Steve Carell has been receiving awards buzz all season long for Rooster, but in the last week of Emmy eligibility, he staged a surprise return to The Four Seasons — and it could be his key to finally winning after 10 prior losses.
His philandering character, Nick, was famously killed off in the first season of Tina Fey’s Netflix adaptation of Alan Alda’s 1981 movie. However, Carell returned to The Four Seasons in flashback form for two fall-themed episodes in Season 2, and is now eligible in the Best Comedy Guest Actor category.
Carell is submitting the sixth episode, titled “Little Thanksgiving,” for Emmy consideration. The plot finds the gang gathering for Turkey Day in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic several years earlier. After Danny (Colman Domingo) meets one of Nick’s mistresses while out searching for his dog, Nick later confesses to his wife, Anne (Kerri Kenney-Silver), that he’s been unfaithful. But as viewers know, it won’t be the last time.
“Little Thanksgiving” is truly a showcase episode for Carell, as he appears in almost every scene and has emotional moments with each of the cast members. But are Television Academy voters watching The Four Seasons? Last year, Domingo wound up being the show’s sole Emmy representative for Season 1.
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BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 8: John Stamos attends AARP The Magazine’s 23rd Annual Movies For Grownups Awards at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on February 8, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Elyse Jankowski/Getty Images)
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BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 27: Max Greenfield attends the 20th anniversary celebration of the Goldie Hawn Foundation and MindUP Gala at Ron Burkle’s Greenacres on September 27, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
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HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 10: Gary Cole attends a salute to the NCIS universe celebrating “NCIS” “NCIS: Los Angeles” and “NCIS: Hawai’i” during the 39th Annual PaleyFest LA at Dolby Theatre on April 10, 2022 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 06: Jeff Hiller attends The Critics Choice Association’s 2nd Annual Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television at Fairmont Century Plaza on June 06, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Critics Choice Association)
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WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 24: Toby Huss attends the Los Angeles Premiere of Paramount +’s “Fatal Attraction” at SilverScreen Theater on April 24, 2023 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images)
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 01: Mikey Day attends the American Museum of Natural History’s 2022 Museum Gala on December 01, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for American Museum of Natural History )
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Netflix kept Carell’s The Four Seasons encore under wraps until the second season dropped on May 28, so Gold Derby only added him to our Emmy predictions center this week. He’s currently in 30th place for a Best Comedy Guest Actor bid, but is expected to rise in the coming weeks as more of our experts, editors, and users update their picks.
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Carell will also appear on the Emmy ballot for Best Comedy Actor for playing novelist-professor Greg Russo in Rooster. His chances are much stronger there: he’s currently in third place with a 90% chance of receiving a nomination. The two funnymen ahead of him are Shrinking‘s Jason Segel at 96%, and Only Murders in the Building‘s Martin Short at 95%.
Gold Derby has learned that Carell and his Rooster ensemble members — Charly Clive, Danielle Deadwyler, Lauren Tsai, Phil Dunster, and John C. McGinley — have all been submitted by HBO for the 2026 Emmys. The network is also submitting two guest stars: Connie Britton and Alan Ruck.
Carell has a long history of being an Emmy bridesmaid, losing for his acting roles on The Office (2006-11) and The Morning Show (2020), and for producing The Office (2009-11). He’s also an Oscar nominee for Foxcatcher (2014).
The actor does have trophies to his name, however. He took home Actor Awards for The Office and Little Miss Sunshine (2006), the Golden Globe for The Office, and the Film Independent Spirit Award and Gotham Award for Foxcatcher, among others.
