Since 1980, Ed Asner has held the record for most Primetime Emmy wins by a male actor, having triumphed three times for “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” twice for “Lou Grant,” and once each for “Rich Man, Poor Man” and “Roots.” With 10 additional bids to his name, he also ranks as one of the most-nominated performers in Emmy history, having earned recognition in seven different categories. Throughout the later part of his career, he frequently played roles on Christmas-themed TV programs, including half a dozen appearances as Santa Claus.
Three decades after his “Roots” victory, Asner received a second Best TV Movie/Limited Series Supporting Actor nomination for “The Christmas Card,” in which he plays the father of a woman who falls in love with a soldier who received the titular card from her while in Afghanistan. At 77, he was the eighth oldest nominee in the category’s history, and now ranks two spots lower.
The television academy has recognized the work of supporting actors on non-continuing programs since the eighth Emmys ceremony in 1956. The award’s inaugural recipient was Albert Paulsen (“One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich”), while the most recent was Evan Peters (“Mare of Easttown”).
Check out our photo gallery to find out who ranks ahead of Asner on the list of 10 oldest Best TV Movie/Limited Series Supporting Actor Emmy nominees.
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10. Ed Asner (‘The Christmas Card,’ 2007)
Image Credit: HBO Age: 77
Role: Luke Spelman
Asner’s final Emmy nomination came two years after this one for his guest appearance on “CSI: NY.”
Other nominees:
Thomas Haden Church (“Broken Trail”) – WINNER
Joe Mantegna (“The Starter Wife”)
Aidan Quinn (“Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee”)
August Schellenberg (“Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee”) -
9. Ralph Bellamy (‘The Winds of War,’ 1983)
Image Credit: ABC Age: 79
Role: Franklin D. Roosevelt
Nearly a quarter-century after playing Roosevelt in a Broadway production of “Sunrise at Campobello” and its feature film adaptation, Bellamy took on the role again on this seven-part limited series. He later reprised the role in the sequel series “War and Remembrance” at age 84. In reality, Roosevelt only lived to be 63.
Other nominees:
Bryan Brown (“The Thorn Birds”)
Richard Kiley (“The Thorn Birds”) – WINNER
Christopher Plummer (“The Thorn Birds”)
David Threlfall (“The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby”) -
8. Ossie Davis (‘Miss Evers’ Boys,’ 1997)
Image Credit: Fox Age: 79
Role: Mr. Evers
Davis’s third nomination and first in this category came for role as the father of a nurse who makes it her mission to console the men involved in the highly unethical Tuskegee experiment.
Other nominees:
Obba Babatundé (“Miss Evers’ Boys”)
Beau Bridges (“The Second Civil War”)
Michael Caine (“Mandela and de Klerk”)
Joe Mantegna (“The Last Don”) -
7. Bob Newhart (‘The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice,’ 2009)
Image Credit: TNT Age: 79
Role: Judson
Newhart received his fifth acting bid for his third of six appearances as this character, who serves as a mentor to a librarian entrusted with protecting a vast collection of secret artifacts. His performance spanned a period of 13 years, from 2004 to 2017.
Other nominees:
Len Cariou (“Into the Storm”)
Tom Courtenay (“Little Dorrit”)
Ken Howard (“Grey Gardens”) – WINNER
Andy Serkis (“Little Dorrit”) -
6. Laurence Olivier (‘Lost Empires,’ 1987)
Image Credit: 20th Century Studios Age: 80
Role: Harry Burrard
Olivier’s second nomination in this category came five years after he brought home the gold for his work on “Brideshead Revisited.” He also won the corresponding lead award four times between 1960 and 1984.
Other nominees:
Dabney Coleman (“Sworn to Silence”) – WINNER
Stephen Collins (“The Two Mrs. Grenvilles”)
John Glover (“Nutcracker: Money, Madness and Murder”)
Eli Wallach (“Something in Common”) -
5. Paul Newman (‘Empire Falls,’ 2005)
Image Credit: HBO Age: 80
Role: Max Roby
Newman triumphed on this outing two years after receiving his first bid for his lead role in “Our Town.” His win was the only one the two-part series earned from 10 nominations.
Other nominees:
Brian Dennehy (“Our Fathers”)
Philip Seymour Hoffman (“Empire Falls”)
Christopher Plummer (“Our Fathers”)
Randy Quaid (“Elvis”) -
4. John Gielgud (‘Romance on the Orient Express,’ 1985)
Image Credit: Paramount Pictures Age: 81
Role: Theodore Woodward
Like Olivier, Gielgud also received his first nomination in this category for his performance on “Brideshead Revisited.” This was his third, as he also earned one for “The Master of Ballantrae” one year earlier.
Other nominees:
Richard Burton (“Ellis Island”)
Karl Malden (“Fatal Vision”) – WINNER
Richard Masur (“The Burning Bed”)
Rip Torn (“The Atlanta Child Murders”) -
3. Gregory Peck (‘Moby Dick,’ 1998)
Image Credit: Universal Pictures Age: 82
Role: Father Mapple
Over 40 years after starring as Captain Ahab in a feature film adaptation of Herman Melville‘s novel, Peck received his only Emmy nomination for his portrayal of a different character under the lead of 47-year-old Patrick Stewart.
Other nominees:
Hume Cronyn (“12 Angry Men”)
George C. Scott (“12 Angry Men”) – WINNER
Martin Short (“Merlin”)
J.T. Walsh (“Hope”) -
1. Hume Cronyn (’12 Angry Men,’ 1998)
Image Credit: Showtime Age: 87
Role: Juror #9
Cronyn garnered all six of his acting nominations after turning 77, with this bid following a victory for his featured turn in the 1992 movie “Broadway Bound.” He was the oldest of this film’s dozen main actors by 13 years.
Other nominees:
Gregory Peck (“Moby Dick”)
George C. Scott (“12 Angry Men”) – WINNER
Martin Short (“Merlin”)
J.T. Walsh (“Hope”)
