( EW.com ) -- The Emmys were largely predictable yet again . `` The Daily Show , '' `` Amazing Race , '' Claire Danes — we all figured those and several others would win before the 64th Annual Primetime telecast started . Still , there were several wins in key categories that prompted gasps in the backstage press room and proved prognosticators do n't always get it right : . -- Giancarlo Esposito loses best supporting actor in a drama . `` Breaking Bad 's '' Aaron Paul winning this award was n't really shocking — he was certainly deserving . But Esposito 's riveting performance as Gus Fring on `` Breaking Bad '' last season had many pundits thinking he had this one locked . `` I did n't prepare anything , '' Paul said backstage . `` I was shaking and trying not to sob . '' And Paul said of Esposito : `` I cried in his arms and said , 'It does n't make sense that I was on that stage and you were not . ' '' -- `` Homeland 's '' Damian Lewis wins best actor in a drama . Bryan Cranston was favored to win this category for a fourth time , with many hoping `` Mad Men 's '' Jon Hamm would dethrone the king . Lewis was a dark-horse favorite for his shifty performance as a turncoat Marine in the Showtime drama . `` I still get jokes going through the airport , do you have a vest on ? '' Lewis quipped backstage . -- `` Two and a Half Men 's '' Jon Cryer wins for best comedy actor : Another half surprise . Cryer won an Emmy for this role in 2009 , though he was submitted in the supporting category that year . But Big Bang Theory 's Jim Parsons has won this honor the past two years . Critics were pulling for Louie 's Louis C.K. , while others thought 30 Rock 's Alec Baldwin might stage a comeback . -- `` Hatfields & McCoy 's '' Kevin Costner wins best actor in a movie or miniseries . Benedict Cumberbatch mesmerizing performance in `` Sherlock '' has some fans crying foul . -- `` Homeland '' wins best drama . After `` Homeland '' took home the Golden Globe for best drama series this year , critics thought it might be the show to dethrone `` Mad Men . '' But after `` Mad Men 's '' four consecutive wins for the AMC drama , crushing challenger after challenger , few were willing to bet that Emmy voters would actually check another box on this ballot category . Plus , PBS ' `` Downton Abbey '' and AMC 's `` Breaking Bad '' seemed like they had a shot at seizing the crown too . `` We did n't make our show just to undermine them , '' Homeland star Danes said backstage . `` I do n't think anybody expected to be recognized this way right off the bat . But it feels pretty nice . '' -- FX 's `` American Horror Story '' loses best miniseries bid . Who 's afraid of the miniseries category ? HBO 's more traditional entry for this category , `` Game Change , '' beat out the FX series despite American Horror Story tying Mad Men for the most award nominations ( 17 ) this year . ( See : Was American Horror Story punished ? ) See full story at EW.com . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved .
There were a few surprises that night at the Emmys . ` ` Homeland 's '' Damian ##o was a dark horse favorite . ` ` American Horror Story '' lost its bid for best film .