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Wednesday
Jun032015

The Toughest Emmy Quandary: Supporting Actress in a Drama Series?

We begin an Emmy FYC series tomorrow (Daily at Noon) since voting commences this month for nominations for the 67th Annual Emmy Awards. Emmy rules allow for 6 acting nominees per category. Though I shudder when any pundit suggests expanding lineups in any awards show -- it reduces the meaning if it's easy to get nominated -- if there were ever a convincing argument against honoring twice as many actors as usual, isn't it the 2015 Supporting Actress in a Drama Series field? 

THE FACTS
For the past three years the category has been almost exclusively dominated by five women. The 2012, 2013 and 2014 seasons saw a nominated shortlist that always included Christine Baranski (5 nominations for The Good Wife, 7 previous nominations with 1 win), Christina Hendricks (Mad Men, 5 nominations), Maggie Smith (4 nominations and 2 wins for Downton Abbey, 4 previous nominations with another win) and Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad, 3 nominations and 2 wins). Joanna Froggatt (Downton Abbey, 2 nominations) was usually in the lineup as well leaving very little wiggle room for other fine actresses. Essentially voters had one free spot each year that they were then quite fickle with. All but one of these five women are still eligible (Breaking Bad is finally off the air) which begs the question of how Emmy will deal with so many new and valuable players from freshman series or players who've been coalescing fans and momentum towards nominations without quite breaking in for other series.

Unless Emmy is willing to ditch one of their four beloveds (and it better not be Hendricks who had such a great sendoff in Mad Men and has been robbed in the past) there's only room for two newbies or returning players and there are a couple dozen of them (at least) to consider after the jump...

RETURNING POSSIBILITIES
Previous nominees that could return include Archie Panjabi (it's the last chance for this former favorite to return for The Good Wife since she's left the show), Lena Headey and Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones), Kate Mulgrew, Natasha Lyonne, Laverne Cox or Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black) and January Jones who was once nominated as lead for Mad Men but who absolutely nailed her more sidelined role in the final season of Mad Men.

Orange is the New Black presents the most interesting case. Last year it competed in Comedy and wound up with 5 acting nominations. But the powers that be within the television Academy were clearly not pleased with how far Orange is the New Black bent the rules without breaking them*. They hogged almost the entire guest category with regular supporting players -- Natasha Lyonne is in every episode, isn't she?, and Uzo Aduba is in most of them -- such that they had to make a long overdue absolutely smart new ruling (if you're in more than 50% of the episodes, you can't be a "guest" anymore). Other shows had cheated before (hi Joan Cusack on Shameless) but none so egregiously/greedily.

Emmy also obviously held a grudge since they refused to consider the prison dramedy a comedy this year though they granted two other hour long shows an exception (Jane the Virgin and Shameless). It's tough to read that as anything other than a punishment since Shameless is about three days journey on foot closer to Drama than Orange is the New Black is on that long gray divide in the Comedy to Drama continuum.  But all that said, Emmy voters are different than Academy rule-makers and Emmy voters have already shown that they love this show so it could wrack up drama nominations despite a tougher playing field.

Yael Stone - OITNB's most undervalued player?

NEVER BEEN NOMINATED... BUT HOW CLOSE HAVE THEY COME? 
Among returning actresses that haven't been honored for their portrayals these actresses certainly have their fans: Yael Stone and Danielle Brooks (Orange is the New Black) Gwendolyn Christie (Game of Thrones), Bellamy Young (Scandal), Caitlyn Fitzgerald (Masters of Sex), Melissa McBride (The Walking Dead), Annaleigh Ashford (Masters of Sex), Alison Wright (The Americans) and anyone from The Newsroom (though I doubt voters will feel nostalgia for that shuttered series)

FRESHMAN CONTENDERS
I'm cherry-picking some celebrated actresses as well as personal favorites here but the field of new players is so rich and skilled and doing such wonderful things with fresh-feeling characters that you have to hope that at least one of them breaks through. One commonly held belief about the Emmys that is largely true, though not without numerous exceptions, is that if the voters don't notice your show in the first year they never do.

