dr. Karl Anders | Ben Casey | ||
| 1963 (15th) | ||||
| Don Knotts | Barney Fife | The Andy Griffith Show | CBS | |
| Tim Conway | Ens. Charles Parker | McHale's Navy | ABC | |
| Paul Ford # | Col. Wainwright Purdy III | Teahouse of the August Moon: Hallmark Hall of Fame | NBC | |
| Hurd Hatfield # | Lionel de Rothschild | Invincible Mr. Disraeli: Hallmark Hall of Fame | ||
| Robert Redford # | George Laurents | Premiere, Presented by Fred Astaire | ABC | |
| 1964 (16th) | ||||
| Albert Paulsen # | Lt. Volkoval | Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre | NBC | |
| Sorrell Booke § | Julius Orloff | Dr. Kildare | NBC | |
| Conlan Carter | Doc | Combat! | ABC | |
| Carl Lee § | Lonnie Hill | The Nurses | CBS | |
| Outstanding Individual Achievements in Entertainment - Actors and Performers | ||||
| 1965 | ||||
| Leonard Bernstein | Conductor | New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts with Leonard Bernstein | CBS | |
| Lynn Fontanne | Fanny Bowditch Holmes | Hallmark Hall of Fame | NBC | |
| Alfred Lunt | Oliver Wendell Holmes | |||
| Barbra Streisand | Herself | My Name Is Barbra | CBS | |
| Dick Van Dyke | Rob Petrie | The Dick Van Dyke Show | ||
| Julie Andrews | Herself | The Andy Williams Show | NBC | |
| Johnny Carson | Himself | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | ||
| Gladys Cooper | Margaret St. Clair | The Rogues | ||
| Robert Coote | Timmy St. Clair | |||
| Richard Crenna | James Slattery | Slattery's People | CBS | |
| Julie Harris | Florence Nightingale | Hallmark Hall of Fame: "The Holy Terror" | NBC | |
| Bob Hope | Himself | Chrysler Presents A Bob Hope Comedy Special | ||
| Dean Jagger | Principal Albert Vane | Mr. Novak | ||
| Danny Kaye | Himself | The Danny Kaye Show | CBS | |
| David McCallum | Illya Kuryakin | The Man from U.N.C.L.E. | NBC | |
| Red Skelton | Himself | The Red Skelton Hour | CBS | |
| Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Drama Series | ||||
| 1966 (18th) | ||||
| James Daly # | Dr. O'Meara | Eagle in a Cage | NBC | |
| David Burns § | The Great McGonigle | The Trials of O'Brien | CBS | |
| Leo G. Carroll | Alexander Waverly | The Man from U.N.C.L.E. | NBC | |
| 1967 (19th) | ||||
| Eli Wallach # | Happy Locarno | The Poppy Is Also a Flower | ABC | |
| Leo G. Carroll | Alexander Waverly | The Man from U.N.C.L.E. | NBC | |
| Leonard Nimoy | Spock | Star Trek | ||
| 1968 (20th) | ||||
| Milburn Stone | Doc | Gunsmoke | CBS | |
| Joseph Campanella | Lew Wickersham | Mannix | CBS | |
| Lawrence Dobkin # | Dr. Gettlinger | CBS Playhouse | ||
| Leonard Nimoy | Spock | Star Trek | NBC | |
| Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series | ||||
| 1969 (21st) | ||||
| Werner Klemperer | Colonel Klink | Hogan's Heroes | CBS | |
| Greg Morris | Barney Collier | Mission: Impossible | CBS | |
| Leonard Nimoy | Spock | Star Trek | NBC | |
| Year | Actor | Role | Program | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Drama | ||||
| 1970 (22nd) | ||||
| James Brolin | Dr. Steven Kiley | Marcus Welby, M.D. | ABC | |
| Tige Andrews | Capt. Adam Greer | The Mod Squad | ABC | |
| Greg Morris | Barney Collier | Mission: Impossible | CBS | |
| 1971 (23rd) | ||||
| David Burns # | Mr. Solomon | The Price: Hallmark Hall of Fame | NBC | |
| James Brolin | Dr. Steven Kiley | Marcus Welby, M.D. | ABC | |
