21 actors that never won an Emmy despite delivering iconic performances

The Walking Dead was good before Danai Gurira stepped in, but after she debuted as Michonne with a pair of jawless walkers, it was over. She quickly rose in the ranks as the character fans could not get enough of. She gave one of the most nuanced performances throughout her time on the show.

Steve Carell clocked out of The Office before the show came to an end in 2013, but even before coming back for the final episode, none of his hilarity was awarded an Emmy. For shame!

Titus Andromedon from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt was one of those characters that comes around once in a great while — the kind where every single line that escaped their lips was pure gold. From start to finish, Tituss Burgess was the funny bone of the series, yet he never won any of the four times he was nominated.

Elisabeth Moss helped carry Mad Men but was left hanging when it came to the Emmys.

The shock that will spread across the faces of those who read this and learn that Will Smith never won an Emmy for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air might only compare to the other shocking realization that the show was only ever nominated once for an Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Lighting Direction for a Comedy Series.

If there was an Emmy for Most Handsome, Timothy Olyphant might be a multiple award winner. Alas, his role in Justified as Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens only ever earned him one nomination during its original run.

Someone explain how almost every actor on This Is Us has an individual Emmy, except for Susan Kelechi Watson. That cast was an exceptionally talented ensemble, but they each shined in their own way and should have been awarded for it.

Bill Hader is one of the most prominent Saturday Night Live cast members of the 21st century, but somehow, the Emmys forgot to award him for it. However, he has won for his role as the titular character in HBO’s Barry.

Before Fox became a channel dedicated to singers in masks, it had shows like House M.D. starring Hugh Laurie, and he was glorious in that role. He played a doctor who doubled as an addict who got away with the most asinine things at his job because he was brilliant. What wasn’t brilliant was that despite winning for the role elsewhere, he never got an Emmy.

Honestly, a majority of the Orange is the New Black cast could be on this list because they were all absolutely incredible at portraying a wide variety of inmates, but there was something extra special about Danielle Brooks in the later seasons that deserved Emmy recognition.

If there is one cast that really has gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to the Emmys, it’s the gang from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The longest-running live-action sitcom to date, Sunny has never gotten much love from the Emmys besides two nominations for stunt work. However, it’s time the cast gets their flowers for never dropping the ball when it comes to comedy.

It doesn’t feel right that Jack McBrayer doesn’t have an Emmy for his role of Kenneth on 30 Rock.

Issa Rae went from YouTube to having her own HBO series, and during Insecure’s run, she got nominated multiple times, but her role as Issa Dee never took home the gold.

Don’t worry. Michael C. Hall got plenty of awards for being everyone’s favorite serial killer, Dexter Morgan — just not an Emmy.

Very few actors throughout history have a level of physical comedy that rivals Lucille Ball, and Martin Lawrence was one of them when he starred on Fox’s Martin. Alas, not a single Emmy to his name for the quintessential ‘90s series.

While Kristen Schaal is more well-known for her role on Bob’s Burgers as the bunny-eared Louise Belcher, she starred in another Fox series, The Last Man on Earth as the most positive human during an apocalypse, a role that was more than Emmy-worthy.

The core four actors that made up Atlanta are some of the best in their field, but the quiet, eccentric nature LaKeith Stanfield brought to the show was severely overlooked.

There was so much to love about HBO’s Silicon Valley, and a lot of it had to do with every single thing Zach Woods did in the series.

Back in the day, it seemed wild that an actor could be more than one iconic character, but Katey Sagal said watch this. Married... with Children, Futurama, 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, and today, she’s part of The Conners alongside John Goodman. However, the role in the spotlight today is Gemma Teller Morrow from Sons of Anarchy. Sagal took home a Golden Globe for it but never an Emmy.

Michael K. Williams is often the person people think of when The Wire enters conversations, and the character of Omar Little will live on forever as one of the most well-written and beloved despite never winning an Emmy for the role.

It’s hard for newer characters to get ranked among the best, but Wendi McLendon-Covey’s Beverly Goldberg earned her spot on many “Best TV Moms” lists after a decade of smothering on the sitcom based in the ‘80s. However, while a list mention is great, seeing her get an Emmy for rocking all those bedazzled sweaters would be nice.