Cara Seymour is our Special Guest Star Blogger next week!

The Knick has three key Supporting Actresses for voters to consider but the MVP among them is Cara Seymour as an unconventional nun. Her line readings, unspoken feelings, and tetchy rapport with co-stars are all things of true actorly beauty. Penny Dreadful is in its second season and chances are voters don't watch it. It's also weirdly perched on the exact divide of Emmy calendar years so even their "hanging episodes" rule gets cloudy with this show working against it ever being recognized but that said, Helen McCrory who made a cameo last year but has a full supporting role this time around is doing deeply memorable, funny, and bone curdling work as a satanic witch. She's the first actor on the show to go head to head with Eva Green without getting theirs blown off (figuratively speaking... though there is a lot of gorey stuff on this show).

Ann Dowd. Just amazing. over and over again.

The Leftovers has several female characters but the best of them are the brilliant grieving Carrie Coon (who could probably get away with campaigning lead) and Ann Dowd's mesmerizingly committed cult leader on that first season. Either of them would make a respectable Emmy winner, let alone nominee. Finally, Bloodline focuses way too much on its men but both Sissy Spacek and Linda Cardellini are available to voters should they be watching. 

(Which other longshot newbies did I miss?)

QUESTION: 
Will Emmy tire of their favorite supporting actress dolls and shake things up or will no first time players muscle their way in? Truth: the combination of nominee possibilities are virtually endless if the people doing the nominating are actually watching the vast array of contenders. Also a Truth: Emmy history suggests that they don't really consider the vast array of contenders, no matter how much fans of never-nominated shows wish they would.

The field is just so deep. I mean you could make a nominee list with JUST villains and it could be a brilliant nominee list.

YOU COULD MAKE PRACTICALLY AN ENTIRE AWESOME VILLIANS SHORT LIST THAT WOULD BE WORTHY

 

  • Lorraine Toussaint (Orange is the New Black)
  • Helen McCrory (Penny Dreadful)
  • Ann Dowd (The Leftovers)
  • Lena Headey (Game of Thrones)

YOU COULD GO ALL FIRST-TIME NOMINEES AND FEEL PROUD OF YOUR VOTE

Annaleigh Ashford already has Tony nominations. Why not an Emmy nom, too?

  • Lorraine Toussaint (Orange is the New Black)
  • Cara Seymour (The Knick)
  • Carrie Coon (The Leftovers)
  • Annaleigh Ashford (Masters of Sex)
  • Ann Dowd (The Leftovers)
  • Yael Stone (Orange is the New Black)

YOU COULD GO ALL MAD MEN /  ORANGE  AND HAVE A KILLER LINEUP

Lorraine Toussaint was quite the Queen Vee on OITNB

  • Christina Hendricks (Mad Men)
  • January Jones (Mad Men)
  • Lorraine Toussaint (Orange is the New Black)
  • Kate Mulgrew (Orange is the New Black)
  • Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black)
  • Danielle Brooks (Orange is the New Black) 

I don't have an Emmy ballot but frankly I don't know how I'd narrow it down from this ridiculously abundant field of riches. 

Can you?

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Reader Comments (46)

This may be the make-or-break year for The Americans; it's about where Breaking Bad was with critics in its third season, but has not connected with Emmy. And I'm not sure Emmy goes after older shows, at least for first-time nominees.

Probably the best supporting performance is Alison Wright as the pathetic Martha (not Marsha), a woman duped by the protagonist into planting a bug in her FBI office for the Soviets in exchange for a marriage in which her husband, the protagonist, maintains a separate apartment and shows up once a week at her place. She really sells the emotional trauma of such a relationship, but the problem may be the storyline's plausibility. I do hope it gets nominated, along with the leads and the series for best drama.

June 3, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterMarsha Mason

I think the mess with The Good Wife's final episode will hurt them, and Baranski had hardly anything to do this year. I think Margulies comes back and that's it. Poor Panjabi.

GOT - If anything the most likely in my mind is Sansa (Sophie Turner). It's more likely they won't score a nod here, though Clarke and Headey are having solid seasons too.

