Emmy award
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series is an award that is presented annually by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It is given in honor of an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a guest starring role on a television drama series for the primetime network season.
The award was first presented at the 27th Primetime Emmy Awards on May 19, 1975, to Zohra Lampert , for her performance on Kojak , and to Cloris Leachman , for her role on The Mary Tyler Moore Show . It has undergone several name changes, originally honoring single leading and supporting appearances in drama and comedy series through 1978. The award was re-introduced at the 38th Primetime Emmy Awards under the name Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series , honoring actors and actresses in guest starring roles on television drama series. In 1989, the category was split into categories for each gender, resulting in the name change to its current title.
Since its inception, the award has been given to 35 actresses. Patricia Clarkson , Cherry Jones, Shirley Knight , Margo Martindale , Amanda Plummer , and Alfre Woodard have won the most awards in this category, with two each. Cicely Tyson has been nominated for the award on five occasions, the most in the category. Meanwhile, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit holds the most awardees, with 5 winners coming from the show.
Winners and nominations
Listed below are the winners of the award for each year, as well as the other nominees.
Zohra Lampert was the first recipient in the category, winning for her performance in Kojak .
Beulah Bondi won in 1977 for her lead guest-starring role in The Waltons .
Olivia Cole won for her portrayal of Mathilda in Roots .
Rita Moreno won the award for her leading guest appearance in The Rockford Files .
Blanche Baker won in this category for her role in the miniseries Holocaust .
Shirley Knight won the award twice for her guest appearances in thirtysomething and NYPD Blue .
Kay Lenz won for her appearance in the Midnight Caller episode "After It Happened " (1989).
Peggy McCay won for her guest role as Irene Hayes in The Trials of Rosie O'Neill .
Elaine Stritch won the award for her guest appearance in Law & Order .
Faye Dunaway won in 1994 for her role in Columbo: It's All in the Game .
Dianne Wiest won the award for her performance in the Road to Avonlea episode "Woman of Importance".
Veronica Cartwright received three consecutive nominations in this category for her appearances on ER and The X-Files .
Debra Monk won the award in 1999 for her guest performance on NYPD Blue as Katie Sipowicz.
Sally Field won an award from two nominations for her performance in ER .
Out of four nominations, Alfre Woodard won two awards for her guest-starring roles in L.A. Law and The Practice .
Sharon Stone won in 2004 for her role as Sheila Carlisle in The Practice .
Patricia Clarkson received two awards for her portrayal of Sarah O'Connor in Six Feet Under .
Leslie Caron won for her guest appearance on the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode "Recall".
Out of three nominations, Ellen Burstyn won in 2009 for her guest role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit .
Lily Tomlin received two nominations in the category for her appearances in Homicide: Life on the Streets and Damages .
Loretta Devine won the 2011 award for her role as Adele Webber in Grey's Anatomy .
Carrie Preston won for her guest performance on The Good Wife .
Allison Janney won the award for her role as Margaret Scully in Masters of Sex .
Margo Martindale received two consecutive awards in the category for her performance in The Americans .
Cherry Jones received two consecutive awards in the category for two different programs: The Handmaid's Tale and Succession , respectively.
Claire Foy won for her guest performance on The Crown .
1970s
Year
Actress
Program
Role
Submitted episode(s)
Network
1975 (27th) [ 1]
Zohra Lampert
Kojak
Marina Sheldon
"Queen of the Gypsies"
CBS
Cloris Leachman
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Phyllis Lindstrom
"Phyllis Whips Inflation"
Shelley Winters
McCloud
Thelma
"The Barefoot Girls of Bleaker Street"
NBC
1976 (28th)
Outstanding Lead Actress for a Single Appearance in a Comedy or Drama Series[ 2]
Kathryn Walker
The Adams Chronicles
Abigail Adams
"John Adams, Lawyer"
PBS
Helen Hayes
Hawaii Five-O
Aunt Clara
"Retire In Sunny Hawaii... Forever"
CBS
Sheree North
Marcus Welby, M.D.
