Actors Who Have Won the Most Emmys

Each of Laura Linney’s four Emmy awards were for her acting on a different television program. The first was for her performance in Showtime’s television movie “Wild Iris” in 2002. Two years later, she won another Emmy for her work on “Frasier.” She later won for HBO’s “John Adams,” and most recently for Showtime’s “The Big C: Hereafter.”

Actress Nancy Marchand worked on newsroom drama “Lou Grant” from 1977 to 1982 as Mrs. Pynchon. Over this period, she won four Emmy awards for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Marchand would later be nominated twice for her performance as Tony Soprano’s mother, Livia, on “The Sopranos,” though she failed to win either time.

Harvey Korman had numerous credits on television throughout the 1960s, including for providing the voice of the tiny green alien The Great Gazoo on “The Flintstones.” But it was his work on “The Carol Burnett Show” that earned him his Emmy awards — in 1969, 1971, 1972, and 1974. Korman would later be inducted into the Television Academy’s Hall of Fame in 2002.

Jim Parsons is best known by television fans as Sheldon Cooper on “The Big Bang Theory.” This role has earned him six Emmy nominations, four of which he’s won. Parsons was nominated for an Emmy this year for his work as Executive Producer on the Netflix series “Special.”

Actor Dan Castellaneta has worked on “The Simpsons” since 1989, providing the voice for numerous characters, including iconic family man Homer Simpson. Despite also having done voice acting for popular shows such as “Rugrats” and “Hey Arnold!,” all of Castellaneta’s Emmy nominations and wins have been for his work on “The Simpsons.”

Dennis Franz received eight Best Actor nominations for his role as Andy Sipowicz in the police drama “NYPD Blue.” He won four times, in 1994, 1996, 1997, and 1999. Franz has taken an ongoing hiatus from acting following the end of “NYPD Blue.”

Among Helen Hunt’s most memorable roles is that of Jamie Stemple Buchman on the 1990s sitcom “Mad About You.” Hunt earned four Best Actress Emmys for her performance, one each year beginning in 1996.

Actress Michael Learned is well known for her role as Olivia Walton in the drama “The Waltons.” Learned won three Best Actress awards playing the role, in 1973, 1974 and 1976. She won her fourth Emmy in 1982 for the role of Mary Benjamin in the medical drama “Nurse.”

Valerie Harper won her first three Emmy awards in 1971, 1972, and 1973 for her supporting role as Rhoda on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” She won her fourth and final Emmy for the same role in 1975, only as lead in the spin-off series “Rhoda.” Harper was nominated three more times for Best Actress in this lead role.

Prior to “The Cosby Show,” Bill Cosby had a lead role on the secret agent comedy series “I Spy” alongside Robert Culp. The show ran for three seasons, each of which resulted in an Emmy award for Cosby. He would win a fourth Emmy in 1969 for “The Bill Cosby Special.”

Dame Maggie Smith’s was awarded three of her Emmys for her work on “Downton Abbey,” on which she appeared as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham. Her first Emmy was for her performance in the HBO movie “My Home in Umbria” (2003). The film stars Smith as Mrs. Delahunty, who invites a group of strangers to stay with her after they survive a terror attack.

Michael Moriarty won Emmy awards early in his career, including two for the 1973 television movie “The Glass Menagerie.” Four years later, he won for his performance in the mini-series “Holocaust,” which also starred Meryl Streep and James Woods. His last win was in 2002 for his work in the movie “James Dean.”

Dick Van Dyke is perhaps best known as the star of “The Dick Van Dyke Show” on which he played Rob Petrie from 1961 through 1966. Van Dyke was awarded three Emmys for his performance. He received one more in 1977 for his work on the short-lived “Van Dyke and Company.” In 1995, he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.

Actress Rhea Perlman won all four of her Emmys for her work on “Cheers,” on which she played the sardonic waitress Carla Tortelli. She was nominated for her work on the show each year from 1983 through 1991, as well as in 1993. In total, “Cheers” was nominated for the fourth-most Emmys of any program.

RuPaul Charles — better known as RuPaul — has won three Emmys as host of the VH1 program “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and one for his work as executive producer on the show. He’s been nominated for three more Emmys this year, one of which is again for his work as a host on “Drag Race.”

