AUSTIN, Texas — When the Emmy nominations were announced recently, the names of Steve Buscemi, Polly Bergen, Robin Williams and Cynthia Nixon were not called out.
Yet they all received Emmy nominations for spectacular performances. And we probably won’t hear any of their names announced during the telecast awards show on Sept. 21.
Why the lack of hype for these major stars? Because their categories of competition are “guest actor” and “guest actress.” For nearly two decades, the Television Academy of Arts & Sciences has been bestowing Emmys to guest stars. The nominees tend to be big-name stars, and their brief appearances on ongoing series generate heightened interest.
It might be an exaggeration, but some experts credit scandal-ridden pop star Britney Spears with saving the CBS sitcom “How I Met Your Mother.”
Guest starring certainly seems to be a win-win prospect. Actors usually get juicy, against-type roles to play, and the shows benefit from the publicity and audience response.
One of the biggest headlines generated from the recent TV critics gathering in Los Angeles was the revelation that Katie Holmes will sing and dance on an upcoming episode of ABC’s “Eli Stone.” Holmes is perhaps best-known as Mrs. Tom Cruise these days.
Holmes isn’t the only big name on the small-screen horizon: Michael J. Fox will appear in a trio of episodes of FX’s “Rescue Me.” And NBC’s sophomore comedy-drama “Chuck” has lined up a long roster of guests, including Nicole Richie, John Larroquette and Michael Clarke Duncan.
As far back as “The Love Boat,” veteran stars have been reviving their careers with TV guest spots. Long-running NBC dramas “ER” and “Law & Order” boast dozens and dozens of famous actors.
Obviously some of this is pure stunt casting, done less for dramatic or even comedic effect than for hype. Brad Pitt set off screams in the studio audience when he guest-starred with Jennifer Aniston on “Friends.”
Some series, especially those that are long in the tooth, depend on guest roles to keep them fresh. A prime example? Late in its run, “Will & Grace” guest-starred Bobby Cannavale, known for playing macho thugs and cops, as a gay guy.
Glenn Close found her Emmy-nominated experience on “The Shield” so enriching that she helped create her own starring vehicle, FX’s “Damages.” She just earned her second lead actress Emmy nomination for that suspense thriller show.
“We’ve got some of the best writing coming out of television,” Close said in Los Angeles recently.