That's pretty much all I've seen. :)

June 3, 2015 | Unregistered Commentereurocheese

I never realised what a rich roster this category has.

As someone who loves The Good Wife, I don't see Panjabi having a chance in hell at getting a nom because her character got sidelined SO hard. Baranski will get another nod but I don't remember any real highlights for her character.

I forgot about Ann Dowd! YES. What the hell happened to The Leftovers? I don't hear a single thing about that show anymore. I don't know if Carrie Coon could or even should campaign as a lead though. She had one stellar episode and bits and pieces throughout the season.

I would love Christina Hendricks to win but her best season was totally season 5. With Lena Headey, i'd give her the nom and win for *this* season because she's doing some great work. She totally sold me with her little speech to Tommen about how much she loves her children, her shit-eating grin when visiting Margaery in prison and the subtle "OH FUCK" look on her face when Cersei realizes that she's about to get thrown into prison too.

June 3, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterDerreck.

It is wrong to want January Jones not only be nominated but also win? I mean, can you imagine how bad would Hendricks feel? But I can help thinking that Jones was not only brilliant, but she is also the unsung hero of Mad Men. Can you believe how underrated she was during these 8 years? Everybody noticed how brilliant Hendricks was, but people were harsh on Jones and she was just perfect!

How are they going to campaign Moss?

June 3, 2015 | Unregistered Commentercal roth

I hate Walking Dead as much as I love it, the show yo-yos me around like crazy, but whenever it focuses on Melissa McBride all of the problems just melt away and it becomes the show I wish it always was. I don't know whether her standalone episode counts as this year or last (I am terrible with the eligibility stuff) but it was easily the best hour of TV the show's ever done, and ever since every time they give her anything to do it's like a thousand percent more fascinating and funny and sad and strange than anything anybody else is doing. Her cookies speech this season was one for the ages too.

June 3, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterJason

Shame that the rule changes had to come the year Lorraine Toussaint's amazing Queen Vee is eligible. What a charismatic, sensual, and smart performance. It sucks that she's probably not going to be nominated. :/

June 3, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterMike M.

I would be in heaven if Lorraine Toussaint and Kate Mulgrew were both nominated, but if I had to pick just one I will go for Vee. Both were awesome but Toussaint cannot be denied.

June 3, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterLadyEdith

Mike M -- come on. let's not say it's a shame that supporting players can't pretend they're guests! Lorraine Toussaint was practically a lead this past season so I think she has a good shot (unless they wanna just pick the same roster as they have the past 4 to 5 years

June 3, 2015 | Registered CommenterNATHANIEL R

Don't forget about Samira Wiley (Poussey) for Orange's second season as well!

June 3, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterAdam

If they go Game of Thrones wild this year, which I suspect they will with Breaking Bad and True Detective out of the running in all categories, I wouldn't be surprised to see Sophie Turner sneak in. She had a lot of screen time this season, and her storylines made headlines. But if Lena gets in again she can win. She finally has some good tapes.

However, I am obviously rooting for Christina Hendricks.

June 3, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterSteve

Wait! What? Christine Baranski had some of her best episodes EVER this season.

I think the only member of Orange Is the New Black that is going to benefit from being pushed to the Drama category is Lorraine Toussaint. Mulgrew and Aduba are in big trouble. Toussaint should be winning because that character is unforgettable, but I got the vibes that she won't. Hendricks and Jones had killer storylines too.

June 3, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterPeggy Sue

Do you watch the Americans or not?! Three actresses on that show that shined in supporting roles this year. I also would love McBride to be nominated. She is fab. Id also much prefer a Jones nod this year than a Hendricks one TBH. Coon is without a doubt a lead. I'd probably end up with: Jones, Toussaint, McBride & Wright with Mahendru fighting it out with Hendricks for 5th but damn it's hard. I have not seen the Knick.

June 3, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterAnonny

I wish Mad Men would campaign Moss into supporting. She wasn't nominated in lead last year (ABSURD) and there she was even more of a lead presence. Of course she killed it in her episodes (she and Hendricks will probably have the same episode tape, regardless of categorization), but I worry she's going to be bumped off again for mediocrity because the Emmys cannot appreciated her subtleties.

