Noah Wyle could soon join an elite list of Emmy Award winners who have won Best Drama Actor twice in a row.
He took home his first career Emmy last year for playing Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch on The Pitt, and also won a second statuette as a producer when it claimed Best Drama Series. Prior to that, Wyle was a five-nominee for his supporting turn on ER (1995-99), the medical series that quasi-inspired The Pitt.
The last time someone won back-to-back in this category was 16 years ago, when Bryan Cranston prevailed for his role of meth manufacturer Walter White on Breaking Bad. He actually claimed three in a row (2008-10), and later a fourth for the final season (2014). Cranston also won twice for producing that Best Drama Series winner (2013-14) and once for guest-starring on The Studio (2025).
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Per the Gold Derby data, Wyle has a leading 98% chance of earning a repeat Best Drama Actor bid. His projected co-nominees are Sterling K. Brown (Paradise) at 96%, Mark Ruffalo (Task) at 95%, Gary Oldman (Slow Horses) at 95%, and Walton Goggins (Fallout) at 68%.
Last year, Wyle took down Brown and Oldman along with Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us) and Adam Scott (Severance); the latter two aren’t currently eligible because their shows didn’t air within the June 1 — May 31 eligibility period.
Here are all eight men who won Best Drama Actor at the Emmys at least twice in a row:
- E. G. Marshall for The Defenders (1962-63)
- Bill Cosby for I Spy (1966-68)
- Daniel J. Travanti for Hill Street Blues (1981-82)
- William Daniels for St. Elsewhere (1985-86)
- Dennis Franz for NYPD Blue (1996-97; also 1994 and 1999)
- James Gandolfini for The Sopranos (2000-01; also 2003)
- James Spader for The Practice and Boston Legal — different show, same character (2004-05; also 2007)
- Bryan Cranston for Breaking Bad (2008-10; also 2014)
Fun fact: Wyle would be the first person since Daniels, 40 years ago, to accomplish this rare feat for playing a TV doctor.
In the second season of The Pitt, Dr. Robby deals with multiple pressures at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center including a hospital-wide cyberattack, professional clashes with Dr. Frank Langdon (Patrick Ball) and charge nurse Dana Evans (Katherine LaNasa), and providing care for his motorcycle buddy Duke Ekins (Jeff Kober).
The 2026 Emmys nominations will be announced July 8, and the ceremony is scheduled for Sept. 14.
