The Los Angeles Times has published its 2026 Emmy predictions for best supporting actor in comedy, and the list leans hard on familiar faces, franchise players and past winners. Harrison Ford tops the ranking for “Shrinking,” while the field stretches from Michael Urie and Paul W. Downs to Bryan Cranston, Ben Kingsley and Bowen Yang.
The No. 2 slot goes to Michael Urie for “Shrinking,” followed by Paul W. Downs for “Hacks” at No. 3. Nick Offerman lands at No. 4 for “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” Tyler James Williams is No. 5 for “Abbott Elementary,” and Ebon Moss-Bachrach takes No. 6 for “The Bear.” The top 10 continues with Cranston at No. 7 for “Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair,” Kingsley at No. 8 for “Wonder Man,” Daniel Radcliffe at No. 9 for “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins,” and Bowen Yang at No. 10 for “Saturday Night Live.”
What makes the race stand out is how many of the names already carry Emmy history or instant recognition. Cranston is a seven-time winner, Kingsley is an Oscar winner, and Offerman’s turn on the list comes with a reminder that he previously won guest actor in a drama for “The Last of Us.”
The predictions piece is not an awards result; it is a snapshot of where the category stands before the real voting story begins. It also nods to other comedy acting races, but this supporting-actor field is the one stuffed with the most familiar resumes, and that makes the margin between a nod and a miss unusually tight.
The comments attached to the ranking show how personal these calls can be. Matt Roush argued that “Shrinking” should finally get Ted McGinley into the mix, saying he hopes the actor “finally makes the cut” as the show hits its stride. Glenn Whipp made the case for Offerman by pointing to his long-ago run as Ron Swanson on “Parks and Recreation,” while Kristen Baldwin praised Radcliffe for a “wonderfully self-deprecating” performance in “Reggie Dinkins.”
Tracy Brown went even further back, tying Kingsley’s place in the conversation to a Marvel role that began in 2013 with “Iron Man 3.” Her view was blunt: Emmy voters tend to overlook Marvel actors, but Trevor Slattery’s evolution deserves recognition on its own. That tension is part of what makes this list matter now. The category is crowded, the names are known, and the predictions make clear that even a strong performance can get squeezed when voters have this many old favorites and new franchises to choose from.
For Jean Smart, the headline-grabbing part of the roundup is not a surprise win or a snub but the larger shape of the competition around her. The best supporting actor race in comedy is already looking like one of the season’s most crowded, and the first public map from the Los Angeles Times suggests that the fight will come down to whether voters reward past acclaim, current momentum or a long-overdue turn.
