A guest role usually means a few days on set, a handful of scenes, and then moving on to the next job. Yet every so often a performer shows up for what amounts to a cameo and walks away with television’s highest honor. The Guest Actor and Guest Actress categories at the Emmys exist precisely for these moments, rewarding actors who leave a mark without ever joining a show’s main cast. What follows is a look at eight performers whose brief but unforgettable appearances earned them a Primetime Emmy. Some played recurring family members who popped in for an episode or two. Others were one-off characters who never returned. All of them managed to turn limited screen time into award-winning work.
1. Elaine Stritch, 30 Rock
Elaine Stritch built a career on Broadway long before television audiences discovered her, but it was a recurring guest turn as Colleen Donaghy, the sharp-tongued mother of Alec Baldwin’s Jack Donaghy, that brought her Emmy recognition. She won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 2007 for playing Colleen Donaghy, specifically for the episode “Hiatus.” It was her third Emmy overall, following an earlier win for a guest role on Law and Order.
Stritch’s performance leaned into her natural bite, giving Jack a mother who could match his ego with her own withering commentary. She scored five Emmy nominations as Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for the 30 Rock role, taking home the statuette in 2007. The character became a fan favorite specifically because Stritch never softened her edges for the sitcom format, she simply brought her stage presence into a network comedy.
2. Gwyneth Paltrow, Glee
Few guest casting choices generated as much buzz in 2010 as Gwyneth Paltrow joining the cast of Glee. Portrayed by Paltrow, the character Holly Holliday appeared in three episodes during the show’s second season and two episodes of the fifth. That limited screen time did not stop Emmy voters from taking notice.
The following year, the results were confirmed. She won the 2011 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for playing Holly Holliday on Glee. What made the win notable is just how little screen time backed it up. Paltrow appeared in only three of Glee’s 22 episodes that season, roughly fourteen percent of the run, one of the lowest appearance rates among nominees in her category. It remains a frequently cited example of a guest win built almost entirely on impact rather than volume.
3. Tim Conway, 30 Rock
Comedy veteran Tim Conway had already spent decades building a reputation for physical comedy and improvisation by the time 30 Rock came calling. His guest appearance as Bucky Bright, a fading actor whose signature line became a running joke on the show, gave him a chance to bring his old-school comic instincts to a modern sitcom. The role fit him well, letting Conway riff off Tracy Morgan’s character in a way that felt loose and unforced. The Television Academy rewarded that appearance with the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Emmy in 2008. It marked a full-circle moment for a performer whose career stretched back to variety shows decades earlier, proving that his comic timing translated seamlessly to a single-camera network sitcom. The win also reinforced 30 Rock’s reputation as a show that consistently attracted, and rewarded, high-profile guest talent.
4. Melissa McCarthy, Saturday Night Live
Melissa McCarthy’s impersonation of former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer became one of the defining pop culture moments of 2017. She made surprise cameo appearances on Saturday Night Live portraying White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer during the “Sean Spicer Press Conference” sketch across four episodes of Season 42. The exaggerated portrayal, complete with a motorized podium and oversized suit jackets, spread quickly online after each appearance.
Partner offer
That popularity translated directly into Emmy recognition. Melissa McCarthy won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her impersonation of Sean Spicer on Saturday Night Live. While McCarthy entertained almost everyone with her impression of Spicer, the performances did not go over well at the White House, with President Trump reportedly bothered that a woman was portraying his press secretary. The win added another layer to a cultural moment that had already made headlines well beyond entertainment coverage.
5. Bradley Whitford, The Handmaid’s Tale
Bradley Whitford joined The Handmaid’s Tale in its second season as Commander Joseph Lawrence, a morally ambiguous architect of the show’s dystopian society. The role required Whitford to shift between menace and vulnerability, often within the same scene, which set him apart from other guest performers that year. It was a stark departure from the affable political staffers he had played earlier in his career. His work on the series earned him the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Emmy in 2018. The win highlighted how a well-cast recurring character, introduced mid-series, could still dominate a category typically reserved for one-off appearances. Whitford’s performance also helped expand the show’s universe just as it was moving beyond its original source material.
6. Cherry Jones, The Handmaid’s Tale
Cherry Jones appeared in The Handmaid’s Tale primarily through flashback sequences, playing Holly Maddox, the mother of Elisabeth Moss’s central character. Her scenes were brief but emotionally central to understanding the world before Gilead’s rise to power, giving the character’s disappearance real weight for viewers. It was a role built almost entirely on contrast, showing a free, defiant woman set against the show’s oppressive present. Jones took home the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Emmy in 2017 for the performance. Her win came during the show’s breakout first season, when The Handmaid’s Tale swept several major categories and established itself as one of the most acclaimed dramas of the year. For a role that appeared in only a handful of episodes, the impact was disproportionately large.
7. Ron Cephas Jones, This Is Us
Ron Cephas Jones played William Hill, the biological father of Sterling K. Brown’s character Randall, in NBC’s family drama This Is Us. The role moved between the present and extended flashbacks, giving Jones material that ranged from quiet reconciliation scenes to moments of real heartbreak as the character’s illness progressed. It was a part built on restraint, with Jones often conveying more through silence than dialogue. He won the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Emmy for the role in 2018, and returned to win again in 2020. The repeat recognition made him one of the few performers to win the same guest category for the same character more than once, a testament to how consistently the show’s writers found new emotional ground for William even in limited screen time.
8. Peter Scolari, Girls
Peter Scolari, best known to earlier generations for Bosom Buddies and Newhart, took on the role of Tad Horvath, father to Lena Dunham’s character Hannah, in HBO’s Girls. His storyline centered on Tad’s decision to come out later in life, handled by the show with a mix of humor and genuine sensitivity rather than played purely for shock value. Scolari brought a lived-in quality to the role that made the character’s arc feel grounded despite limited appearances. The performance earned him the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Emmy in 2016. It was a career-highlight win for a veteran performer who had spent decades in television without previously receiving this level of industry recognition. The role also stood out for tackling a subject that comedies rarely handled with this much care at the time.
Partner offer
Planning a trip to Vegas?
Compare hotel rates and show tickets on VEGAS.com.