| Robert Young # | Senator Earl Gannon | Vanished!: NBC World Premiere Movie | NBC | |
| 1972 (24th) | ||||
| Jack Warden # | George Halas | Brian's Song | ABC | |
| James Brolin | Dr. Steven Kiley | Marcus Welby, M.D. | ABC | |
| Greg Morris | Barney Collier | Mission: Impossible | CBS | |
| 1973 (25th) | ||||
| Scott Jacoby # | Nick Salter | That Certain Summer ABC Movie of the Week | ABC | |
| James Brolin | Dr. Steven Kiley | Marcus Welby, M.D. | ABC | |
| Will Geer | Zebulon Walton | The Waltons | CBS | |
| Best Supporting Actor in Drama | ||||
| 1974 (26th) | ||||
| Michael Moriarty # | Jim O'Connor | The Glass Menagerie | ABC | |
| Sam Waterston # | Tom Wingfield | The Glass Menagerie | ABC | |
| Michael Douglas | Steve Keller | The Streets of San Francisco | ABC | |
| Will Geer | Zebulon Walton | The Waltons | CBS | |
| Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | ||||
| 1975 (27th) | ||||
| Will Geer | Zebulon Walton | The Waltons | CBS | |
| J.D. Cannon | Peter B. Clifford | McCloud | NBC | |
| Michael Douglas | Steve Keller | The Streets of San Francisco | ABC | |
| 1976 (28th) | ||||
| Anthony Zerbe | Lt. K.C. Trench | Harry O | ABC | |
| Ray Milland # | Duncan Calderwood | Rich Man, Poor Man | ABC | |
| Robert Reed # | Teddy Boylan | |||
| Michael Douglas | Steve Keller | The Streets of San Francisco | ||
| Will Geer | Zebulon Walton | The Waltons | CBS | |
| 1977 (29th) | ||||
| Gary Frank | Willie Lawrence | Family | ABC | |
| Noah Beery Jr. | Joseph "Rocky" Rockford | The Rockford Files | NBC | |
| David Doyle | John Bosley | Charlie's Angels | ABC | |
| Tom Ewell | Billy Truman | Baretta | ||
| Will Geer | Zebulon Walton | The Waltons | CBS | |
| 1978 (30th) | ||||
| Robert Vaughn # | Frank Flaherty | ABC | ||
| Sam Wanamaker # | Moses Weiss | Holocaust | NBC | |
| David Warner # | Heydrich | |||
| Ossie Davis # | Martin Luther King Sr. | King | ||
| Will Geer | Zebulon Walton | The Waltons | CBS | |
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | ||||
| 1979 (31st) | ||||
| Stuart Margolin | Evelyn "Angel" Martin | The Rockford Files | NBC | |
| Noah Beery Jr. | Joseph "Rocky" Rockford | The Rockford Files | NBC | |
| Joe Santos | Det. Dennis Becker | |||
| Mason Adams | Charlie Hume | Lou Grant | CBS | |
| Robert Walden | Joe Rossi | |||
| Year | Actor | Role | Program | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 (32nd) | ||||
| Stuart Margolin | Evelyn "Angel" Martin | The Rockford Files | NBC | |
| Noah Beery Jr. | Joseph "Rocky" Rockford | The Rockford Files | NBC | |
| Mason Adams | Charlie Hume | Lou Grant | CBS | |
| Robert Walden | Joe Rossi | |||
| 1981 (33rd) | ||||
| Michael Conrad | Sgt. Phil Esterhaus | Hill Street Blues | NBC | |
| Charles Haid | Officer Andy Renko | Hill Street Blues | NBC | |
| Bruce Weitz | Det. Mick Belker | |||
| Mason Adams | Charlie Hume | Lou Grant | CBS | |
| Robert Walden | Joe Rossi | |||
| 1982 (34th) | ||||
| Michael Conrad | Sgt. Phil Esterhaus | Hill Street Blues | NBC | |
| Taurean Blacque | Det. Neal Washington | Hill Street Blues | NBC | |
| Charles Haid | Officer Andy Renko | |||
| Michael Warren | Officer Bobby Hill | |||
| Bruce Weitz | Det. Mick Belker | |||
| 1983 (35th) | ||||
| James Coco § | Arnie | St. Elsewhere | NBC | |
| Ed Begley Jr. | Dr. Victor Ehrlich | St. Elsewhere | NBC | |
| Michael Conrad | Sgt. Phil Esterhaus | Hill Street Blues | ||
