If Jason Sudeikis (“Ted Lasso”) wins his third Best Comedy Actor Emmy in a row, as Gold Derby predicts, he would join a small group of men who dominated this category thrice consecutively. The most recent person to do so was Michael J. Fox (“Family Ties”) 35 years ago in 1986-88; he later won a fourth trophy in this race for “Spin City” in 2000.
Prior to Fox, only three other Best Comedy Actor contenders claimed three Emmys consecutively: Carroll O’Connor (“All in the Family”) in 1977-79 (plus a fourth win in 1972), Don Adams (“Get Smart”) in 1967-69 and Dick Van Dyke (“The Dick Van Dyke Show”) in 1964-66. That means Sudeikis is hoping to become the fifth person in Emmy history to accomplish this rare feat.
Those who won three or more non-consecutive prizes in the Best Comedy Actor race are Kelsey Grammer (four total for “Frasier”), John Lithgow (three total for “3rd Rock from the Sun”), Jim Parsons (four total for “The Big Bang Theory”) and Tony Shalhoub (three total for “Monk”).
Sudeikis has been near the top of Gold Derby’s predictions for Best Comedy Actor all season long. His closest competitor is Jeremy Allen White (“The Bear”), who dominated the winter awards season thanks in part to “Ted Lasso” not having any eligible episodes. Other likely nominees for the 2023 Emmys are Bill Hader (“Barry”), Steve Martin (“Only Murders in the Building”), Martin Short (“Only Murders in the Building”) and Jason Segel (“Shrinking”).
Apple TV Plus’ “Ted Lasso” stars Sudeikis as the titular American football coach who travels to the UK to coach soccer, a sport he knows nothing about. Rumors have been circulating all year that the third season, which wrapped up in May, will be its last ever, but that still has not been confirmed. In the final episode, Ted returned home to Kansas to be with his son, leaving everyone else behind in England.
SEE 2023 Emmys: ‘Ted Lasso’ could become 7th comedy series ever to win for first 3 seasons
Gold Derby’s 19 Emmy Experts are split on whether Sudeikis will become the next Fox, O’Connor, Adams and Van Dyke by winning three in a row. Sudeikis has the support of seven of these savvy prognosticators, compared to 10 who predict White and two who back Hader.
“I really didn’t [think I would win],” Sudeikis said at last year’s Emmys after he pulled off a second victory for Best Comedy Actor. “It’s an amazing, amazing group that I was nominated with, so I’m not overly prepared. But I did take classes at the Second City,” he joked. The actor then went on to thank his parents, his “Ted Lasso” cast and crew, and the “people that watch this show and dig it as much as we dig making it.”
PREDICT the 2023 Emmy nominees through July 12
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