January Jone should be nominated. Her arc was like a last wave of the middle finger to anybody who thought the show didn't want you to care about Betty or that you thought January Jones couldn't act.

I think Lorraine Toussaint is this year's Margo Martindale. She gets a one-off on a 'hot' show that still has a sense of needing to win something after that horror show by the Comedy categories last year.

1. Christina Hendricks, Mad Men- She's due and her excellent tape in 'Lost Horizon' is the flipside of anybody who was left too cold by 'The Other Woman' (still A+ tape but Mad Men that year put too many eggs in its basket for that one episode- Hamm and Moss also had 'The Other Woman' as their submission episode which seems insane given both had so many personal stand-out episodes that season- that people were clearly divided on). Given she's been nominated with far less impressive material, it's clear the Emmy voters still have had her on her mind and perhaps would want a make-up. **knock on wood**

2. Lorraine Toussaint, OITNB- Again, total threat to win.

3. Kate Mulgrew, OITNB- Technically the show's returning nominee. Helps she's respected in the industry.

4.Uzo Aduba, OITNB- SAG win shows strength with industry and such a humane portrayal of a tough character.

5. January Jones, Mad Men- This would make me so happy.

6. Somebody from Downton Abbey or Game of Thrones- I think Emilia Clarke makes sense here but I also am way bugging about Maggie Smith, yet again, being in a category she doesn't belong.

Others:
Ann Dowd, The Leftovers- Maybe the Margo Martindale comparison flies here too. Depends if the Emmys like The Leftovers. Carrie Coon's rising profile thanks to Gone Girl may also help her, but Dowd's a very 'paid her dues' case.

Natasha Lyonne and Danielle Brooks, OITNB- Now, both are fan favorites and are a blast to watch, but probably not as much bait-y episodes to submit like their female co-stars.

I'd really like for The Knick to be recognized. That's my The Americans. Complete obsession with the craft and acting even as I am witnessing truly disturbing events. Loved Eve Hewson and Juliet Rylance, but they got no shot here.

June 3, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterCMG

Do y'all think GoT will go big with Emmy this year? They've never given it that many wins (no biggies outside Dinklage for Supporting), and I'm not sure if a show like that goes North with Emmy voters at this point. I'd say Arya has done the most with the least, but I don't think they like kids (They could add in Kiernan Shirka of Mad Men and Holly Taylor from The Americans if they did.)

Anyway, one of the highlights for the TV season was Joyce Carol Oates spouting off on twitter about everything television. She thought GoT was "comic book violent" and "fustian" IIRC. I wonder if Emmy voters aren't in the JCO demographic, and will grow tired of all the loud battles and such.

She also said the finale of Mad Men wasn't good, but that Breaking Bad, Sopranos, The Wire, and Mad Men were all quite good overall, though only Breaking Bad was cinematic. (I'd disagree.) Also said she just loved "Oz," which I'll now have to go back and watch.

June 3, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterMarsha Mason

For really extreme longshots, I'd look at The Walking Dead, Halt and Catch Fire, Rectify, Justified, Orphan Black and Gotham. So extreme I'm not even mentioning any actresses by name.

June 3, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterPaul Outlaw

UGH you are so right about Yael Stone being Orange's most undervalued player.

And Ann Dowd. DAMN but she was great on The Leftovers. And I actually really liked Amy Brenneman, too. That was a completely different side of her, and she made me gasp when she finally found her voice in the last episode. Powerful stuff. But really, if anyone from that cast gets nominated, it better be Carrie Coon. Far and away one of the best performances on TV last year.

This category is such an embarrassment of riches. If only we could push some of them over into the perpetually awful Lead Actor in a Comedy somehow...

June 3, 2015 | Unregistered Commenterdenny

I'd love for Yael Stone to be nominated but sadly I don't see it happening.

June 3, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterSad man

Yael Stone and Marisa Tomei should play sisters in a movie.

