Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Primetime Emmy Awards · 288 nominations across 69 ceremonies · 73 wins
78th Emmys · 2026
- Nominee Charlie Hunnam · Monster: The Ed Gein Story
- Nominee Jason Bateman · Black Rabbit
- Nominee Oscar Isaac · Beef
- Nominee Riz Ahmed · Bait
- Nominee Matthew Rhys · The Beast in Me
77th Emmys · 2025
- Winner Stephen Graham · Adolescence
- Nominee Cooper Koch · Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
- Nominee Jake Gyllenhaal · Presumed Innocent
- Nominee Colin Farrell · The Penguin
- Nominee Brian Tyree Henry · Dope Thief
76th Emmys · 2024
- Winner Richard Gadd · Baby Reindeer
- Nominee Andrew Scott · Ripley
- Nominee Jon Hamm · Fargo
- Nominee Matt Bomer · Fellow Travelers
- Nominee Tom Hollander · Feud: Capote vs. The Swans
75th Emmys · 2023
- Winner Steven Yeun · Beef
- Nominee Evan Peters · Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
- Nominee Kumail Nanjiani · Welcome to Chippendales
- Nominee Daniel Radcliffe · Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
- Nominee Michael Shannon · George & Tammy
- Nominee Taron Egerton · Black Bird
74th Emmys · 2022
- Winner Michael Keaton · Dopesick
- Nominee Sebastian Stan · Pam & Tommy
- Nominee Himesh Patel · Station Eleven
- Nominee Oscar Isaac · Scenes from a Marriage
- Nominee Colin Firth · The Staircase
- Nominee Andrew Garfield · Under the Banner of Heaven
73rd Emmys · 2021
- Winner Ewan McGregor · Halston
- Nominee Leslie Odom Jr. · Hamilton
- Nominee Hugh Grant · The Undoing
- Nominee Lin-Manuel Miranda · Hamilton
- Nominee Paul Bettany · WandaVision
72nd Emmys · 2020
- Winner Mark Ruffalo · I Know This Much Is True
71st Emmys · 2019
- Winner Jharrel Jerome · When They See Us
70th Emmys · 2018
69th Emmys · 2017
- Winner Riz Ahmed · The Night Of
68th Emmys · 2016
67th Emmys · 2015
- Winner Richard Jenkins · Olive Kitteridge
66th Emmys · 2014
- Winner Benedict Cumberbatch · Sherlock: His Last Vow
- Nominee Idris Elba · Luther
- Nominee Billy Bob Thornton · Fargo
- Nominee Mark Ruffalo · The Normal Heart
- Nominee Martin Freeman · Fargo
- Nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor · Dancing on the Edge
65th Emmys · 2013
- Winner Michael Douglas · Behind the Candelabra
- Nominee Toby Jones · The Girl
- Nominee Al Pacino · Phil Spector
- Nominee Benedict Cumberbatch · Parade's End
- Nominee Matt Damon · Behind the Candelabra
64th Emmys · 2012
- Winner Kevin Costner · Hatfields & McCoys
- Nominee Woody Harrelson · Game Change
- Nominee Idris Elba · Luther
- Nominee Bill Paxton · Hatfields & McCoys
- Nominee Clive Owen · Hemingway & Gellhorn
- Nominee Benedict Cumberbatch · Sherlock
- Nominee Benedict Cumberbatch · Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia
63rd Emmys · 2011
- Winner Barry Pepper · The Kennedys
- Nominee Laurence Fishburne · Thurgood
- Nominee Idris Elba · Luther
- Nominee Édgar Ramírez · Carlos
- Nominee William Damaged · Too Big to Fail
- Nominee Greg Kinnear · The Kennedys
62nd Emmys · 2010
- Winner Al Pacino · You Don't Know Jack
- Nominee Dennis Quaid · The Special Relationship
- Nominee Jeff Bridges · A Dog Year
- Nominee Ian McKellen · The Prisoner
- Nominee Michael Sheen · The Special Relationship
61st Emmys · 2009
- Winner Brendan Gleeson · Into the Storm
- Nominee Ian McKellen · King Lear
- Nominee Kevin Kline · Great Performances
- Nominee Kenneth Branagh · Wallander
- Nominee Kevin Kline · Cyrano de Bergerac
- Nominee Kiefer Sutherland · 24: Redemption
- Nominee Kevin Bacon · Taking Chance
60th Emmys · 2008
- Winner Paul Giamatti · John Adams
- Nominee Ralph Fiennes · Bernard and Doris
- Nominee Kevin Spacey · Recount
- Nominee Tom Wilkinson · Recount
- Nominee Ricky Gervais · Extras
