What does Steve Carell have to do for Emmy voters to take notice?
Recently, Steve Carell’s television roles have seen him endure numerous dramatic events. He’s faced car accidents on Apple TV’s “The Morning Show” and Netflix’s “Four Seasons,” played a billionaire with terminal cancer in HBO’s “Mountainhead,” and portrayed a therapist held captive by a violent patient in FX’s “The Patient.” It seems Carell has been through quite a bit.
While this might be a spoiler, Carell’s character, Greg Russo, in the HBO Max comedy “Rooster,” survives the first season. Given his recent TV character fates, viewers might have wondered if Greg would make it through.
Despite these roles, Carell has yet to win an Emmy, though he has been nominated 12 times, including this year’s nomination for lead actor in a comedy series for “Rooster.” Among this year’s nominees, he holds the record for the most nominations without a win.
This places him in notable company, only behind Angela Lansbury, who received 18 nominations without a win. Lansbury was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1996, but she never secured an Emmy before her death in 2022.
Carell is now second in line for the most Emmy nominations without a win. His previous nominations include lead actor for “The Office” from 2006 to 2011, where he played Michael Scott, and as a producer on several best comedy nominations for the show. His latest nomination before this year was for lead actor in a drama series in 2020 for “The Morning Show.”
Carell’s lack of an Emmy is often highlighted as a significant oversight by voters, paralleling Lansbury’s experience. Carell has remained silent about these snubs.
However, his peers have speculated on the reason. Director Paul Feig suggested on a podcast with Dana Carvey and David Spade that Carell’s effortless performances might be the reason. Meanwhile, in a 2024 sports radio interview, Creed Bratton from “The Office” called Carell’s Emmy absence a “travesty.”
In “Rooster,” created by Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses, Carell plays a successful novelist and divorcé whose relationship with his daughter, Katie (Charly Clive), is complicated. His role as a visiting lecturer at the same college where Katie teaches allows Carell to showcase both comedic and dramatic talent.
Breaking the Emmy losing streak will be challenging for Carell. He is the sole nominee from “Rooster” and faces stiff competition from Matthew Rhys of “Widow’s Bay,” Martin Short from “Only Murders in the Building,” Yahya Abdul-Mateen II of “Wonder Man,” and Jason Segel from “Shrinking.”
Moreover, Carell has not campaigned for this Emmy. While the impact of campaigning is debated, in competitive races, it often involves engaging with voters personally. Without this effort, Carell might have to aim for a more favorable outcome with his 13th nomination.
