Dax Shepard, "Parenthood"

Nomination Status: Behind too many people in his own ensemble to get a nod.

In His Favor: If you've seen two seasons of "Parenthood" (and a couple of his recent movies, like "The Freebie"), you should have moved past the, "Wait. Dax Shepard actually isn't bad" phase onto the "Wait. Dax Shepard is actually really good" stage. "Parenthood" isn't a show that shies from giving its stars emotionally vulnerable moments and Shepard shined all season long, whether playing opposite Joy Bryant, Tyree Brown or Peter Krause.

Working Against Him: It feels like "Parenthood" probably has five or 10 actors eligible in this category alone and after failing to earn a single Emmy nod for its first season, the NBC drama has an uphill climb to get recognition.