Reigning Drama Series Actor Michael C. Hall (“Dexter“) will have to defy the odds if he is to take home a matching bookend at the upcoming Golden Globes. Since this category was reconfigured in the early 1980s to include only lead actors on series, just two men have won twice: John Forsythe (“Dynasty,” 1982, 1983) and Hugh Laurie (“House,” 2005, 2006). Even multiple Emmy champs like Dennis Franz (“NYPD Blue”) and James Gandolfini (“The Sopranos”) managed just one win with the Globes.
That trend bodes well for last year’s also-rans Simon Baker (“The Mentalist”) and Bill Paxton (“Big Love”) as well as three-time Emmy champ Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad”) who has yet to break into this race and the stars of three new series — Steve Buscemi (“Boardwalk Empire), Idris Elba (“Luther”) and Tom Selleck (“Blue Bloods”). Selleck won this award way back in 1984 for “Magnum, PI.” Since then, the honor roll has consisted of:
1985: Don Johnson (“Miami Vice”)
1986: Edward Woodward (“The Equalizer”)
1987: Richard Kiley (“A Year in the Life”)
1988: Ron Perlman (“Beauty & the Beast”)
1989: Ken Wahl (“Wiseguy”)
1990: Kyle MacLachlan (“Twin Peaks”)
1991: Scott Bakula (“Quantum Leap”)
1992: Sam Waterston (“Law & Order”)
1993: David Caruso (“NYPD Blue”)
1994: Dennis Franz (“NYPD Blue”)
1995: Jimmy Smits (“NYPD Blue”)
1996: David Duchovny (“The X Files”)
1997: Anthony Edwards (“E.R.”)
1998: Dylan McDermott (“The Practice”)
1999: James Gandolfini (“The Sopranos”)
2000: Martin Sheen (“The West Wing”)
2001: Kiefer Sutherland (“24”)
2002: Michael Chiklis (“The Shield”)
2003: Anthony LaPaglia (“Without a Trace”)
2004: Ian McShane (“Deadwood”)
2005: Hugh Laurie (“House”)
2006: Hugh Laurie (“House”)
2007: Jon Hamm (“Mad Men”)
2008: Gabriel Byrne (“In Treatment”)
2009: Michael C. Hall (“Dexter”)
Photo: Michael C. Hall at the 2009 Golden Globes (HFPA)
