TV’s second Golden Age has produced so much talent that, despite their amazing work, many outstanding actors often go unnoticed. If you think about it, some of the biggest Emmy “losers” aren’t really losers at all—they’re some of the most well-known and respected household names in the business. The Primetime Emmys tend to reward the same shows and actors over and over again, which means some deserving folks remain as just nominees year after year. These unlucky actors, writers, and producers hold the unfortunate title of most Emmy losses.
Let’s examine some of the biggest Hollywood names who have received numerous Emmy nominations but have yet to win any awards.
1. Jane Kaczmarek—7 Nominations
It’s difficult to believe that out of the seven Emmy nominations for playing Lois on Malcolm in the Middle, Jane Kaczmarek did not win a single one of them. The actress lost the award to Jennifer Aniston, Patricia Heaton, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and a few others. Interestingly, Jane Kaczmarek is currently the most nominated star in the history of the Comedy Lead Actress category who never won an Emmy.
2. Matt LeBlanc—8 Nominations
Matt LeBlanc was a three-time nominee for playing Joey Tribbiani on Friends but somehow lost to the likes of Kesley Grammer, Ray Romano, and Tony Shalhoub. Then he was nominated four times for playing himself on Showtime’s episodes, but The Big Bang Theory was much more popular at the time. It’s funny how only Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow were the only co-stars to actually win some Emmy awards.
3. Jason Alexander—8 Nominations
Jason Alexander’s performance as George Costanza on Seinfeld was quite a spectacle, but, just like his character, he didn’t quite cut it. Jason was bested by Kramer, aka Michael Richards, Michael Jeter, Hyde Pierce from Frasier, and Rip Torn. In 2016, the actor joked about his series of losses on Twitter, saying, “Dammit! Seven losses! I KNEW the Emmys were rigged!”
