In 2022, Bill Hader competed for two different acting Emmys as the star of HBO’s “Barry” and a guest on the same network’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Since the latter bid was preceded by two for hosting “Saturday Night Live,” he became the 21st man ever recognized for multiple series in the Best Comedy Guest Actor category. Scroll through our photo gallery to find out who else belongs to this special group.
Eight of this list’s entrants took the gold for at least one of their nominated performances. The latest member of that subset is Nathan Lane (“Only Murders in the Building”), who defeated Hader in 2022 after having come up short on bids for three other shows. The only recipient of this honor for multiple series is Tim Conway (“Coach”; “30 Rock”).
Although the Best Comedy Guest Actor award has only been bestowed on an annual basis since 1993, qualifying contenders from previous years (as early as 1975) are factored in here. The specific program represented by each performer’s photo is indicated in italics.
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Roscoe Lee Browne
Image Credit: NBC “Barney Miller” (1976)
“The Cosby Show” (1986)Results:
1976 – lost to Gordon Jackson, “Upstairs, Downstairs”
1986 – won -
Sid Caesar
Image Credit: NBC “Love & War” (1995)
“Mad About You” (1997)Results:
1995 – lost to Carl Reiner, “Mad About You”
1997 – lost to Mel Brooks, “Mad About You” -
John Cleese
Image Credit: NBC “Cheers” (1987)
“3rd Rock from the Sun” (1998)
“Will & Grace” (2004)Results:
1987 – won
1998 – lost to Mel Brooks, “Mad About You”
2004 – lost to John Turturro, “Monk” -
Nathan Lane
Image Credit: Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu “Frasier” (1995)
“Mad About You” (1998)
“Modern Family” (2011; 2013-2014)
“Only Murders in the Building” (2022-2023)1995 – lost to Carl Reiner, “Mad About You”
1998 – lost to Mel Brooks, “Mad About You”
2011 – lost to Justin Timberlake, “Saturday Night Live”
2013 – lost to Bob Newhart, “The Big Bang Theory”
2014 – lost to Jimmy Fallon, “Saturday Night Live”
2022 – won
2023 – lost to Sam Richardson, “Ted Lasso” -
Carl Reiner
Image Credit: NBC “Mad About You” (1995)
“Beggars and Choosers” (2000)Results:
1995 – won
2000 – lost to Bruce Willis, “Friends” -
Hank Azaria
Image Credit: NBC “Mad About You” (1998)
“Friends” (2003)Results:
1998 – lost to Mel Brooks, “Mad About You”
2003 – lost to Gene Wilder, “Will & Grace” -
David Duchovny
Image Credit: HBO “The Larry Sanders Show” (1997)
“Life with Bonnie” (2003)Results:
1997 – lost to Mel Brooks, “Mad About You”
2003 – lost to Gene Wilder, “Will & Grace” -
Victor Garber
Image Credit: NBC “Frasier” (2001)
“Will & Grace” (2005)Results:
2001 – lost to Derek Jacobi, “Frasier”
2005 – lost to Bobby Cannavale, “Will & Grace” -
Martin Sheen
Image Credit: CBS “Murphy Brown” (1994)
“Two and a Half Men” (2006)Results:
1994 – won
2006 – lost to Leslie Jordan, “Will & Grace” -
Tim Conway
Image Credit: NBC “Coach” (1996)
“30 Rock” (2008)Results:
1996; 2008 – won -
Beau Bridges
Image Credit: NBC “My Name Is Earl” (2007)
“Desperate Housewives” (2009)Results:
2007 – lost to Stanley Tucci, “Monk”
2009 – lost to Justin Timberlake, “Saturday Night Live” -
Fred Willard
Image Credit: ABC/Richard Cartwright “Everybody Loves Raymond” (2003-2005)
“Modern Family” (2010; 2020)Results:
2003 – lost to Gene Wilder, “Will & Grace”
2004 – lost to John Turturro, “Monk”
2005 – lost to Bobby Cannavale, “Will & Grace”
2010 – lost to Neil Patrick Harris, “Glee”
2020 – lost to Eddie Murphy, “Saturday Night Live” -
Bobby Cannavale
Image Credit: NBC “Will & Grace” (2005)
“Nurse Jackie” (2012-2013)Results:
2005 – won
2012 – lost to Jimmy Fallon, “Saturday Night Live”
2013 – lost to Bob Newhart, “The Big Bang Theory” -
Steve Buscemi
Image Credit: Ali Goldstein/NBC “30 Rock” (2008)
“Portlandia” (2014)Results:
2008 – lost to Tim Conway, “30 Rock”
2014 – lost to Jimmy Fallon, “Saturday Night Live” -
Mel Brooks
Image Credit: NBC “Mad About You” (1997-1999)
“The Comedians” (2015)Results:
1997-1999 – won
2015 – lost to Bradley Whitford, “Transparent” -
Jon Hamm
Image Credit: NBC “30 Rock” (2009-2010; 2012)
“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (2015)Results:
2009 – lost to Justin Timberlake, “Saturday Night Live”
2010 – lost to Neil Patrick Harris, “Glee”
2012 – lost to Jimmy Fallon, “Saturday Night Live”
2015 – lost to Bradley Whitford, “Transparent” -
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Image Credit: HBO “Saturday Night Live” (2017)
“Curb Your Enthusiasm” (2018)Results:
2017 – lost to Dave Chappelle, “Saturday Night Live”
2018 – lost to Katt Williams, “Atlanta” -
Matt Damon
Image Credit: Ali Goldstein/NBC “30 Rock” (2011)
“Saturday Night Live” (2019)Results:
2011 – lost to Justin Timberlake, “Saturday Night Live”
2019 – lost to Luke Kirby, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” -
Brad Pitt
Image Credit: NBC “Friends” (2002)
“Saturday Night Live” (2020)Results:
2002 – lost to Anthony LaPaglia, “Frasier”
2020 – lost to Eddie Murphy, “Saturday Night Live” -
Alec Baldwin
Image Credit: NBC “Will & Grace” (2005-2006)
“Saturday Night Live” (2021)Results:
2005 – lost to Bobby Cannavale, “Will & Grace”
2006 – lost to Leslie Jordan, “Will & Grace”
2021 – lost to Dave Chappelle, “Saturday Night Live” -
Bill Hader
Image Credit: HBO “Saturday Night Live” (2015; 2018)
“Curb Your Enthusiasm” (2022)Results:
2015 – lost to Bradley Whitford, “Transparent”
2018 – lost to Katt Williams, “Atlanta”
2022 – lost to Nathan Lane, “Only Murders in the Building”