British actor Helen Mirren has won numerous awards throughout her career, including an Oscar for her performance in the 2006 movie “The Queen.” Mirren has also won four Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actress, all for different programs: “Prime Suspect: Scent Of Darkness,” “The Passion Of Ayn Rand,” “Elizabeth I,” and “Prime Suspect: The Final Act (Masterpiece Theatre).”

The sitcom “Frasier” was nominated for a total of 107 Emmys — winning 37 — during its 11-season run. Its Emmy success was due in large part to the talents of its cast, including David Hyde Pierce, who played the cultured Dr. Niles Crane. Pierce was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series 11 times, winning four.

Jane Lynch has over 200 acting credits to her name on her IMDb page, with the earliest dating back to 1988. She did not, however, receive an Emmy nomination until 2010, when she was nominated for her performances on “Two and a Half Men” and “Glee,” the latter of which she won. Lynch is nominated for one award this year for her guest appearance on “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”

Colleen Dewhurst’s was first nominated for an Emmy in 1962 for her supporting performance in the NBC television movie “Focus.” Twenty-four years would pass before she’d actually won an Emmy, for the TV movie “Between Two Women,” in which she starred alongside Farah Fawcett. Dewhurst won three more Emmys, including two for her role on “Murphy Brown” as Murphy’s mother Avery.

Mel Brooks is one of only a handful of entertainers to win the EGOT, meaning he has received an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award. Brooks won his first Emmy in 1967 for Outstanding Writing on CBS’s “The Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner, Howard Morris Special.” He’d follow it up with three consecutive Emmys — in 1997, 1998, and 1999 — for his recurring role as Uncle Phil on “Mad About You.”

Lucille Ball is the iconic actress from not only “I Love Lucy,” but also “The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour,” “The Lucy Show,” “Here’s Lucy,” and “Life with Lucy.” During her 35-year television career, she won four Emmy awards. Ball was also inducted into the Television Academy’s Hall of Fame in 1984 and awarded the Governors Award in 1989.

Edie Falco won three Emmys for her role as Carmela Soprano in HBO’s critically acclaimed “The Sopranos.” She won her fourth award for her lead performance on the show “Nurse Jackie” in 2010. Falco received five additional nominations for that role, though failed to win again.

Each of the four Emmys Alfre Woodward won was for her work on a separate program. The first was for her performance on “Hill Street Blues” in 1984, followed by an award for a guest performance “L.A. Law” in 1987, then her work on TV movie “Miss Evers’ Boys” a decade later in 1997, and finally for her role on ABC’s “The Practice” in 2003. Woodard has received a total of 17 nominations throughout the years.

Don Knotts is best known for his role as bumbling Deputy Barney Fife on “The Andy Griffith Show,” which he played throughout most of the 1960s. This well-cast role earned Knotts five Emmy nominations — all of which he had won.

John Larroquette won his first four Emmys for his work on courtroom-sitcom “Night Court,” on which he played woman-crazy prosecutor Reinhold Daniel Fielding Elmore from 1984 through 1992. Larroquette later joined the cast of another legal series — “The Practice.” He won an Emmy for his performance as Joey Heric on the show in 1998.

Perry Como is best known as a singer, and it is this talent that won him Emmys for Best Male Singer in 1955 and 1956. He also won two Emmys as a television host and one as an actor for his work on “Perry Como Show” in 1959. Como was inducted into the Television Academy’s Hall of Fame in 1989.

Though Edward R. Murrow was a broadcast journalist rather than an actor, he’s included in this ranking as a television personality. Murrow won his first Emmy in 1954 for Most Outstanding Personality. He would proceed to win four more Emmys for Best News Commentator over his career and inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984.

British actor Laurence Olivier had an exceptionally successful film career, appearing in movies including “Rebecca” (1940), “Hamlet” (1948), and “Spartacus” (1960). He had a similarly impressive run in television, acting in numerous television mini-series and movies. He won a total of five Emmys for acting, the last of which came in 1984 for his performance in “Laurence Olivier’s King Lear.”

Candice Bergen’s best known role is of journalist Murphy Brown on the series “Murphy Brown.” She was nominated for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series seven times for this role, winning five. She was also nominated twice — once in 2006 and once in 2008 — for her performance as Shirley Schmidt in “The Practice” spinoff “Boston Legal.” Bergen was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010.