59th Emmys · 2007
- Winner Robert Duvall · Broken Trail
- Nominee Matthew Perry · The Ron Clark Story
- Nominee Tom Selleck · Jesse Stone: Sea Change
- Nominee Jim Broadbent · Longford
- Nominee William H. Macy · Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King
58th Emmys · 2006
- Winner Andre Braugher · Thief
- Nominee Ben Kingsley · Mrs. Harris
- Nominee Charles Dance · Bleak House
- Nominee Jon Voight · Pope John Paul II
- Nominee Donald Sutherland · Human Trafficking
57th Emmys · 2005
- Winner Geoffrey Rush · The Life and Death of Peter Sellers
- Nominee William H. Macy · The Wool Cap
- Nominee Ed Harris · Empire Falls
- Nominee Kenneth Branagh · Warm Springs
- Nominee Jonathan Rhys Meyers · Elvis
56th Emmys · 2004
- Winner Al Pacino · Angels in America
- Nominee James Brolin · The Reagans
- Nominee Antonio Banderas · And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself
- Nominee Alan Rickman · Something the Lord Made
- Nominee Mos Def · Something the Lord Made
55th Emmys · 2003
- Winner William H. Macy · Door to Door
- Nominee Paul Newman · Our Town
- Nominee Tom Wilkinson · Normal
- Nominee James Woods · Rudy: The Rudy Giuliani Story
- Nominee Brad Garrett · Gleason
54th Emmys · 2002
- Winner Albert Finney · The Gathering Storm
- Nominee Beau Bridges · We Were the Mulvaneys
- Nominee James Franco · James Dean
- Nominee Kenneth Branagh · Shackleton
- Nominee Michael Gambon · Path to War
53rd Emmys · 2001
- Winner Kenneth Branagh · Conspiracy
- Nominee Barry Pepper · 61*
- Nominee Ben Kingsley · Anne Frank: The Whole Story
- Nominee Andy Garcia · For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story
- Nominee Gregory Hines · Bojangles
52nd Emmys · 2000
- Winner Jack Lemmon · Tuesdays with Morrie
- Nominee William H. Macy · A Slight Case of Murder
- Nominee Liev Schreiber · RKO 281
- Nominee Brian Dennehy · Death of a Salesman
- Nominee Beau Bridges · P. T. Barnum
51st Emmys · 1999
- Winner Stanley Tucci · Winchell
- Nominee Sam Shepard · Dash and Lilly
- Nominee Jack Lemmon · Inherit the Wind
- Nominee Don Cheadle · A Lesson Before Dying
- Nominee Ian Holm · King Lear
50th Emmys · 1998
- Winner Gary Sinise · George Wallace
- Winner Gary Sinise · George Wallace
- Nominee Sam Neill · Merlin
- Nominee Patrick Stewart · Moby Dick
- Nominee Jack Lemmon · 12 Angry Men
- Nominee Ving Rhames · Don King: Only in America
49th Emmys · 1997
- Winner Armand Assante · Gotti
- Nominee Beau Bridges · Hidden in America
- Nominee Robert Duvall · The Man Who Captured Eichmann
- Nominee Laurence Fishburne · Miss Evers' Boys
- Nominee Sidney Poitier · Mandela and de Klerk
48th Emmys · 1996
- Winner Alan Rickman · Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny
- Nominee Alec Baldwin · A Streetcar Named Desire
- Nominee Beau Bridges · Kissinger and Nixon
- Nominee Laurence Fishburne · The Tuskegee Airmen
- Nominee Gary Sinise · Truman
47th Emmys · 1995
- Winner Raul Julia · The Burning Season
- Nominee James Woods · Indictment: The McMartin Trial
- Nominee John Lithgow · My Brother's Keeper
- Nominee Charles S. Dutton · The Piano Lesson
- Nominee Charles S. Dutton · Hallmark Hall of Fame
- Nominee Huey P. Long · Kingfish: A Story of Huey P. Long
46th Emmys · 1994
- Winner Hume Cronyn · To Dance with the White Dog
- Nominee Michael Caine · World War II: When Lions Roared
- Nominee Sam Waterston · I'll Fly Away
- Nominee James Garner · Breathing Lessons
- Nominee James Garner · Hallmark Hall of Fame
- Nominee Matthew Modine · And the Band Played On
45th Emmys · 1993
- Winner Robert Morse · Tru
- Nominee Robert Blake · Judgment Day: The John List Story
- Nominee James Garner · Barbarians at the Gate
- Nominee James Woods · Citizen Cohn
- Nominee Robert Duvall · Stalin
