Dream Emmy Ballot 2015: Outstanding Guest Actor and Actress in a Drama Series

I like the new rules for the guest categories, it allows short run characters, and characters who  appear in only one episode to shine brighter in these categories.  The rule change is that a person must be in less than half of the season's episodes.

There are a few actors who just make the cut off for their shows half way mark, like the strong work from David Hyde Pierce, as Frank Prady, the man from running against Alicia for States Attorney in in The Good Wife.  Julianne Nicholson started her arc as Dr. Lillian DePaul midway through last season of Masters of Sex, but it was performance this season that fleshed   out this character.  Nicholson gives one of the bravest performances of this whole Emmy season, and her work as a women fighting for her life and profession should not be ignored.  These two actors were in just about half the season.

Then you had wonderful recurring guest stars who popped up a couple times throughout a shows season like Mel Rodriguez as Jimmy's PIC (partner in crime) Marco.  Linda Lavin has also been proving her dramatic chops in theatre and in television; she was great as the by the book Joy Grubick in The Good Wife.

Shonda Rhime's shows are the master of the one shot gut punch guest performance. Courtney B. Vance was heartbreaking in the episode "The Lawn Chair" where he played Clarence Parker, a man whos; she only broke her daughter's heart. Each of these one shot guest performances present do what it takes some actors five episodes, and that's impressive!

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series

Scott Glenn-Daredevil
Sam Elliot-Justified 

David Hyde Pierce-The Good Wife

Mel Rodriguez-Better Call Saul

Courtney B. Vance-Scandal

Bradley Whitford-Transparent

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series

Linda Lavin-The Good Wife

Courtney Love-Empire

Julianne Nicholson-Masters of Sex

Diane Rigg-Game of Thrones

Lois Smith-The Americans

Cicely Tyson-How to Get Away with Murder