| Joe Spano | Sgt. Henry Goldblume | |||
| Bruce Weitz | Det. Mick Belker | |||
| 1984 (36th) | ||||
| Bruce Weitz | Det. Mick Belker | Hill Street Blues | NBC | |
| Michael Conrad | Sgt. Phil Esterhaus | Hill Street Blues | NBC | |
| James Sikking | Lt. Howard Hunter | |||
| Ed Begley Jr. | Dr. Victor Ehrlich | St. Elsewhere | ||
| John Hillerman | Jonathan Higgins | Magnum, P.I. | CBS | |
| 1985 (37th) | ||||
| Edward James Olmos | Lt. Martin Castillo | Miami Vice | NBC | |
| Ed Begley Jr. | Dr. Victor Ehrlich | St. Elsewhere | NBC | |
| Bruce Weitz | Det. Mick Belker | Hill Street Blues | ||
| John Hillerman | Jonathan Higgins | Magnum, P.I. | CBS | |
| John Karlen | Harvey Lacey | Cagney & Lacey | ||
| 1986 (38th) | ||||
| John Karlen | Harvey Lacey | Cagney & Lacey | CBS | |
| John Hillerman | Jonathan Higgins | Magnum, P.I. | CBS | |
| Ed Begley Jr. | Dr. Victor Ehrlich | St. Elsewhere | NBC | |
| Edward James Olmos | Lt. Martin Castillo | Miami Vice | ||
| Bruce Weitz | Det. Mick Belker | Hill Street Blues | ||
| 1987 (39th) | ||||
| John Hillerman | Jonathan Higgins | Magnum, P.I. | CBS | |
| Jimmy Smits | Victor Sifuentes | L.A. Law | NBC | |
| Michael Tucker | Stuart Markowitz | |||
| Ed Begley Jr. | Dr. Victor Ehrlich | St. Elsewhere | NBC | |
| John Karlen | Harvey Lacey | Cagney & Lacey | CBS | |
| 1988 (40th) | ||||
| Larry Drake | Benny Stulwicz | L.A. Law | NBC | |
| Alan Rachins | Douglas Brackman | L.A. Law | NBC | |
| Jimmy Smits | Victor Sifuentes | NBC | ||
| Ed Begley Jr. | Dr. Victor Ehrlich | St. Elsewhere | NBC | |
| Timothy Busfield | Elliot Weston | Thirtysomething | ABC | |
| 1989 (41st) | ||||
| Larry Drake | Benny Stulwicz | L.A. Law | NBC | |
| Richard Dysart | Leland McKenzie | L.A. Law | NBC | |
| Jimmy Smits | Victor Sifuentes | NBC | ||
| Jonathan Banks | Frank McPike | Wiseguy | CBS | |
| Timothy Busfield | Elliot Weston | Thirtysomething | ABC |
| Year | Actress | Role | Program | Episode Submissions | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 (52nd) | |||||
| Richard Schiff | Toby Ziegler | The West Wing | "In Excelsis Deo” + “Five Votes Down" | NBC | |
| John Spencer | Leo McGarry | The West Wing | "Let Bartlet Be Bartlet” + “Five Votes Down" | NBC | |
| Michael Badalucco | Jimmy Berlutti | The Practice | ABC | ||
| Steve Harris | Eugene Young | ||||
| Dominic Chianese | Junior Soprano | The Sopranos | HBO | ||
| 2001 (53rd) | |||||
| Bradley Whitford | Josh Lyman | The West Wing | "Noel" + "In the Shadow of Two Gunmen" | NBC | |
| Richard Schiff | Toby Ziegler | The West Wing | "17 People" + "The Leadership Breakfast" | NBC | |
| John Spencer | Leo McGarry | "In the Shadow of Two Gunmen" + "The Leadership Breakfast" | |||
| Dominic Chianese | Junior Soprano | The Sopranos | "Second Opinion" + "Another Toothpick" | HBO | |
| Michael Imperioli | Christopher Moltisanti | "Fortunate Son" + "Pine Barrens" | |||
| 2002 (54th) | |||||
| John Spencer | Leo McGarry | The West Wing | "Bartlet for America" + "We Killed Yamamoto" | NBC | |
| Richard Schiff | Toby Ziegler | The West Wing | "Hartsfield's Landing" + "Night Five" | NBC | |
| Bradley Whitford | Josh Lyman | "H.Con-172" + "The Two Bartlets" | |||
| Dulé Hill | Charlie Young | "Hartsfield's Landing" + "Enemies, Foreign and Domestic" | |||
| Victor Garber | Jack Bristow | Alias | "Color Blind" + "Almost Thirty Years" | ABC | |