44th Emmys · 1992
- Winner Beau Bridges · Without Warning: The James Brady Story
- Nominee Rubén Blades · Crazy from the Heart
- Nominee Hume Cronyn · Christmas on Division Street
- Nominee Brian Dennehy · To Catch a Killer
- Nominee Maximilian Schell · Miss Rose White
43rd Emmys · 1991
- Winner John Gielgud · Summer's Lease
- Nominee James Garner · Decoration Day
- Nominee Sidney Poitier · Separate But Equal
- Nominee Christopher Walken · Sarah, Plain and Tall
- Nominee Dennis Hopper · Paris Trout
- Nominee James Garner · Hallmark Hall of Fame
42nd Emmys · 1990
- Winner Hume Cronyn · Age-Old Friends
- Nominee Tom Hulce · Murder in Mississippi
- Nominee Art Carney · Where Pigeons Go to Die
- Nominee Albert Finney · The Image
- Nominee Michael Caine · Jekyll & Hyde
41st Emmys · 1989
- Winner James Woods · My Name Is Bill W.
- Nominee Robert Duvall · Lonesome Dove
- Nominee John Gielgud · War and Remembrance
- Nominee Ben Kingsley · Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story
- Nominee Tommy Lee Jones · Lonesome Dove
40th Emmys · 1988
- Winner Jason Robards · Inherit the Wind
- Nominee Stacy Keach · Hemingway
- Nominee Hume Cronyn · Foxfire
- Nominee Jack Lemmon · The Murder of Mary Phagan
- Nominee Danny Glover · Mandela
39th Emmys · 1987
- Winner James Woods · Promise
- Nominee Randy Quaid · LBJ: The Early Years
- Nominee Alan Arkin · Escape from Sobibor
- Nominee James Garner · Promise
- Nominee Louis Gossett Jr. · A Gathering of Old Men
- Nominee James Garner · Hallmark Hall of Fame
38th Emmys · 1986
- Winner Dustin Hoffman · Death of a Salesman
- Nominee Aidan Quinn · An Early Frost
- Nominee Ben Gazzara · An Early Frost
- Nominee John Lithgow · Resting Place
- Nominee Kirk Douglas · Amos
37th Emmys · 1985
- Winner Richard Crenna · The Rape of Richard Beck
- Nominee James Garner · Heartsounds
- Nominee George C. Scott · A Christmas Carol
- Nominee Richard Kiley · Do You Remember Love
- Nominee Heartsounds
- Nominee Richard Chamberlain · Wallenberg: A Hero's Story
36th Emmys · 1984
- Winner Laurence Olivier · King Lear
- Nominee Something About Amelia
- Nominee Adam
- Nominee Louis Gossett Jr. · Sadat
- Nominee Mickey Rooney · Bill: On His Own
35th Emmys · 1983
- Winner Tommy Lee Jones · The Executioner's Song
- Nominee Roger Rees · The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
- Nominee Alec Guinness · Smiley's People
- Nominee Robert Blake · Blood Feud
- Nominee Richard Chamberlain · The Thorn Birds
34th Emmys · 1982
- Winner Mickey Rooney · Bill
- Nominee Anthony Andrews · Brideshead Revisited
- Nominee Jeremy Irons · Brideshead Revisited
- Nominee Philip Anglim · The Elephant Man
- Nominee Anthony Hopkins · The Hunchback of Notre Dame
33rd Emmys · 1981
- Winner Anthony Hopkins · The Bunker
- Nominee Richard Chamberlain · Shōgun
- Nominee Peter O'Toole · Masada
- Nominee Toshirō Mifune · Shōgun
- Nominee Peter Strauss · Masada
32nd Emmys · 1980
- Winner Powers Boothe · Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones
- Nominee Jason Robards · F.D.R.: The Last Year
- Nominee Henry Fonda · Gideon's Trumpet
- Nominee Tony Curtis · Moviola
31st Emmys · 1979
- Winner Peter Strauss · The Jericho Mile
- Nominee Kurt Russell · Elvis
- Nominee Louis Gossett Jr. · Backstairs at the White House
- Nominee Ned Beatty · Friendly Fire
30th Emmys · 1978
- Winner Michael Moriarty · Holocaust
- Winner Fred Astaire · A Family Upside Down
- Nominee Paul Winfield · King
- Nominee The Awakening Land
- Nominee Kill Me If You Can
- Nominee James Stacy · Just a Little Inconvenience
- Nominee Jason Robards · Washington: Behind Closed Doors
- Nominee Fritz Weaver · Holocaust
- Nominee Hal Holbrook · Our Town
- Nominee Martin Sheen · Taxi!!!
