First of all, I'm new here so forgive me if I screw up :). Now, about the Emmy nominations/submission process, I read that Wyle submitted for Supporting Actor. What defines the category an actor enters? Is it the postition of the actor on the show overall or the scene/episode the actor submits. I ask this because I think Noah was more a lead actor this year especially due to the abscence of Clooney and the scenes he entered portrayed it. It doesn't fit to me. What do you guys think?

-- (momobirdie2001b@aol.com), July 09, 2000

Answers

The writers/producers of the show decide who gets put into what categories. They probably placed Noah Wyle (Carter) as "supporting actor" so he wouldn't have to compete with Anthony Edwards (Marc) for the "best actor" category. It's their best chance to maximize the number of possibly winners. By the way, I also think Carter should have been nominated in the lead actor category. I think his role this season was bigger than Anthony Edward's role.

-- Carin Haseltine (cdenisehaze@usa.net), July 09, 2000.

According to the official Emmy rules, the actor can decide which category to compete in. Under the official rules Noah could have decided to compete in either the supporting or lead category. Also, during the nomination process the people who vote can pick any actor based on all twenty two episodes , not just one or two. Everyone who is a member of the Academy of Arts and Sciences can vote during this stage. Should Noah get nominated for best supporting actor, he would then submit a tape with two episodes on it. After this a judge panel of his peers would pick the winner based only on the two episodes submitted. Those for your consideration tapes we hear about and see for sell up on ebay ARE NOT official tapes of the Emmy nomination/selection process. They are advertising/promo pieces sent out by the studios/actor agent to advertise a particular show or actor to help get a person or show nominated in a particular category.

-- Brenda (jckwfan@aol.com), July 10, 2000.

Brenda's right- the actor chooses the category he/she wishes to be considered in. Remember "Friends"? Matthew Perry took himself out of the running for lead actor because he considered himself a supporting (as does the rest of the cast supposedly.)

And thank you Brenda for clearing up the Emmy tape question for me. I asked that question a while back on another thread and don't recall getting a firm answer. This answers my question on how the actors get nominated and how they are judged.

-- S. Trelles (trelles@ix.netcom.com), July 11, 2000.