Carroll O’Connor spent more than 40 years working in television. His most iconic role is that of “All in the Family” patriarch Archie Bunker. O’Connor won four Emmys for his work as Bunker and was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1989. He also secured his fifth Emmy award that year for his performance as Chief William O. “Bill” Gillespie on the Mississippi-based police show “In the Heat of the Night.”

While Jeff Probst hasn’t made his mark on television as a traditional actor, he’s had great success as the longtime host of reality show “Survivor.” Probst has hosted the show since 2000, over which period he’s won five Emmys, including a four-year streak from 2008 through 2011.

Doris Roberts won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series four times for her role as the loving mother Marie Barone in “Everybody Loves Raymond.” She won all of these awards between 2001 and 2005. Roberts won another Emmy prior to all of these, in 1983, for her performance on the NBC hospital drama “St. Elsewhere.”

Peter Falk won his first Emmy win in 1962 for his work on the short-lived “The Dick Powell Show.” He won his second Emmy a decade later for his most iconic television role — Columbo. Falk won a total of four Emmys for playing Columbo — three of which for his appearances on “NBC Mystery Movie” and one for the actual series “Columbo.”

Hal Holbrook won his first Emmy in 1971 for his performance as Senator Hays Stowe in the NBC series “The Bold Ones: The Senator.” He would go on to win four more, including the award for Actor of the Year in 1974 for his work on the ABC Theatre TV movie “Pueblo.”

Kelsey Grammer’s earliest Emmy nominations were for his work on “Cheers,” though it wasn’t until his Dr. Frasier Crane character gained its own series that he won an award. Grammer won the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series four times for “Frasier,” in 1994, 1995, 1998, and 2004. His most recent Emmy win came in 2006 for his voice acting as the vengeful Sideshow Bob on “The Simpsons.”

Michael J. Fox’s career began with television appearances on shows such as “Leo and Me” and “The Magic Lie.” He earned his first Emmy nomination, and then wins, for his role as Alex P. Keaton on the 1980s sitcom “Family Ties.” He later won an Emmy for “Spin City” in 2000 and then FX Network’s “Rescue Me” in 2009.

Betty White was nominated for her first Emmy all the way back in 1951. Her most recent nomination came in 2014 for her work as the host of senior citizen hidden camera show “Betty White’s Off Their Rockers.” Between these two nominations, White won five Emmys: two for her work on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” one for “The Golden Girls,” one for “The John Larroquette Show,” and one for her appearance as host on “Saturday Night Live.” White was also inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.

Popular singer and actress Dinah Shore won her first two Emmys for her music, taking home the award for Best Female Singer in 1955 and 1956. She won Emmys the following two years for performances as herself, and in 1959 won as an actress on “The Dinah Shore Chevy Show.” Shore won her final Emmy in 1973 for her talk show “Dinah’s Place” and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992, two years before her passing.

John Lithgow’s earliest Emmy win was in 1986 for a guest appearance on “The Doll” episode of NBC’s anthology series “Amazing Stories.” A decade later he won again for his performance as undercover alien Dick Solomon on the sitcom “3rd Rock from the Sun.” Lithgow won twice more for that role, before winning for a guest appearance on “Dexter” in 2010 and, most recently, his role as Winston Churchill on Netflix’s “The Crown” in 2017.

Actor Tim Conway’s first Emmy nomination was in 1963 for his performance as Ensign Charles Parker on the World War II-based comedy series “McHale’s Navy.” It wasn’t until 10 years later that Conway won an award, then for his work on “The Carol Burnett Show.” He’d win three more for his work on that show — including one for writing — and later two Emmys for guest appearances on the shows “Coach” and “30 Rock.” Conway was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002.

Art Carney is best known for his role as Ed Norton in “The Honeymooners.” However, only one of the actor’s six Emmys were awarded for his performance on this show. Four were for his work on “The Jackie Gleason Show,” which is where the Honeymooners skit originated. In 1984, he won his final Emmy for his supporting role in the TV movie “Terrible Joe Moran,” about a disabled former boxer played by James Cagney.

Hank Azaria has won four Emmys — and been nominated eight times — for his work on “The Simpsons.” Azaria has been a member of the show’s cast for 30 years, voicing diverse characters such as Moe the bartender, Apu, Chief Wiggum, and Snake. He has won two additional Emmys for his performance in the television movie adaptation of “Tuesdays with Morrie” and the Showtime series “Ray Donovan.”

