The Emmys happen every single year, and you might just assume that your favorite TV stars have been nominated. However, there are a number of incredible TV actors who have never been nominated for their performances. HollywoodLife is bringing to your attention a list of notable television stars who have yet to be an Emmy nominee.
Ellen Pompeo
Despite leading Grey’s Anatomy as Meredith Grey since day one, Ellen Pompeo has never been nominated for an Emmy. Her performance over the years has been truly incredible, and she’s the heart and soul of the longest-running medical drama. Many of her co-stars, including Sandra Oh, Chandra Wilson, T.R. Knight, and more have received Emmy nominations, with former co-star Katherine Heigl winning in 2007.
Emmy Rossum
Emmy Rossum wowed each season as Fiona Gallagher on Showtime’s Shameless. Her performances were just as strong as co-star William H. Macy, who has been nominated for playing Frank Gallagher 5 times, but she never got a nomination.
Danai Gurira
Danai Gurira has been one of TV’s top talents ever since she stepped into the role of Michonne on The Walking Dead. Despite being on the show for 8 years and being one of the strongest performers, she has never been nominated for an Emmy.
Sam Heughan
Outlander is one of the best shows on TV, yet Sam Heughan has been repeatedly ignored for his terrific performance. The show is headed into season 6, but Sam has not once been nominated for playing James Fraser. He’s been robbed year after year.
Caitriona Balfe
Like Sam, Caitriona Balfe has never been nominated for her portrayal of Claire Fraser on Outlander. Season 2 was arguably her best season, especially when she lost her first child, but she was ignored by the Television Academy. Thankfully, she’s been nominated for a Golden Globe 4 times.
Bellamy Young
Bellamy Young starred as the iconic Mellie Grant on the ABC series Scandal. She was a scene-stealer from the start and left us speechless delivering all of those amazing monologues. From Mellie outing Fitz and Olivia’s affair on national TV to Drunk Mellie, Bellamy was more than worthy of an Emmy nomination. Unfortunately, she never got one.
Justin Hartley
Justin Hartley has really shown off his dramatic range throughout the 4 seasons of This Is Us. From mourning his father’s death in the present day to battling his alcohol addiction, Justin is one of the show’s most powerful performers. Most of Justin’s co-stars have already gotten Emmy nominations, with Sterling K. Brown winning in 2017, but Justin has not gotten an Emmy nomination yet.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Jeffrey Dean Morgan has had quite the TV presence for over 15 years. He stole our hearts with his emotional performance as Denny Duquette on Grey’s Anatomy. After his Grey’s run, he starred as Ike Evans on Magic City. He’s also had notable roles on The Good Wife and Supernatural. He took a dark turn as Negan on The Walking Dead. Even though he’s been a scene-stealer on every show, Jeffrey has yet to get an Emmy nomination.
Constance Wu
Constance Wu solidified herself as a true comedic talent as Jessica Huang on the ABC series Fresh Off the Boat. Her portrayal as the no-nonsense, competitive Jessica was one of the highlights of the series. During the 6-season run, Constance never got an Emmy nomination.
Lauren Graham
Lauren Graham first wowed us as Lorelai Gilmore on the long-running series Gilmore Girls. She made us laugh, cry, and so much more over the course of 7 seasons. The actress went on to star as Sarah Braverman on Parenthood. Again, Lauren wowed audiences with her performance over the show’s run. She didn’t receive nominations during her time on both Gilmore Girls or Parenthood, even though she is one of TV’s most beloved stars.
Omari Hardwick
Power was one of the most popular shows on television and never got the Emmys love it deserved. Omari Hardwick led Power as the charismatic but ruthless drug dealer James “Ghost” St. Patrick. It’s a shame he was never nominated for an Emmy.
Kristen Bell
Kristen Bell has been a major TV star ever since her breakout role in Veronica Mars in 2004. Following Veronica Mars, she starred on House of Lies and The Good Place. The Good Place became one of TV’s most beloved comedies with Kristen as one of the show’s central stars, but she didn’t ever get a nomination for playing Eleanor.
Kaley Cuoco
Kaley Cuoco played Penny on one of TV’s biggest comedies of all-time, The Big Bang Theory. Her co-star Jim Parsons won a number of times, but Kaley never got an acting nomination for her performance. Hopefully, her dramatic turn on HBO Max’s The Flight Attendant will change.
Courteney Cox
Courteney Cox was one of the core members of the Friends ensemble and brought her comedy A-game with each episode. However, all of her Friends co-stars got Emmy nominations throughout the 10 seasons — except Courteney. There was no reason for the lack of Monica Geller love!