Behind the scenes at the Los Angeles Times’ Emmy Round Tables

Elisabeth Moss says she enjoyed a more emotional role in the Sundance miniseries “Top of the Lake” after her more subtle character on “Mad Men.”  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Connie Britton of “Nashville” says being seen as a role model for women is rewarding.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Andrew Lincoln of “The Walking Dead” says his fellow actors drew him to want to work in American television.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Kevin Bacon says now he wonders what took him so long to take another television role.   (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Bryan Cranston sees a golden age of television because the material is dictating the medium now.   (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

The Emmys 2013 Round Table on drama series acting.   (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Andrew Lincoln, Elizabeth Moss and Kevin Bacon during the Round Table chat.   (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Bryan Cranston reflects on how to love and leave his many characters.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Connie Britton discusses playing strong female roles.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

The Round Table panelists all said that they found the time that television series gave them to explore a character enlightening as actors.   (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Mindy Kaling of “The Mindy Project,” from left, Don Cheadle of “House of Lies,” Jon Cryer of “Two and a Half Men,” Jake Johnson of “New Girl” and Matt LeBlanc of “Episodes” gather for a free-ranging conversation about their shows, their characters and their craft.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Matt LeBlanc says “Episodes” is a lot saner schedule than the one he had on “Friends.”  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Jon Cryer of “Two and a Half Men” says it’s “a huge gift to be able to do something that takes people’s minds off of things.”  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Jake Johnson regrets he’s asked to dance a lot on “New Girl.”  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Don Cheadle of “House of Lies” says that viewers are more sophisticated now about shifts in tone on a comedy.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Mindy Kaling of “The Mindy Project” is a sucker for a rom-com.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

The Emmys 2013 Round Table Comedy panel discussed everything from management consulting to Spanx.   (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Show runners Alex Gansa of “Homeland,” Terence Winter of “Boardwalk Empire,” David Benioff of “Game of Thrones,” Vince Gilligan of “Breaking Bad,” and Glen Mazzara of “Walking Dead” got together for a freewheeling conversation about their shows and industry.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Los Angeles Times photographer Kirk McKoy captures a behind-the-scenes set-up of the show runners roundtable.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

David Benioff of “Game of Thrones.”  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Alex Gansa of “Homeland.”  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Alex Ganza of “Homeland,” Terence Winter of “Boardwalk Empire” and David Benioff of “Game of Thrones,” talk during the show runners roundtable.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Alex Gansa of “Homeland.”  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Vince Gilligan of “Breaking Bad.”  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

David Benioff of “Game of Thrones.”  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Glen Mazzara of “Walking Dead.”  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Terence Winter of “Boardwalk Empire.”  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Behind the scenes: Adam Savage and Heidi Klum share a laugh during the Emmys Reality TV Round Table.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

The reality TV host Round Table participants included, from left, Adam Savage of “Mythbusters,” Padma Lakshmi of “Top Chef,” Heidi Klum of “Project Runway,” and Phil Keoghan of “The Amazing Race.”   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Heidi Klum.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Padma Lakshmi strikes a few poses.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Padma Lakshmi looks into a field camera at the Los Angeles Times photo session.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Phil Keoghan.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Adam Savage.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Los Angeles Times Envelope Round Table comedy panelists Ed Helms of “The Office,” Jesse Tyler Ferguson of “Modern Family,” Julia Louis-Dreyfus of “Veep,” Nick Offerman of “Parks and Recreation” and Laura Dern of “Enlightened,” joke during a photo shoot.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

More laughs from the comedy panel.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Laura Dern and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Ed Helms.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Nick Offerman.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Jesse Tyler Ferguson.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

The Times’ Emmy Round Table on drama series panelists were Aaron Paul of “Breaking Bad,” Jon Hamm of “Mad Men,” Julianna Margulies of “The Good Wife,” Michael C. Hall of “Dexter” and Claire Danes of “Homeland.”   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Claire Danes and Jon Hamm.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Julianna Margulies.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Aaron Paul.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Julianna Margulies.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Jon Hamm.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Michael C. Hall.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Aaron Paul.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Claire Danes.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Members of the Emmys Round Table for show runners were, from left, writers and show creators Glen Mazzara of “The Walking Dead,” Graham Yost of “Justified,” Elizabeth Meriwether of “New Girl,” Alex Gansa of “Homeland” and Vince Gilligan of “Breaking Bad.”   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Members of the show runners panel chat during a break in the photo session.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Alex Gansa and Vince Gilligan chat during the Round Table discussion.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

“New Girl” creator Elizabeth Meriwether.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Graham Yost, Glen Mazzara and Elizabeth Meriwether talk about running popular TV series.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)