June Monica
"How Do You Know What Hurts Me?"
ABC
Pamela Payton-Wright
The Adams Chronicles
Louisa Catherine Adams
"John Quincy Adams, Diplomat"
PBS
Martha Raye
McMillan & Wife
Agatha
"Greed"
NBC
Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Drama Series[ 3]
Fionnula Flanagan
Rich Man, Poor Man
Clothilde
"Part II"
ABC
Kim Darby
Rich Man, Poor Man
Virginia Calderwood
"Part II"
ABC
Ruth Gordon
Rhoda
Carlton's Mother
"Kiss Your Epaulets Goodbye"
CBS
Eileen Heckart
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Flo Meredith
"Mary's Aunt"
Kay Lenz
Rich Man, Poor Man
Kate Jordache
"Part VIII"
ABC
1977 (29th)
Outstanding Lead Actress for a Single Appearance in a Comedy or Drama Series[ 4]
Beulah Bondi
The Waltons
Aunt Martha Corinne Walton
"The Pony Cart"
CBS
Susan Blakely
Rich Man, Poor Man Book II
Julie Prescott
"Chapter 1"
ABC
Madge Sinclair
Roots
Bell Reynolds
"Part IV"
Leslie Uggams
Kizzy Reynolds
"Part VI"
Jessica Walter
The Streets of San Francisco
Maggie Jarris / Mrs. Reston / Mrs. McCluskey
"Till Death Do Us Part"
Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Drama Series[ 5]
Olivia Cole
Roots
Mathilda
"Part VIII"
ABC
Sandy Duncan
Roots
Missy Anne Reynolds
"Part V"
ABC
Eileen Heckart
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Flo Meredith
"Lou Proposes"
CBS
Cicely Tyson
Roots
Binta
"Part I"
ABC
Nancy Walker
Rhoda
Ida Morgenstern
"The Separation"
CBS
1978 (30th)
Outstanding Lead Actress for a Single Appearance in a Comedy or Drama Series[ 6]
Rita Moreno
The Rockford Files
Rita Capkovic
"The Paper Palace"
NBC
Patty Duke
Having Babies III
Leslee Wexler
—
ABC
Kate Jackson
Jamie at 16
Robin
"Pilot"
NBC
Jayne Meadows
Meeting of Minds
Florence Nightingale
"Luther, Voltaire, Plato, Nightingale"
PBS
Irene Tedrow
Jamie at 16
Miss Jordan
"Ducks"
NBC
Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Drama Series[ 7]
Blanche Baker
Holocaust
Anna Weiss
"Part I"
NBC
Ellen Corby
The Waltons
Esther Walton
"Grandma Comes Home"
CBS
Jeanette Nolan
The Awakening Land
Granny McWhirter
"Part I"
NBC
Beulah Quo
Meeting of Minds
Empress Tz'u-hsi
"Douglass, Tz'u-Hsi, Beccaria, De Sade"
PBS
Beatrice Straight
The Dain Curse
Alice Dain Leggett
"Part 1"
CBS
1980s
1990s
^ Valerie Mahaffey won in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her guest appearance on Northern Exposure .
^ Barbara Barrie was nominated in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her guest appearance on Law & Order .
^ Shirley Knight was nominated in the category of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her guest appearance on Law & Order , but lost to Dana Delaney, who won for her role on China Beach .
^ Kate Nelligan was nominated in the category of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her guest appearance on Road to Avonlea , but lost to Dana Delaney, who won for her role on China Beach .
2000s
2010s
2020s
2 wins
Programs with multiple wins
5 nominations
4 nominations
3 nominations
2 nominations
Programs with multiple nominations
14 nominations
9 nominations
8 nominations
6 nominations
5 nominations
4 nominations
3 nominations
2 nominations
See also
References
1975–1988 1989–2019 2020–present
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