Michael J. FoxEmmysShrinkingGuest Actor
Michael J. Fox Is One Emmy Away From Joining a Two-Category Club That Has Only One Member
With a 19th nomination for his return in 'Shrinking,' Fox could become the second performer to win guest-acting Emmys in both comedy and drama — but the race includes a posthumous tribute and a red-hot 'SNL' host.
Source material: awardswatch.com
The History He’d Be Making
Michael J. Fox has already earned five Emmy trophies from 18 career nominations, a record that began more than four decades ago with a supporting-actor nod for Family Ties. But this year’s bid, his 19th, is not just another notch. He’s nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for Shrinking, and if he wins, he’ll become only the second performer in Emmy history to have also triumphed in the drama guest category. Bradley Whitford is the sole precedent: he won the comedy guest prize for Transparent and the drama guest award for The Handmaid’s Tale. Fox already has the drama side covered, having taken the 2009 guest-actor trophy for Rescue Me. A win here would make him the first to pull off the comedy-drama guest double since Whitford, and only the second ever. That kind of rarity tends to focus voters’ minds, though it didn’t help Whitford on his second attempt — he lost the comedy guest race after winning it the first time. For Fox, the category has been generous: he’s never been nominated in it before, so there’s no prior form to judge.
A Return That Quietly Changed the Show
Fox plays Gerry, a man with Parkinson’s disease who forms an unlikely friendship with Dr. Paul Rhoades, played by Harrison Ford, in the episode “The Field.” It’s his first acting role since 2020, and critics have treated his performance as a masterclass in understatement. Shrinking itself has seen its Emmy stock rise steadily: the show earned two nominations in its first season, seven last year, and nine this year. That upward trajectory contrasts sharply with The Bear, which has fallen from a record-setting 23 nominations two years ago to 13 last year and just eight this season. Yet Shrinking has never won a single Emmy. Fox knows that feeling — his Rescue Me win in 2009 was the only Emmy that show ever received. If voters are looking for a way to finally honor a beloved series with momentum, Fox’s performance offers a natural vehicle. His character’s arc is small but resonant, and the episode in question gives him a showcase that blends warmth and melancholy without tipping into sentimentality.
The Field He’s Running Against
The category is crowded with familiar names. Brett Goldstein, a two-time supporting-actor winner for Ted Lasso, is also nominated for Shrinking, but his recurring role was drastically scaled back this season — from 10 appearances in the second season to just three in the latest. That brevity makes him a less likely winner, especially with Fox in the same show. Rob Reiner, nominated for The Bear, is the sentimental counterweight. His three-episode arc arrived shortly before his death in December, and the outpouring of tributes emphasized his standing as a filmmaker, comic actor, and activist. Reiner already has two Emmys from All in the Family, and his posthumous nod makes him only the fourth performer in this category’s history to earn that distinction, following Danny Thomas, Lloyd Bridges, and Fred Willard. Meanwhile, Christopher McDonald (Hacks) and Hamish Linklater (Widow’s Bay) benefit from their shows’ robust support — those two series earned 24 and 19 nominations respectively this year — but neither is considered a favorite.
The SNL Factor and a Possible Upset
Connor Storrie, a breakout from Heated Rivalry, also earned a nomination for hosting Saturday Night Live. That hosting slot historically carries weight: since SNL hosts became eligible for guest acting consideration nearly two decades ago, there have been 15 years with a host nominated in this category, and seven times that host has won. But the winners have almost always been professional comedians — Dave Chappelle, Jimmy Fallon, Eddie Murphy — with Justin Timberlake as the sole non-comic exception. Dramatic actors like Matt Damon, Robert De Niro, Adam Driver, Ryan Gosling, Daniel Kaluuya, Dan Levy, Pedro Pascal, and Brad Pitt have all been nominated for hosting and lost. Storrie’s crossover appeal — he’s a comic actor but not a household name — places him in an uncertain middle ground. He’s had a remarkable year, with the hosting gig drawing strong reviews, but the award’s pattern suggests voters reward the hosts who make them laugh hardest, and Storrie’s sketch work may not have landed with the same force as his Heated Rivalry performance, which isn’t up for a guest Emmy anyway.
What the Odds Feel Like
All signs point to Fox as a soft front-runner. The excitement around his return and the rising support for Shrinking make him the safe pick. But the category is crowded: Brett Goldstein returns with a reduced role, Christopher McDonald and Hamish Linklater benefit from the immense love for Hacks and Widow’s Bay, and Connor Storrie’s SNL hosting nomination follows a pattern where hosts have won the category seven times since eligibility began. Storrie’s breakout year might give him an edge. While Fox’s historical narrative is strong, the competition is not to be underestimated. He’s a front-runner, but not a lock.