EMMY'S winners for acting are chosen in a three-tier system by actors who belong to the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. During the first two weeks of June, they participate in a popular vote that determines a Top 10 runoff in each race. Finalists submit a sample episode of their best work to judges, whose scores are combined by accountants in a 50-50 mix with results of the original popular vote. The five nominees in each category are then announced July 17. Winners are decided based on judges' scores of the sample episodes and are revealed at the awards ceremony to be held at the Nokia Theatre on Sept. 21. Note to academy voters: The deadline for returning at-home judging ballots is Aug. 29.
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Up For The Part
IN CONTENTION / TOM O'NEIL
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DRAMA SERIES ACTOR
FAVORITES
Gabriel Byrne, "In Treatment"
Kyle Chandler, "Friday Night Lights"
Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad"
Patrick Dempsey, "Grey's Anatomy"
Matthew Fox, "Lost"
Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"
Jon Hamm, "Mad Men"
Eddie Izzard, "The Riches"
Hugh Laurie, "House M.D."
Denis Leary, "Rescue Me"
Jonathan Rhys Meyers, "The Tudors"
Bill Paxton, "Big Love"
James Spader, "Boston Legal"
SPOTLIGHT: With past champs James Gandolfini and Kiefer Sutherland out of the race, there's hope for snubbees Chandler, Dempsey, Fox, Hall, Rhys Meyers and Paxton (never nominated for these roles) and newbies Byrne, Cranston and Hamm. Except if they end up competing against Spader, who hasn't lost the three times he's been nominated.
POSSIBLES
Peter Krause, "Dirty Sexy Money"
Anthony LaPaglia, "Without a Trace"
Damian Lewis, "Life"
Rob Lowe, "Brothers & Sisters"
Julian McMahon, "Nip/Tuck"
Christopher Meloni, "Law & Order: SVU"
Jonny Lee Miller, "Eli Stone"
Dominic West, "The Wire"
SPOTLIGHT: Peter Krause picked up three Emmy noms as head of a dysfunctional clan on "Six Feet Under," but the Fishers had nothing on the Darlings. As the outsider drawn into this family feuding, Krause is the voice of reason drowned out by the squabbling.
LONGSHOTS
David Boreanaz, "Bones"
David Caruso, "CSI: Miami"
Jason Clarke, "Brotherhood"
Tim DeKay, "Tell Me You Love Me"
Jeffrey Donovan, "Burn Notice"
Jason Isaacs, "Brotherhood"
Edward James Olmos, "Battlestar Galactica"
William Petersen, "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation"
Adam Scott, "Tell Me You Love Me"
James Woods, "Shark"
SPOTLIGHT: While William Petersen has earned three bids as a producer of drama contender "CSI," after eight seasons he's long overdue for acting. Marg Helgenberger was nommed twice as his costar.
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DRAMA SERIES ACTRESS
FAVORITES
Patricia Arquette, "Medium"
Glenn Close, "Damages"
Minnie Driver, "The Riches"
Sally Field, "Brothers & Sisters"
Calista Flockhart, "Brothers & Sisters"
Mariska Hargitay, "Law & Order: SVU"
Holly Hunter, "Saving Grace"
Evangeline Lilly, "Lost"
Mary McDonnell, "Battlestar Galactica"
Elizabeth Moss, "Mad Men"
Ellen Pompeo, "Grey's Anatomy"
Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer"
Chloe Sevigny, "Big Love"
SPOTLIGHT: Six actresses have an award edge to help boost them into the top Emmy 10 runoff with past Oscar nominations or wins: Close, Driver, Field, Hunter, McDonnell and Sevigny.
POSSIBLES
Catherine Bell, "Army Wives"
Kim Delaney, "Army Wives"
Ginnifer Goodwin, "Big Love"
Lena Headey, "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles"
Marg Helgenberger, "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation"
Juliana Margulies, "Canterbury's Law"
Jeanne Tripplehorn, "Big Love"
Ally Walker, "Tell Me You Love Me"
Kate Walsh, "Private Practice"
SPOTLIGHT: Jennifer Garner's four noms for "Alias" and Gillian Anderson's win for "X-Files" suggest that Brit film actress Lena Headey might get nommed for cult fantasy hit "Terminator." However, Sarah Michelle Gellar's snubs for "Buffy" suggest otherwise.
LONGSHOTS
Michelle Borth, "Tell Me You Love Me"
Courteney Cox, "Dirt"
Emily Deschanel, "Bones"
Kathryn Morris, "Cold Case"
Sonja Sohn, "The Wire"
Sonya Walger, "Tell Me You Love Me"
SPOTLIGHT: Odds say Courteney Cox's rotten Emmy luck, inevitably, must end at some point. The only cast member of "Friends" never nominated has been snubbed for 20 years -- from "Family Ties" to "Dirt," which she also produces.
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SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTOR
FAVORITES
Naveen Andrews, "Lost"
Henry Ian Cusick, "Lost"
Ted Danson, "Damages"
Michael Emerson, "Lost"
T.R. Knight, "Grey's Anatomy"
Masi Oka, "Heroes"
Terry O'Quinn, "Lost"
William Shatner, "Boston Legal"
John Slattery, "Mad Men"
Donald Sutherland, "Dirty Sexy Money"
Blair Underwood, "In Treatment"
SPOTLIGHT: A proven winner for comedy (two Emmys and 11 nods for "Cheers"), Ted Danson flashes his dramatic chops as a scheming tycoon who's not pure evil. Sometimes he flip-flops a bit before giving the order to kill.
POSSIBLES
Josh Charles, "In Treatment"
Christian Clemenson, "Boston Legal"
Bruce Dern, "Big Love"
Omar Epps, "House M.D."
Jorge Garcia, "Lost"
Josh Holloway, "Lost"
Clark Johnson, "The Wire"
Vincent Kartheiser, "Mad Men"
John Larroquette, "Boston Legal"
Jeremy Northam, "The Tudors"
James Remar, "Dexter"
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