Top 15 Actors with the Most Emmy Wins in History

The Primetime Emmys have honored television’s defining performances for more than seven decades, and a small group of performers keep returning to the stage again and again. For clarity, the totals below count Primetime Emmy wins officially credited to each performer. That can include wins for acting as well as wins in other credited roles like producing or guest work, when the performer is named a recipient.

Daytime Emmys, International Emmys, Governors Awards, and other non Primetime honors are not included here. Each entry notes where those wins came from so you can see which shows and categories powered these record setting careers.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Julia Louis-Dreyfus has 11 Primetime Emmys. Eight are acting wins across three series that include one supporting actress win for ‘Seinfeld’, one lead actress win for ‘The New Adventures of Old Christine’, and six consecutive lead actress wins for ‘Veep’. She is also an executive producer on ‘Veep’, where the show won outstanding comedy series multiple times with her credited on the trophies.

Her acting total is tied for the most by a performer, and her producing credits push her career total to the all time lead among actors. Her ‘Veep’ run also set the record for the most wins by a performer for the same role on the same series.

Cloris Leachman

Cloris Leachman won eight Primetime Emmys, all as a performer. Her wins span supporting roles on ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’ and ‘Cher’, a lead actress win for ‘Phyllis’, single performance recognition for the television film ‘A Brand New Life’, guest actress wins on ‘Promised Land’ and ‘Malcolm in the Middle’, and other acting categories.

Her Emmy career covers comedy, drama, variety, and guest work. That breadth made her one of the two most awarded performers in Primetime Emmy history in acting categories.

Ed Asner

Ed Asner earned seven Primetime Emmys, the most acting Emmys won by a male performer. Five came for the same character across two series with three supporting actor wins for Lou Grant on ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’ and two lead actor wins for the drama ‘Lou Grant’.

He added two more acting Emmys for limited series work in ‘Rich Man, Poor Man’ and ‘Roots’. That combination made him the first performer to win Emmys for the same role in both comedy and drama.

Allison Janney

Allison Janney has seven Primetime Emmys, all in acting categories. She won four for ‘The West Wing’ across supporting and lead actress categories, including a year where she won as lead after prior supporting wins for the same role.

She followed with two supporting actress wins for ‘Mom’ and a guest actress win in drama for ‘Masters of Sex’. Her totals reflect wins in lead, supporting, and guest categories across both comedy and drama.

Mary Tyler Moore

Mary Tyler Moore’s seven Primetime Emmys include two acting wins for ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show’ and four lead actress wins for ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’. She added a Primetime Emmy for the television film ‘Stolen Babies’.

Her Emmys were concentrated in performance categories and spread across multi camera comedy and television movie formats. The combination underscores her impact as a lead across different types of television storytelling.

Jean Smart

Jean Smart holds seven Primetime Emmys. Early wins came from back to back guest actress victories on ‘Frasier’ and a supporting actress win in comedy for ‘Samantha Who?’.

She then added four lead actress wins in comedy for ‘Hacks’. That total places her among the most decorated actors in Primetime history, with wins in guest, supporting, and lead categories.

Bryan Cranston

Bryan Cranston has seven Primetime Emmys. He won four times for lead actor in drama for ‘Breaking Bad’ and added two trophies as a credited producer when ‘Breaking Bad’ won outstanding drama series.

He also won lead actor in a limited or movie category for the HBO film ‘All the Way’. His career total reflects wins as an actor across series and television movie work alongside producing recognition on a best series winner.

John Lithgow

John Lithgow owns six Primetime Emmys. He won three lead actor awards in comedy for ‘3rd Rock from the Sun’, a guest actor win in drama for ‘Amazing Stories’, a guest actor win in drama for ‘Dexter’, and a supporting actor win in drama for ‘The Crown’.

His set shows uncommon range, with wins in lead, supporting, and guest categories, and across comedy, drama, and anthology storytelling.

Tyne Daly

Tyne Daly has six Primetime Emmys. She won four times for lead actress in drama for ‘Cagney & Lacey’, becoming one of the most honored dramatic leads of the era.

She added supporting actress wins in drama for ‘Christy’ and for ‘Judging Amy’. Those wins give her a resume that spans lead and supporting recognition across multiple dramas and decades.

Kelsey Grammer

Kelsey Grammer has five Primetime Emmys. Four are lead actor wins in comedy for playing Frasier Crane on ‘Frasier’, reflecting sustained recognition for a single character carried over from ‘Cheers’.

His fifth Emmy is for voice over performance on ‘The Simpsons’ as Sideshow Bob. That combination links a long running live action role with animated voice work at the highest level.

Candice Bergen

Candice Bergen has five Primetime Emmys, all for lead actress in comedy for ‘Murphy Brown’. She became the first performer to win that lead comedy category five times for the same role.

Her work on ‘Murphy Brown’ also produced many additional nominations. After multiple wins, she asked not to be submitted further during the original run, which kept her total at five despite continued recognition from peers.

Michael J. Fox

Michael J. Fox has five Primetime Emmys. He won three times for lead actor in comedy for ‘Family Ties’ and then won lead actor in comedy for ‘Spin City’.

He added a guest actor win in drama for ‘Rescue Me’. His Emmys therefore include both lead comedy wins for long running roles and a guest actor win on a drama series.

Betty White

Betty White’s five Primetime Emmys stretch from the early years of television to her later career. Her wins include an early Best Actress recognition for ‘Life with Elizabeth’, two supporting actress wins for ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’, and a lead actress win in comedy for ‘The Golden Girls’.

She also won a guest actress Emmy for her appearance on ‘The John Larroquette Show’. Those trophies show a career that moved from starring vehicles to acclaimed ensemble work to memorable guest turns.

Don Knotts

Don Knotts won five Primetime Emmys, all for supporting actor in comedy for ‘The Andy Griffith Show’. He was recognized repeatedly for the role of Barney Fife, earning wins across multiple seasons.

All five wins came from the same series and same category. That makes his total one of the most concentrated examples of repeated recognition for a single supporting performance.

John Larroquette

John Larroquette holds five Primetime Emmys. He won four consecutive supporting actor awards in comedy for ‘Night Court’, a run that set a mark for consecutive wins in that category at the time.

He added a guest actor win in drama for ‘The Practice’. His set shows dominance in one long running sitcom role along with a later guest triumph in a drama series.

Tell us which Emmy winning performances you think deserve more attention in the comments.