| Freddy Rodriguez | Federico "Rico" Diaz | Six Feet Under | "The Trip" + "I'll Take You" | HBO | |
| 2003 (55th) | |||||
| Joe Pantoliano | Ralph Cifaretto | The Sopranos | "Christopher" + "Whoever Did This" | HBO | |
| John Spencer | Leo McGarry | The West Wing | "Red Mass" + "Twenty Five" | NBC | |
| Bradley Whitford | Josh Lyman | "20 Hours In America" + "Evidence of Things Not Seen" | |||
| Victor Garber | Jack Bristow | Alias | "Passage Part 2" + "Endgame" | ABC | |
| Michael Imperioli | Christopher Moltisanti | The Sopranos | "The Strong, Silent Type" + "Whoever Did This" | HBO | |
| 2004 (56th) | |||||
| Michael Imperioli | Christopher Moltisanti | The Sopranos | "Irregular Around the Margins" + "Long Term Parking" | HBO | |
| Steve Buscemi | Tony Blundetto | The Sopranos | "Rat Pack" + "Marco Polo" | HBO | |
| John Spencer | Leo McGarry | The West Wing | "An Khe" + "Memorial Day" | NBC | |
| Brad Dourif | Dr. Amos "Doc" Cochran | Deadwood | "Deep Water" + "No Other Sons or Daughters" | HBO | |
| Victor Garber | Jack Bristow | Alias | "Breaking Point" + "Hourglass" | ABC | |
| 2005 (57th) | |||||
| William Shatner | Denny Crane | Boston Legal | "It Girls and Beyond" + "Tortured Souls" | ABC | |
| Naveen Andrews | Sayid Jarrah | Lost | "Solitary" + "The Greater Good" | ABC | |
| Terry O'Quinn | John Locke | "Walkabout" + "The Moth" | |||
| Alan Alda | Arnold Vinick | The West Wing | "King Corn" + "In God We Trust" | NBC | |
| Oliver Platt | Russell Tupper | Huff | "That F**kin'Cabin" + "Crazy, Nuts and All Messed Up | Showtime | |
| 2006 (58th) | |||||
| Alan Alda | Arnold Vinick | The West Wing | "Two Weeks Out" + "The Last Hurrah" | NBC | |
| Michael Imperioli | Christopher Moltisanti | The Sopranos | "Luxury Lounge" + "The Ride" | HBO | |
| Gregory Itzin | Charles Logan | 24 | "Day 5: 3:00-4:00am" + "Day 5: 6:00-7:00am" | Fox | |
| Oliver Platt | Russell Tupper | Huff | "Red Meat" + "So…What Brings You to Armageddon" | Showtime | |
| William Shatner | Denny Crane | Boston Legal | "Witches of Mass Destruction" + "Live Big" | ABC | |
| 2007 (59th) | |||||
| Terry O'Quinn | John Locke | Lost | "The Man from Tallahassee" | ABC | |
| Michael Emerson | Ben Linus | Lost | "The Man Behind the Curtain" | ABC | |
| Michael Imperioli | Christopher Moltisanti | The Sopranos | "Walk Like a Man" | HBO | |
| T. R. Knight | George O'Malley | Grey's Anatomy | "Six Days, Parts 1 & 2" | ABC | |
| Masi Oka | Hiro Nakamura | Heroes | "Five Years Gone" | NBC | |
| William Shatner | Denny Crane | Boston Legal | "Son of a Defender" | ABC | |
| 2008 (60th) | |||||
| Željko Ivanek | Ray Fiske | Damages | "I Hate These People" | FX | |
| Ted Danson | Arthur Frobisher | Damages | "Jesus, Mary and Joe C-cker" | FX | |
| Michael Emerson | Ben Linus | Lost | "The Shape of Things to Come" | ABC | |
| William Shatner | Denny Crane | Boston Legal | "Mad About You" | ||
| John Slattery | Roger Sterling | Mad Men | "Long Weekend" | AMC | |
| 2009 (61st) | |||||
| Michael Emerson | Ben Linus | Lost | "Dead is Dead" | ABC | |
| Christian Clemenson | Jerry Espenson | Boston Legal | "Roe" | ABC | |
| William Shatner | Denny Crane | "Made in China"/"Last Call" | |||
| William Hurt | Daniel Purcell | Damages | "Hey! Mr. Pibb | " | FX |
| Aaron Paul | Jesse Pinkman | Breaking Bad | "Peekaboo" | AMC | |
| John Slattery | Roger Sterling | Mad Men | "Six Month Leave" | ||