A look back at the nominees in the supporting actor categories at the 56th Primetime Emmy Awards shows that a modern golden era of television was in full force. Whether it's the end of a remarkably stable comedy lineup, the long-awaited breakthrough of a standout drama, or a show's continued dominance in the miniseries category, the performances will be honored on September 19, 2004 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles It was extraordinary then and still memorable decades later.
'Frasier' ends with a new record set
David Hyde Pierce earned his fourth Emmy as supporting actor in a comedy for playing annoying Niles Crane on “Frasier” (NBC), a show that concluded its 11 seasons in May. (The series returned to Paramount+ in 2023 without Pierce.) He had been nominated consecutively each year of the show's broadcast, becoming the actor with the most nominations in this category.
Pierce was up against some familiar names: Brad Garrett (“Everybody Loves Raymond,” CBS), who had won in this category in 2002, 2003 and would win again in 2005; Peter Boyle, 1996 Emmy winner (“Raymond”); Sean Hayes (“Will & Grace,” NBC), who won in this category in 2000 and would win a second Emmy in a different category in 2011; and Jeffrey Tambor (“Arrested Development,” Fox), who would win Emmy Awards in 2015 and 2016.
About that remarkably stable lineup: From 2000 to 2005, Boyle and Hayes were nominated every year, and Pierce and Garrett were included five of the six times.
“It's not the way it would have gone, but that's okay,” Pierce joked to the audience after accepting the award from presenters Chris Noth and Sarah Jessica Parker. After saying thank you, he added: “They say television and comedy on television are changing, and I just want to tell you that when it changes again, call me.”
Bada Bing! Great victory for the opening acts of 'The Sopranos'
It was a big night for “The Sopranos” (HBO), which dominated not only the drama series category but also took home Emmy Awards for supporting actor and actress for Michael Imperioli and Drea de Matteo, respectively. It was Imperioli's third nomination for playing gangster Christopher Moltisanti in the series, and his only win. He faced off against co-star Steve Buscemi, who won an Emmy for a short variety series in 2016; first-time nominee Brad Dourif (“Deadwood,” HBO); Victor Garber (“Alias,” ABC), who was nominated for this role three times; and John Spencer (“The West Wing,” NBC), who won his Emmy for this role in 2002. He died in 2005.
“Being on 'The Sopranos' is the best thing in the world for an actor, and if this was the only thing I'd ever done, I'd be fine with it,” Imperioli told the audience after accepting the Emmy from the presenters. Blair Underwood and Heather Locklear. “Probably.”
An angelic wish for the future.
Four of the five nominations for supporting actor in a miniseries or movie were for first-time nominees, all from the HBO juggernaut “Angels in America,” and Jeffrey Wright (who played several characters in the miniseries) won the award. He was the first black actor to win in the category since James Earl Jones (also nominated as a guest actor in 2004) won in 1991.
He was up against his “Angels” co-stars Justin Kirk, Ben Shenkman and Patrick Wilson, all in their first Emmy nominations; and two-time Emmy veteran William H. Macy, who played John Irwin on “Stealing Sinatra” (Showtime).
Accepting the Emmy from presenters Debra Messing and Eric McCormack, Wright lavished praise on her cast and crewmates, then continued through two awkward orchestral cues to speak out for today's AIDS victims. “When I originally started this journey with this piece [Wright originated two of his miniseries roles in the original 1993 Broadway production of “Angels”], AIDS mainly affected homosexual men; now the disease affects African Americans in extraordinary numbers…. I hope that by accepting this I can be an inspiration to actors who want to tell those stories and keep those realities and struggles alive in the public dialogue.”
