Jim Parsons won his fourth Emmy for lead actor in a comedy for his role as nerdy Caltech physicist Sheldon Cooper in “The Big Bang Theory,” beating out a formidable field that included several repeat nominees.

Parsons has won the award four out of the six times he’s been nominated, coming out on top in 2013, 2011 and 2010. He also scored a nomination for supporting actor in a movie or miniseries for his dramatic turn as gay activist Tommy Boatwright in HBO’s “The Normal Heart,” a role he played in a Broadway revival in 2011.

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The actor, along with costars Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco, just signed new three-year contracts worth about $1 million per episode. The series is about to launch its eighth season.


Parsons’ competition in the category included past winner Ricky Gervais (“Derek”), repeat nominees Don Cheadle (“House of Lies”) and Matt LeBlanc (“Episodes”) and William H. Macy (“Shameless”).

Hosted by Seth Meyers, the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards are being held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, and the show is airing live on NBC.