June 3, 2015 | Unregistered Commenter3rtful

My guesses for the race are: Aduba, Baranski, Hendricks, Mulgrew, Smith, and a surprise nod for Lena Headey. I was surprised when Emilia Clarke got a nod last time, so I know the voters like the show to give it a nod other than Dinklage (and Diana Rigg too), but Headey's Cersei will get the comeuppance her character deserves soon (not much of a spoiler, you know she's not staying in that prison cell). I'd love it if Toussaint got a nod (maybe over Mulgrew I guess) and she probably would have been nominated in guest actress before the rule changes, but she will probably get overlooked in the end. I'd also love Panjabi getting in over Baranski because the academy realized she got jerked around because of the behind the scenes drama, but I figure the academy would stick with their reliables (like Smith) who they nominate until the show is canceled.

June 3, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterJames

All right, I gave it a go looking through your list and felt surprisingly happy with the results. I don't watch Knick or Masters of Sex...so that knocked out a few but still: Hendricks, Headey, Toussaint, Wright, Coon & McCory. Coon and Wright fight for the win in my book. (Coon has slightly unfair advantage because she had one whopper of a solo episode.)

June 3, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterTom M

KEIRNAAAN SHIIIIIPKAAAA

June 3, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterGlenn Dunks

I love Alison Wright in The Americans, but the real supporting actress standout for me this year was Holly Taylor as Paige. She's a polarizing character but she absolutely floored me this season, particularly in the "Stingers" episode. She's talented beyond her years.

I am all on board for a Lorraine Toussaint nomination, although I figure that Uzo Aduba and/or Kate Mulgrew will get in simply on popularity and name recognition.

I don't watch Game of Thrones or Good Wife so I really can't say. It seems like Christine Baranski is a perennial favorite so she's probably in.

And why isn't Laila Robins being mentioned for her great turn as Ambassador Martha Boyd in Homeland this past season? I thought she was extraordinary and brought a great degree of dignity and intelligence to a complicated character.

June 3, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterAaron

Aaron - I agree with you about Robins but sadly I think people are forgetting her because the show seemed to forget about her toward the end of the season. She just sort of went away and wasn't part of the plot anymore. As good as Homeland was this season, I think people only (rightfully) remember the terrible last two episodes.

Moss in supporting absolutely would have won at least one Emmy by now. Oddly enough, I think she actually was supporting this final half-season, so I wouldn't shout category fraud if she went that way.

June 3, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterSteve

My ballot: Coon, Headey, Hendricks, McBride, Toussaint

June 3, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterSan FranCinema

Glenn -- i think Keirnan has to go "guest actress" this year since there were only 7 episodes and she's in only 3 of them. Stupid split season. Because I think her best work on the show was in the arc of this last season... which unfortunately was spoiled by the split.

June 3, 2015 | Registered CommenterNATHANIEL R

Hendricks, Jones, and Moss all should be campaigned in supporting, with Jones winning for phenomenal work this work. (Incidentally, they all should have won already: Jones for season 2, Moss for season 4, and Hendricks for season 5. The Emmys are so...zzz.)

But I co-sign on Dowd's brilliance in The Leftovers, as well as Coon and Brenneman (to a lesser degree). That show is *so* uncomfortable to watch, but those actresses just aced their parts.

And is it too much to ask for a guest actress nomination for Amanda Warren, who played the mayor in The Leftovers? God, she was so good!

June 3, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterMareko

Lorraine Touissant, Melissa McBride, Carrie Coon, Ann Dowd, Christina Hendricks and Linda Cardellini are my picks.

June 4, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterMorgan

I just want Lorraine Touissant to get in. As soon as I watched season 2 I wanted her nominated (well, winning). She was so phenomenal.

June 4, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterPhilip H.

So many worthy contenders and sadly so many that will get the nomination but this year didn't do consistent work worthy of a nomination like many other actresses. I love Baranski but this season of Good Wife was down in quality from the previous season and the material given to Baranski wasn't really worthy of a nomination this year but being the legend she is she'll surely be nominated. Maggie Smith is fine on Downton Abbey and had more to do then usual but it's mostly the same same and I really hate when Smith gets in for her name above other actresses. I love Uzo Aduba as much as anybody else but for me she was brilliant this season but with other women like Toussaint, Brooks, Wiley, Rosenthal and Stone have more difficult roles to play with great character arc I can't support an Aduba nomination even though I fully supported her win last year.

