Emmys 2020 Poll: Who Should Win for Lead Actor in a Drama Series?

Dave Nemetz
·2 min read

Pray Tell is praying for an encore in this year’s Emmy race for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series… but five other contenders will be praying for a win of their own.

Last year’s winner, Billy Porter, who plays outrageous emcee Pray Tell on FX’s Pose, is back to defend his crown after a second straight nod. But he’ll have plenty of competition, including from Sterling K. Brown, who won this award back in 2017 for playing Randall Pearson on NBC’s This Is Us and is up for the fourth year in a row. (He’s also nominated this year for Supporting Actor in a Comedy for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, so Emmy voters are clearly fans of his work.)

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Two Succession stars are in the mix, as well: Brian Cox, for playing fearsome patriarch Logan Roy on the HBO drama (Cox won an Emmy back in 2001 for the TNT miniseries Nuremberg); and Jeremy Strong, enjoying his first-ever Emmy nod for playing upstart son Kendall Roy. Rounding out the category are Steve Carell, as disgraced TV host Mitch Kessler on Apple TV+’s The Morning Show — sorry, but we’re still in disbelief that he never won an Emmy for The Office — and Jason Bateman, back for the third straight year for playing Ozark‘s Marty Byrde.

A talented field of actors, to be sure… but who should take home the Emmy when they’re handed out on Sunday, Sept. 20? Vote for your favorite in the poll below, then hit the comments to defend your pick.

Every day through Aug. 28, we’ll be posting another “Who should win?” poll, so be sure to visit TVLine.com each day to weigh in on who deserves TV’s most prestigious honor. (For a list of this year’s major Emmy nominees, click here.)

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