29th Emmys · 1977
- Winner Ed Flanders · Plain Speaking
- Winner Christopher Plummer · The Moneychangers
- Nominee Stanley Baker · How Green Was My Valley
- Nominee Peter Boyle · Tail Gunner Joe
- Nominee Steven Keats · Seventh Avenue
- Nominee Richard Jordan · Captains and the Kings
- Nominee George C. Scott · Beauty and the Beast
- Nominee Edward Herrmann · Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years
- Nominee Peter Finch · Raid on Entebbe
28th Emmys · 1976
- Winner Anthony Hopkins · The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case
- Winner Hal Holbrook · Lincoln
- Nominee Edward Herrmann · Eleanor and Franklin
- Nominee William Devane · Fear on Trial
- Nominee Jack Lemmon · The Entertainer
- Nominee Peter Strauss · Rich Man, Poor Man
- Nominee Nick Nolte · Rich Man, Poor Man
- Nominee George Grizzard · The Adams Chronicles
- Nominee Jason Robards · A Moon for the Misbegotten
27th Emmys · 1975
- Winner Peter Falk · Columbo
- Winner Laurence Olivier · Love Among the Ruins
- Nominee Dennis Weaver · McCloud
- Nominee Charles Durning · Queen of the Stardust Ballroom
- Nominee Richard Chamberlain · The Count of Monte Cristo
- Nominee Henry Fonda · Clarence Darrow
- Nominee William Devane · The Missiles of October
25th Emmys · 1973
- Winner Anthony Murphy · Tom Brown's Schooldays
- Nominee Philippe Leroy · The Life of Leonardo da Vinci
- Nominee John Abineri · The Last of the Mohicans
24th Emmys · 1972
- Winner Keith Michell · The Six Wives of Henry VIII
23rd Emmys · 1971
- Winner George C. Scott · Hallmark Hall of Fame
- Nominee Jack Cassidy · The Andersonville Trial
- Nominee Richard Widmark · Vanished
- Nominee Gig Young · The Neon Ceiling
- Nominee A Clear and Present Danger
20th Emmys · 1968
- Winner Melvyn Douglas · CBS Playhouse
19th Emmys · 1967
- Winner Peter Ustinov · Hallmark Hall of Fame
18th Emmys · 1966
17th Emmys · 1965
- Winner Alfred Lunt · Hallmark Hall of Fame
16th Emmys · 1964
- Winner Jack Klugman · The Defenders
15th Emmys · 1963
- Winner Trevor Howard · Hallmark Hall of Fame
14th Emmys · 1962
- Winner Peter Falk · The Dick Powell Show
13th Emmys · 1961
- Winner Maurice Evans · Hallmark Hall of Fame
- Nominee Cliff Robertson · The United States Steel Hour
- Nominee Ed Wynn · Desilu Playhouse
12th Emmys · 1960
- Winner Laurence Olivier · The Moon and Sixpence
11th Emmys · 1959
- Winner Fred Astaire · An Evening with Fred Astaire
10th Emmys · 1958
- Winner Peter Ustinov
9th Emmys · 1957
- Winner Jack Palance · Playhouse 90
8th Emmys · 1956
- Winner Lloyd Nolan · Ford Star Jubilee
7th Emmys · 1955
- Winner Robert Cummings · Westinghouse Studio One