The award was first presented at the 27th Primetime Emmy Awards on May 19 , 1975 to Zohra Lampert for her performance on '' Kojak '' and Cloris Leachman for her role on '' The Mary Tyler Moore Show '' . It has undergone several name changes , originally honoring single leading and supporting appearances in 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
38th Primetime Emmy Awards
38th Primetime Emmy Awards
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series