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William Shatner is by no means new to television. The actor became a pop culture legend on the small screen thanks the role that would forever immortalize him; that of the dashing, supremely confident Captain James T. Kirk of "Star Trek" (NBC, 1966-69). Forty years later, the septuagenarian gained a new generation of television fans (and impressed previous ones all over again), with his critically revered role as the self-absorbed, one-of-a-kind lawyer Denny Crane on the courtroom drama "Boston Legal" (ABC, 2004-08). A win this year would make it Shatner’s third Emmy for the role.
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This Harvard and Yale-trained actor paid his dues in plenty of small guest spots and supporting roles before he landed his breakthrough gig on “Boston Legal” as the psychologically troubled lawyer Jerry “Hands” Esperson. The role earned him critical acclaim and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in 2006, and by the show’s third season, Clemenson had gone from recurring guest to series regular. He was rewarded with his first Outstanding Supporting Actor Emmy nomination in 2007 before getting the nod again this year.
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After realizing in high school that he wanted to be an actor for a living, Aaron Paul moved from Boise, Idaho, to Los Angeles to pursue his dream. After paying his dues as a theater usher, he later scored guest-starring roles on shows like "Melrose Place," "Veronica Mars," and "Ghost Whisperer," plus bit parts in movies like "K-Pax" and "Mission: Impossible III." In 2008 he landed his breakout role as Jesse Pinkman on the AMC original drama "Breaking Bad," playing a high school dropout who is enlisted by his former chemistry teacher to sell meth. His character originally wasn't supposed to last past the first season, but Paul's compelling performance won over both the audience and the show's producers, and his role was expanded. This past season, the show's second, saw Pinkman organizing his own street team, seeking revenge on pair who ripped off one of his dealers, and falling in love with his neighbor.
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William Hurt was born in Washington, D.C., the son of a State Department employee. Subsequently, William saw much of the world before he grew to be a man. The family lived in the South Pacific during his early years, but when William was 6 his parents divorced and he moved to New York City with his mother. He continued to vacation in exotic places with his father. When William was 10 his mother married Henry Luce III, heir to the Time-Life empire, and his life changed dramatically. William entered boarding school, where he developed an interest in acting. His interest was further developed when he met aspiring actress Mary Beth Supinger while he was studying theology in college. The two travelled to England, where William studied acting. He later returned to the U.S. and studied acting at Julliard. William did some theater work until cast in the film "Altered States" in 1980. He went on to become one of the most sought-after leading men of the 1980s. He continues to snag top roles into the 2000s. The Oscar-winning actor reunited with his "Big Chill" co-star Glenn Close in the second season of FX's series "Damages."
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Born on September 7, 1954, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Emerson received a bachelor of fine arts in theater from Drake University and then set off for Manhattan to try his luck with acting. Despite having been drawn to comedy at the start of his career, he emerged in decidedly creepier roles that later earned him great notoriety.
In the beginning of his career, he cut his teeth on the stage while struggling to earn a living through odd jobs. He gained momentum once he began doing Shakespeare, which propelled him to New York City and several acclaimed off-Broadway productions like "The Misanthrope" (1998) and "The Iceman Cometh" (1999).
But it was his Emmy Award-winning performance as a suspected serial killer on "The Practice" (NBC, 1997-2004) that most propelled his career, leading to him being cast as the manipulative leader of the mysterious Others on "Lost" (ABC, 2004-2010), a role that turned Emerson into a household name practically overnight. Originally slated for three episodes as a captured member of the mysterious Others, Emerson impressed the producers enough for them to write him into the show as a regular character by the end of season two. Straddling the line between good and evil, Emerson kept viewers guessing on a show that was seen by some critics as losing steam. His eerie portrayal earned the onetime walk-on Emmy award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2007, 2008, and 2009.
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[ EXPERT PICK ]
Veteran TV, film, and stage actor John Slattery most recently appeared on the big screen in Clint Eastwood's critically acclaimed "Flags of Our Fathers" as well as "Charlie Wilson's War" directed by Mike Nichols, and "Reservation Road" from Terry George. His additional film credits include "Mona Lisa Smile," "Bad Company," "Traffic," "The Station Agent," and "Sleepers." His extensive television credits include a recent guest-starring role on the hit series "Desperate Housewives," regular roles on "Jack and Bobby," "K Street," and "Ed" and memorable guest appearances on "Sex and the City" and "Will & Grace." Slattery currently plays Roger Sterling on AMC’s Emmy-winning “Mad Men.” Sterling is a partner at the Sterling Cooper advertising agency, along with Bertram Cooper, the company's founder, and Don Draper, the agency's creative director. A World War II veteran, Roger and his wife, Mona, have a daughter named Margaret. He and Sterling Cooper's office manager, Joan Holloway, carried on an affair for some time.
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