Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series is an award presented annually by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It is given in honor of an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a guest starring role on a television drama series for the primetime network season.

The award was first presented at the 27th Primetime Emmy Awards on May 19, 1975 to Patrick McGoohan for his performance on Columbo: By Dawn's Early Light. It has undergone several name changes, originally honoring leading and supporting actors in single appearances on drama and comedy series through 1978. The award was reintroduced at the 38th Primetime Emmy Awards under the name Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series, honoring actors and actresses in guest starring roles on television drama series. In 1989, the category was split into categories for each gender, resulting in the name change to its current title.

Since its inception, the award has been given to 35 actors. Bradley Whitford is the current recipient of the award for his role of Joseph Lawrence on The Handmaid's Tale. Charles S. Dutton, John Lithgow and Patrick McGoohan have won the most awards in this category with two each. Michael J. Fox has been nominated for the award on seven occasions, the most within the category.

Winners and nominees
Listed below are the winners of the award for each year, as well as the other nominees.

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

Performers with multiple wins
2 wins
 Charles S. Dutton 
 John Lithgow 
 Patrick McGoohan

Programs with multiple awards

6 awards
 The Practice (5 consecutive)

2 awards
 Scandal (consecutive)
 This Is Us (consecutive)

Performers with multiple nominations

7 nominations
 Michael J. Fox

5 nominations
 Beau Bridges 
 Robert Morse

4 nominations
 Charles Durning

3 nominations
 Dylan Baker 
 Reg E. Cathey
 Charles S. Dutton
 Harold Gould

2 nominations
 F. Murray Abraham
 Alan Alda 
 Hank Azaria
 Bill Bixby
 Christian Clemenson
 James Cromwell 
 Ted Danson 
 Jeremy Davies 
 Will Geer
 Louis Gossett Jr. 
 John Glover 
 Michael Jeter 
 Ron Cephas Jones

 James Earl Jones 
 Richard Kiley 
 Martin Landau 
 John Larroquette 
 John Lithgow 
 Tim Matheson 
 Patrick McGoohan
 Gerald McRaney 
 Oliver Platt 
 Matthew Perry 
 Robert Reed 
 Glynn Turman
 James Whitmore 
 Robin Williams

Programs with multiple nominations

14 nominations
 ER

11 nominations
 The Practice

10 nominations
 The Good Wife

7 nominations
 Mad Men
 This Is Us
 The West Wing

6 nominations
 St. Elsewhere

5 nominations
 Chicago Hope
 House of Cards
 Picket Fences

3 nominations
 Boston Legal
 Homeland
 Homicide: Life on the Street
 L.A. Law
 Midnight Caller
 thirtysomething
 Touched by an Angel
 Without a Trace

2 nominations
 Cagney & Lacey
 Columbo
 Damages
 Dexter
 Justified
 Masters of Sex
 Moonlighting
 Ray Donovan
 Rescue Me
 Scandal
 The Sopranos
 Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
 Tales from the Crypt