Aside from Lincoln and Rhys, he will also face competition for the best actor in a drama series award from Kevin Spacey for House of Cards, Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston and Timothy Olyphant for Justified.

BBC: Damian Lewis and Sienna Miller on TV awards shortlist

Early on, the show had an era of restraint in which the hero, Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (the tall drink of water Timothy Olyphant), tried to convince his bosses that he could hold fire.

NEWYORKER: Trigger-Happy

Mr. Leonard's publisher, William Morrow, is pitching the book to fans of the show with an Amazon marketing video featuring clips from the series and a cover image that shows "Justified" star Timothy Olyphant peering out from under his Stetson.

WSJ: Elmore Leonard on 'Justified' and His New Book, 'Raylan'

After inheriting a schedule with gritty cop drama The Shield, an early game-changer for the medium, he has continued to populate his network with imperfect characters and darker themes that have lured the likes of Glenn Close, Martin Short and Timothy Olyphant.

FORBES: The 'Sons of Anarchy' Network Poised To Push The Envelope Further