The actresses who have been competing for the Primetime Emmy award in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category these past few years are some of the top names in the business. Two-time Oscar winner Sally Field for Brothers & Sisters, multiple Emmy winner -- including last year's award -- Glenn Close for Damages. Previous winner Mariska Hargitay for Law & Order: SVU. Oh, yes, there's also Saving Grace's Holly Hunter, another former Oscar winner, and Golden Globe winner Kyra Sedgwick for The Closer.All these ladies are worthy of winning nominations again, and it wouldn't be surprising to see one or all of them nominated. But if I were to have a say, there are some other women I hope to see recognized when the Primetime Emmy nominations are announced this Thursday.
Let's start with January Jones. Mad Men is an Emmy darling, and it's time that the dynamic Ms. Jones get in on the action. Her performance last season was stellar, equal in every way to Jon Hamm's Don Draper. The same goes for Friday Night Lights' lead actress Connie Britton. The critics have lauded both January and Connie for their work, but -- alas -- Emmy hasn't given either actress a wink ... yet.
HBO's Big Love has not one, but three actresses who should be nominated as lead actress in a drama: Jeanne Tripplehorn, Gennifer Goodwin and Chloe Sevigny. All three play Bill's wives and all are equally important and supportive of each other, but not supporting actresses. Chances are that if Big Love does get a lead actress nom, Tripplehorn will be tapped. She would have some of the best episodes for an Emmy reel, too, including the depiction of the LDS endowment ceremony.
Then there's Lost. If there were some justice in the award procedures, Evangeline Lilly would be a nominee. It's weird that the women of Lost just don't get any Emmy love, especially when the men fill the nomination lists.
So here's my Emmy wish list for the six nominees (yes, this year there will be six, not five): January Jones, Connie Britton, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloe Sevigny, Evangeline Lilly and Kyra Sedgwick. How's that for shaking things up?
But what do you think? Who have I left out that you would include -- Anna Pacquin in True Blood? Mary McDonnell in Battlestar Galactica? Patricia Arquette for Medium? Share!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-14-2009 @ 2:18PM
BUDB said...
Connie Britton and January Jones were the first two to enter my mind. I'm watching FNL for the third time now and I really am impressed with her. Would Skylar from Breaking Bad be considered supporting actress? Her last speech in the last episode was golden.
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7-14-2009 @ 2:24PM
Evil said...
Urgh, under NO circumstances Evangeline Lilly deserved an Emmy this season. Maybe Elizabeth Mitchell, if you really want somebody from Lost, but not Lilly.
I think you should've included CCH Pounder. She definitely had some really memorable performances in The Shield's last season. Be it her mental breakdown or the mind games played with Vic Mackey, she was top notch.
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7-14-2009 @ 10:39PM
CParis said...
CCH Pounder in the cast of anything is usually a tip that you should check it out. And she was truly great in The Shield.
7-14-2009 @ 10:49PM
tony DiMeo said...
Anna Gunn of BB definetly deserves a nom this year she really plays off bryan cranston's acting chops well
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7-14-2009 @ 3:31PM
Jimmy said...
I loves me some January Jones, but that show is such an ensemble, it's hard to make an argument for her as a lead actress.
I don't watch Brothers and Sisters or The Closer, but I can attest that Glenn Close is absolutely stellar in Damages. I suspect she will walk away with it.
I also agree with the above comment about CCH Pounder. Hell of a character, hell of a performance, hell of a show, hell of a final season. Damn, I miss that show!
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7-14-2009 @ 4:57PM
Dawn said...
Like the idea of shaking things up. Several of those ladies, although wonderful, are not deserving of nominations this year. The one that I would add is Patricia Arquette of Medium. She consistently does award-worthy work and definitely deserves another nomination. I hope she gets it!
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7-14-2009 @ 6:24PM
C C said...
Chloe Sevigny went into the Supporting Actress in a Drama category so Jeanne Tripplehorn would have a better shot. I'm hoping they'll both be nominated. I'll be ticked if January Jones or Elizabeth Moss get in over Tripplehorn. The female characters on Big Love are far, far superior to Mad Men's.
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7-15-2009 @ 4:08PM
izikavazo said...
It's pretty outrageous that Rose Byrne is inthe Supporting Actress category. She's THE lead in Damages. But I can ignore that.
I don't think Evangeline desreves an Emmy, she's fine, that character has come a long way but her acting isn't that great. I would love to see Mary Macdonnell get nominated but BSG will get ignored this year too... sigh
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7-14-2009 @ 7:33PM
anrait said...
Evangeline Lilly...Really? There was nothing spectacular about her work this season, just much of the same stuff she's been doing for the last 4 seasons. But the Emmy nom's are usually nonsense - So I won't be too surprised if her name crops up on Thursday.
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7-14-2009 @ 9:18PM
Tracey said...
Gotta go with Mariska - even when SVU doesn't have that solid a season writing-wise, she still gives stellar performances. She has such a range and she shows it well through the character of Olivia!
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7-15-2009 @ 10:42AM
Bee said...
I think Mary McDonnell is absolutely deserving of an Emmy nomination, her performance as President Roslin has been absolutely incredible and she should be honored with a nomination. Though all signs point to BSG being snubbed again, I would love to see Ms. McDonnell nominated for all of her hard work bringing an impressive and inspiring character to life.
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7-15-2009 @ 10:16AM
Barry said...
I wonder if perhaps Katie Sackhoff might be a bit more deserving than Mary McDonnell in BSG's final season... While the Pres played a good bit of the year in dying/not dying, Earth/Not Earth angst, Starbuck was tortured all season by her very existence. I vote for Katie.
And another nod for Elizabeth Mitchell over Evangaline Lilly on LOST, but I actually wonder if Juliet graduated to "Lead Actress" status this year? Possibly so, but I'm not sure. If she doesn't come back next season, I don't know if her presence was enough. Supporting Actress, absolutely.
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7-16-2009 @ 9:59AM
billyclub said...
If anyone has seen the biker drama "Sons of Anarchy" it would be real hard to not include Katey Sagal. Regardless of how one might feel about the subject, the show is extremely well written and well acted.
The firs episode I saw I watched almost the whole show until I realized the character was played by the same actress that also portrayed Peggy Bundy.
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