How ‘Succession’ can enter the Emmy record books with a win for Kieran Culkin

When Kieran Culkin confirmed in late April that he will submit in Best Drama Actor at the Emmys for the fourth and final season of “Succession” after two supporting bids, it set off a flurry of reactions. One was that it’s the correct call, given the increased focus on Roman (Culkin), Kendall (Jeremy Strong) and Shiv (Sarah Snook) this season in the wake of Logan’s (Brian Cox) in the third episode. Another was that he would split the vote with Strong, the 2020 champ, and Cox, who later confirmed he was staying in lead, paving the way for someone else to triumph. But if either Culkin or Cox pulls out the win, though the latter seems less likely, “Succession” will join rarefied air as one of just two series to win the category for two different people.

Eleven dramas have nabbed multiple wins in the Best Drama Actor category, but only “St. Elsewhere” managed to do it for more than one person. Ed Flanders won in 1983 before William Daniels notched back-to-back victories in 1985 and ’86. Many of these shows never had a chance to produce a second winner because they only had one lead contender, such as “Breaking Bad” (a record-tying four wins for Bryan Cranston), “The Sopranos” (three wins for James Gandolfini), and “Lou Grant” and “Perry Mason,” for which Ed Asner and Raymond Burr, respectively, won twice for their titular roles.

But other shows, like “St. Elsewhere” and “Succession,” fielded multiple lead contenders. Bill Cosby defeated his “I Spy” co-star Robert Culp three years in a row from 1996-68. And neither of Dennis Franz‘s nominated “NYPD Blue” partners, David Caruso and Jimmy Smits, could stop him from winning four trophies in the ’90s.

At the moment, all three Roy boys are expected to earn nominations. Strong is in first place in the odds, followed by Bob Odenkirk (“Better Call Saul”), Culkin, Pedro Pascal (“The Last of Us”), Cox and Jeff Bridges (“The Old Man”). Regardless of how you feel about Cox’s category placement, given his reduced screen time this season (he’s in five episodes, so he’s ineligible for guest), “Succession’s” massive heat and frontrunner status in Best Drama Series, where it’s seeking its third win, ought to make Cox, a two-time nominee for the show, safe for a nom. Winning is a whole other story.

SEE Kieran Culkin on what happens to Roman after the ‘Succession’ finale: ‘I don’t think he’s OK’

Culkin has way more going for him in that regard. Since the switch to lead, he’s surged all the way to third place, and it’s not hard to imagine him being in first had he been in the category in the first place. Culkin had tremendous material this season and delivered time and time again as Roman pre-grieved Logan with the faux bravado of a lost little boy before breaking down at Logan’s funeral. In between, he unloaded on Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgard) on a Norwegian mountaintop and engineered the election of a fascist, Jeryd Mencken (Justin Kirk), into the White House (those Wisconsin absentee ballots pending). The series ends with Roman dropping the truth bomb to his big bro that it was never going to be any of them as Waystar CEO because they’re all “bullsh–.” Roman’s final scene is him in a bar, martini in hand, open stitches on his head and a smirk on his face, freed from the Sisyphean chase of the job that Kendall pointed out he never really wanted.

Is that enough for Culkin to win and overcome Strong in the process? Strong closed the series with killer (or KLR) turns in the last two episodes and is in the haunting final scene of the show. It would hardly be surprising if he nabbed a bookend statuette. The category history will tell you that voters love rubber-stamping their faves, but no one has repeated in this category since Cranston’s fourth win in 2014. There are some caveats, of course: Jon Hamm (“Mad Men,” 2015) and Matthew Rhys (“The Americans,” 2018) won for their shows’ final seasons; Josh O’Connor prevailed for his final season on “The Crown” in 2021; and reigning champ Lee Jung-jae is MIA this year as “Squid Game” has not returned yet.

But Culkin and Strong have never faced off at the Emmys before, so who’s to say Culkin definitely can’t beat him? The duo and Cox were nominated at the Screen Actors Guild Awards last year in the group’s single drama actor category but lost to Lee. Plus, “Succession” has overcome vote-split situations before at the Emmys. Strong triumphed over Cox in 2020, and last year, Matthew Macfayden beat Culkin and Nicholas Braun to win Best Drama Supporting Actor. Culkin also has industry fans and the show’s own talent praising him. Peter Friedman says he’s “been so hot this season” and Lorene Scafaria, who directed two Season 4 episodes, wants the actor to get his flowers.

Maybe he will and the CE-Bros will enter the Emmy annals.

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