Variety updated its Emmy Awards guest acting predictions on May 21, 2026, and the races remain as unsettled as ever. The outlet called the four guest acting contests the Emmys' most unpredictable quartet, with Colman Domingo, Shailene Woodley and Elisabeth Moss among the names drawing attention.
Domingo entered as an early frontrunner in guest actor in a drama series for reprising Ali Muhammed on HBO Max's Euphoria, the same role that brought him a win in 2022. Eric Dane also returned to Euphoria as Cal Jacobs, keeping that category tied to one of television's most watched dramas.
Woodley appeared to have momentum in guest actress in a drama series for her work in Hulu's Paradise, while Merritt Wever remained one of the Academy's most respected performers after collecting three Emmy wins across three separate categories. Moss emerged as a major spoiler for Hulu's The Testaments as she returned to June Osborne from The Handmaid's Tale, a reminder that a familiar face can still change a race late in the season.
The comedy side is just as crowded. Jon Bernthal had already won guest comedy actor in 2024 for playing Mikey Berzatto on FX's The Bear, and his surprise episode was co-written with Ebon Moss-Bachrach. Michael J. Fox, Brett Goldstein and Jeff Daniels were also listed as contenders from Shrinking, showing how much that category still depends on a single episode rather than on a season-long presence.
Jamie Lee Curtis, who won guest comedy actress in 2024 for her turn as Donna 'DeeDee' Berzatto on The Bear, remained part of the conversation, while Laurie Metcalf and Kaitlin Olson were identified as possible contenders from Hacks. Candice Bergen and Sherry Cola were also identified as threats from Shrinking, giving the field a mix of past winners and newer challengers.
That list can still shift. Variety's Awards Circuit predictions are updated every Thursday and are presented as current standings rather than personal preferences, and official category submissions had not yet been confirmed. That leaves room for more movement, but for now the guest acting races are being shaped by one-off performances that can upend even the strongest early favorites.
For viewers, that is what makes the emmy awards races hard to predict and easy to watch: one episode can outweigh a full season's worth of visibility, and a familiar face can still break through at the last moment.