Headey is doing yet again incredible work and while I prefer the work done by Sophie Turner the emmys never really go for younger performers which is sad because there really are some incredible younger performers on television. Hendricks hopefully will get the farewell nod she deserves and Jones can come back because both this women really shined this year and I was loving it since these women were worthy enough to win before and the fact neither of them or any actor from the show has ever won is really upsetting.

Predictions:
1. Maggie Smith
2. Lena Headey
3. Uzo Aduba
4. Christina Hendricks
5. Christine Baranski
6. Lorraine Toussaint (if nominated like Martindale she wins)

For this season I loved performers like Carrie Coon (Leftovers), Kerry Bische (Halt and Catch Fire), Juliet Rylance (Knick) and Adelaide Clemens (Rectify) and none of them have any chance at nominations.

My personal picks
1. Lorraine Toussaint
2. Carrie Coon
3. Adelaide Clemens
4. Christina Hendricks
5. Sophie Turner
6. January Jones

June 4, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterEoin Daly

My picks:

1. Alison Wright/Christina Hendricks
3. Lorraine Toussaint
4. Kate Mulgrew
5. January Jones
6. Abigail Spencer

Apologies to Yael Stone, who is brilliant and would be my #7 pick. I think Alison Wright gave the best performance in this category, but I feel Christina Hendricks is very overdue to win and would love to see her get career recognition (I am still angry they bypassed her brilliant Season 5 performance for Maggie Smith sleepwalking through Downton Abbey). I would be thrilled to see Toussaint take it as well, though.

June 4, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterSuzanne

I think the line-up will be Baranski again, with Lorraine Toussaint and January Jones being most likely to join her. After that, I think it's a fight between Kate Mulgrew, Maggie Smith, Christina Hendricks and the other ladies from Orange Is The New Black.

Archie Panjabi sold the hell out of her strange exit from The Good Wife, but I don't think that's enough to see her invited back, especially given the widespread perception that this was a weaker season of the show. I think a similar situation will happen to Annaleigh Ashford and Caitlin Fitzgerald for Masters of Sex; Ashford was wonderful in the first half of the season and then was all but forgotten about, whilst Fitzgerald did very interesting work in a problematic storyline. And I think if Annet Mehendru couldn't get the nod for The Americans last year, Alison Wright is also facing an uphill struggle, although her audition tape (there's no way she's not picking that penultimate episode) is phenomenal.

I feel like a fool for saying it, but I do think January Jones has a decent chance this year. With The Milk and Honey Route she had an entire episode of a beloved show's final season almost completely focused on her and did some of her best work ever. At this point, it looks like the most likely win for Mad Men to pull off in its final season.

June 4, 2015 | Unregistered Commenterben1283

Orange Is the New Black should have stayed in Comedy. It'll be lucky to get a single acting nomination this year in supporting actress drama for Lorraine Toussaint. Otherwise, nada for Aduba, Mulgrew, Cox, Lyonne, or Schlling. These new rules are so bad and arbitrary. Genre placement isn't determined by screentime, for starters, and if Shameless and Jane the Virgin are "comedies," then so is Orange. I also take issue with the guest rule. It's insane to me that Joe Morton was in more episodes as a guest actor in season 3 where he won the Emmy than in season 4 where he's in less episodes but has to go supporting. The less than 50% rule really screwed up a lot of people this year. It should have been capped at most 50%. Jane Fonda was a guest on The Newsroom no matter what the damn Emmys say. But that goes to the disparity of show seasons too, so there aren't easy answers to be had.

June 4, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterPaulie

Paulie -- i don't think the new rules are abitrary or bad... they should have made the "guest" ruling a long long time ago. If Guest just means supporting, axe the category all together and have 12 supporting slots instead of six.

Maybe what Oscar needs to cure Category Fraud is a year in which all ten supporting nominees are actually egregious leads in the Jamie Foxx 'Collateral / Cate Blanchett 'Notes on Scandal' kind of way and everyone finally gets fed up and they form a committee to make those rulings.

