Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series is an award presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Beginning with 1966, leading actors in drama have competed alone. However, these dramatic performances included actors from miniseries, telefilms, and guest performers competing against main cast competitors. Such instances are marked below:# – Indicates a performance in a miniseries or television film, before the category's creation§ – Indicates a performance as a guest performer, before and after the category's creation
Programs with multiple wins
;4 winsBreaking Bad NYPD Blue;3 winsColumboI Spy The Sopranos St. Elsewhere
;2 winsBoston LegalThe DefendersFather Knows Best Hill Street Blues Lou GrantPerry Mason
- ''Succession''
Programs with multiple nominations
;14 nominationsNYPD Blue;10 nominationsSt. Elsewhere
;8 nominationsColumboLaw & OrderMad MenThis Is Us
;7 nominationsSuccessionThe West Wing
;6 nominations24Better Call SaulBreaking BadERHouseI SpyThe Sopranos
;5 nominationsDexterThe EqualizerHill Street BluesHouse of CardsIronsideLou GrantMagnum, P.I.Quantum LeapThe Rockford Files
;4 nominationsL.A. LawMannixMission: ImpossibleOzarkQuincy, M.E.Six Feet UnderThe Streets of San Francisco
;3 nominationsThe AmericansBoston LegalDallasThe Danny Thomas Show
DynastyFather Knows BestThe FugitiveGunsmokeThe Jackie Gleason ShowMarcus Welby, M.D.The NewsroomPerry MasonPoseRay DonovanThe WaltonsWestworld
;2 nominationsBarettaBeauty and the BeastBloodlineBoardwalk EmpireThe Bob Cummings ShowCannonThe CrownThe DefendersThe Dick Van Dyke ShowDownton AbbeyDragnetFour Star PlayhouseFriday Night LightsHave Gun – Will TravelHenneseyHomelandHomicide: Life on the StreetI'll Fly AwayIn TreatmentKojakThe Last of UsMoonlightingNaked CityNorthern ExposureThe Phil Silvers ShowPicket FencesThe PracticeRescue MeRun for Your LifeSeveranceThe ShieldSlow HorsesTrue DetectiveTwin PeaksThe Untouchables
- ''The X-Files''
Performers with multiple wins
;4 wins;3 wins
;2 wins
Performers with multiple nominations
;8 nominations;7 nominations
;6 nominations
- Sterling K. Brown*
- Bryan Cranston*
- James Gandolfini*
- Michael C. Hall
- Hugh Laurie
- Bob Odenkirk
- Martin Sheen
- Kiefer Sutherland*
- Robert Young*
- Ed Asner*
- William Daniels*
- Ed Flanders*
- Tom Selleck*
- Jimmy Smits
- Kevin Spacey
- Daniel J. Travanti*
- Sam Waterston
- Edward Woodward
- Scott Bakula
- Jason Bateman
- Richard Boone
- Kyle Chandler*
- Mike Connors
- Anthony Edwards
- Jack Klugman
- Karl Malden
- Michael Moriarty
- Matthew Rhys*
- James Spader*
- James Arness
- Andre Braugher*
- Bill Cosby*
- Brian Cox
- Robert Culp
- Jeff Daniels*
- John Forsythe
- David Janssen
- Peter Krause
- Martin Landau
- Billy Porter*
- Liev Schreiber
- Jeremy Strong*
- Milo Ventimiglia
- Corbin Bernsen
- Robert Blake*
- Hugh Bonneville
- Paul Burke
- Steve Buscemi
- Gabriel Byrne
- Michael Chiklis*
- George Clooney
- William Conrad
- Jackie Cooper
- David Duchovny
- Ben Gazzara
- Larry Hagman
- Denis Leary
- Damian Lewis*
- Kyle MacLachlan
- E. G. Marshall*
- Rob Morrow
- Gary Oldman
- Pedro Pascal
- Ron Perlman
- Telly Savalas*
- Adam Scott
- Tom Skerritt*
- Robert Stack*
- Richard Thomas*
- Michael Tucker
- Jack Webb
- Bruce Willis*