Bryan Cranston’s three earliest Emmy nominations were for his performance as the father Hal on Fox’s “Malcolm in the Middle.” However, he didn’t win an Emmy until the hugely popular series “Breaking Bad” hit the air. Cranston both starred in and partially produced the show, for which he won all six of his Emmys. He was nominated for three additional Emmys that were not related to “Breaking Bad” following its finale, yet he hasn’t won any.

Tyne Daly won four Emmys in the 1980s for her role as Mary Beth Lacey in the crime drama “Cagney & Lacey.” She later won one Emmy in 1996 for her work on the CBS series “Christy,” and one in 2003 for the network’s “Judging Amy.” While Daly has continued to work in television, she has not been nominated for another Emmy since 2005.

Eighty-six year old Carol Burnett has spent over six decades working in television, including 11 years during which her influential “The Carol Burnett Show” was on the air. Burnett had already won two Emmys when the sketch comedy show — which resulted in three more awards — debuted. She would win one more Emmy in 1997 for her performance as Teresa on the NBC sitcom “Mad About You.” Burnett was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1985.

Alan Alda’s six Emmys are tied to two exceptionally successful shows that the actor starred in. The first five were awarded to Alda for his role as Capt. Benjamin Franklin ‘Hawkeye’ Pierce on the critically lauded sitcom “M*A*S*H.” These include a 1974 Actor of the Year award. In 2006, 23 years after the conclusion of “M*A*S*H,” he won his most recent Emmy for his performance as Arnold Vinick on NBC’s “The West Wing.” Alda was inducted the Television Academy’s Hall of Fame in 1994.

In just 19 years, Allison Janney has accumulated 14 Emmy nominations and seven wins. The first four awards she won were for her portrayal of C.J. Cregg, the White House Chief of Staff and Press Secretary on NBC’s “The West Wing.” Janney has also won two awards for her work on the sitcom “Mom” — which has been running since 2013 — and one for her performance on the Showtime series “Masters of Sex.”

Television legend Mary Tyler Moore received her first two Emmy awards for her work on “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” in 1964 and 1966. As the 1970s began, Moore starred in her own series — “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” — for which she was nominated for eight Emmys and won four. She won her final Emmy in 1993 for the television movie “Stolen Babies.” Moore was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986.

Edward Asner’s earliest Emmy success was due to his work on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” on which he played Mary’s boss, Lou Grant. Asner won the award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Comedy in 1971, 1972, and 1975. He won another Emmy in 1976 for his work on the ABC mini-series “Rich Man, Poor Man,” and then in 1977 for his role as Capt. Thomas Davies on “Roots.” Asner’s final two Emmys were for the “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” spin-off “Lou Grant.” Asner was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996.

Cloris Leachman is another veteran of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” to have a successful Emmy history. She won her first award in 1973 for the TV movie “A Brand New Life.” Not long after, she won two awards for her role as Phyllis Lindstrom on Mary Tyler Moore’s sitcom. Leachman would win five more Emmys for her work on Cher’s variety show “Cher,” the Screen Actors Guild 50th Anniversary Celebration, the CBS drama “Promised Land,” and “Malcolm in the Middle.” She was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.

Actor, director, and producer Carl Reiner has won six Emmys for his work as a performer and nine in total. His earliest nomination was in 1954 for the comedy series “Your Show of Shows,” and his first win came three years later for “Caesar’s Hour,” both of which also starred actor Sid Caesar. Reiner won numerous Emmys for his writing on “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” and later an acting award for his guest spot on “Mad About You.” He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999 and has received three nominations since, the most recent in 2018.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus has the most Emmy wins of any actor. Like others listed, the Emmys are not all for acting — though many are. Louis-Dreyfus holds the record for most Emmys won by a performer for the same role in the same series (6) for her portrayal of Selina Meyer, the vice president of the United States, in HBO’s “Veep.” She has also won three Emmys for her work as executive producer on the series. Prior to “Veep,” she won an Emmy for her performance as Elaine Benes on “Seinfeld” in 1996 and one for her lead role as Christine Campbell on CBS’s “The New Adventures Of Old Christine.” Louis-Dreyfus was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.