But i absolutely agree that the "exception" rulings are bad and arbitrary. It's clearly a vendetta against OITNB since Shameless was granted one.

everyone -- i think my predictions are heavily weighted to where they've gone before (it's the emmys) so i'm going

-baranski
-smith
-hendricks
-heady
-aduba

with the lone first timer being
-toussaint

unless froggat's globe win helps keep her in the ranks.

June 4, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterNATHANIEL R

They're very arbitrary. Genre placement isn't determined by show length. A guest actor doesn't stop being a guest at 50% versus 49%. A "special committee" that saves face by calling Shameless a comedy but Orange a drama is foul in my book. This is far too much time spent talking about such a flawed and insignificant awards body as the Emmys, but whatever, 'tis the season.

June 4, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterPaulie

This category really is overflowing with talent to choose from, but I wouldn't hold my breath. It's The Emmys were talking about. Ha!

June 4, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterBia

Remember the good ole days when Lee Meriwether would be nominated every year for Barnaby Jones for answering the phone. She was great!

June 4, 2015 | Unregistered Commenterbrookesboy

Paulie -- but surely you agree that none of those nominated Orange is the New Black ladies were actually "Guests" last year? I mean they're in practically every episode and they get their own plot lines! (agreed that length doesn't determine genre though... but Emmy is just trying to figure out the brave new landscape of varying formats)

and, yes, tis the season.

Brookesboy -- no, i dont.

June 4, 2015 | Registered CommenterNATHANIEL R

I'm a little ashamed to say I've had flings with "Scandal" and Bellamy Young is too good for that show. If the series debuted in 2000, that lady would have four Emmys by now.

But the TV landscape is different and that show has never gone the prestige route. It's so tacky and dreadful that I'd love to see Young get some recognition just for elevating the joint.

I watched her on Celebrity Jeopardy recently (where she absolutely obliterated her competition, and with a lot of actressy, cinematic and literary knowledge) and she's so lovely. If I were a director or producer I'd have no reservations about casting her in a movie.

But I'm rooting for Toussaint because it's the only way to be.

June 4, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterHayden W.

I don't watch a lot of these shows (there's just SO many of them now), but I'd love to see Toussaint, Coon, Hendricks, Jones and either Amy Brenneman or another OITNB lady nominated.

June 4, 2015 | Unregistered Commenterthefilmjunkie

Not really an Emmy follower but will join the chorus of praise for Yael Stone, who is so charming, empathic and ultimately heartbreaking on OITNB. Love her.

June 4, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterRob

I'm having an Amber Waves moment reading this article. "Too many things, too many things, too many things."

I also love Yael Stone on OITNB but did she really have anything to do in the 2nd season? I thought her 'flashback' episode was in season 1? I'm sure she had some good scenes but enough to break through the pack? I remember specifically thinking she and Cox didn't have a lot to do in season 2.

I would LOVE for Hendricks to finally win but I'm under no impression that it will actually happen. And yes, Smith had more to do this season (finally!) other than offer snippy quips but it still doesn't mean she has to be a default choice again.

June 4, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterDJDeeJay

DjDeeDay -- her big flashback / reveal episode was in Season 2 so that's the one she'll submit I'm sure. She's maybe my favorite regular on the show (though competition is fierce).

yeah, i don't think the Mad Men troupe is going to win either. BUT I CAN DREAM.

TPKIA -- right?

June 4, 2015 | Registered CommenterNATHANIEL R

1. Christine Baranski - TGW
2. Lena Headey - GoT
3. Christina Hendricks - MM
4. Sissy Spacek - Bloodline
5. Archie Panjabi - TGW
6. Maggie Smith - DA

June 5, 2015 | Unregistered Commenterfadhil

Melissa McBride ("The Walking Dead") should win this by far.

June 8, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterJensen

Nat, god do I love you, but maybe someday you'll actually watch Breaking Bad. That show was an actressexual's heaven that you malign all too easily.

Anna Gunn deserved her Emmy love... but I've got my fingers crossed for a Hendricks win now ;)

June 15, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterBryan
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