Emmys 2024: Lead Actress in a Drama Series — Our Dream Nominees!
Here’s a fact: All of last year’s Emmy nominees for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series — Bad Sisters‘ Sharon Horgan, Yellowjackets‘ Melanie Lynskey, The Handmaid’s Tale‘s Elisabeth Moss, The Last of Us‘ Bella Ramsey, The Diplomat‘s Keri Russell and Succession‘s Sarah Snook — will be missing from the ballot in 2024 on account of their respective shows either ending or being between seasons.
More from TVLine
Shōgun Eyes Two More Seasons at FX, Will Compete as Drama Series at This Year's Emmys
Connie Britton Addresses Emmys Absence, Shares Photo of Planned Red Carpet Look
In other words, this category is primed for a complete overhaul — making our Lead Actress short list a vital resource for voters.
Scroll down to check out all of our Dream Nominees (remember, these aren’t predictions; they’re wish lists) and then tell us if our picks warrant a “Hell, yes!,” “Um, no” or “How could you leave off so-and-so?!”
For the record, 2024 Emmy nominations will be voted on from June 13-24, and unveiled on July 17. The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony is scheduled to air on Sunday, Sept. 15, on ABC.
Scroll down for links to our previous Dream Emmy categories:
Outstanding Drama Series — Our Dream Nominees
Juliette Binoche, The New Look
WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: Over the course of the Apple TV+ drama, Binoche triumphantly weaved between the two extremes of Coco Chanel: the elegant, graceful outer self embodied in her fashion label, and the desperate, childlike inner self that became involved with Nazis. Binoche brought an intimate understanding to Chanel’s interiority that could have been lost on a lesser actress, effectively bringing her to life without avoiding her faults. She humanized Chanel, perfectly toeing the line between good and evil, despite conditions that could have easily turned her into a one-dimensional cautionary tale. (Not to mention: The woman sure knows how to throw a cranky-girl tantrum!) — Claire Franken
Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age
WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: After establishing herself as a societal shark in the HBO period drama’s first season, Bertha Russell was positively out for blood in Season 2, and Coon was always game for the hunt. Only in select moments did Coon’s character dare to drop her armor-like facade, including during one particularly devastating discussion between Bertha and her husband about rumors of an affair with her sworn enemy. Watching her proud exterior melt away was a borderline haunting experience, as she boldly revealed the wounded woman underneath. But Bertha, like the actress who fiercely embodies her on screen, is nothing if not resilient, so she was back on the battlefield in no time. — Andy Swift
Maya Erskine, Mr. & Mrs. Smith
WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: We already knew that Erskine could make us laugh from her days as an awkward teen on PEN15, and she did plenty of that on Prime Video’s spy dramedy, establishing instant comedic chemistry with co-star Donald Glover. But she gave off real heat, too, as unassuming spy Jane Smith, looking right at home in big shoot-‘em-up action scenes and finding the wounded humanity buried deep beneath Jane’s jokey sarcasm. We liked Erskine playing a teen, but we might like her even better all grown up. — Dave Nemetz
Jess Hong, 3 Body Problem
WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: There was a lot going on in Netflix’s ambitious, visually stunning adaptation of Cixin Liu’s sci-fi novels, which is why it’s all the more impressive that we couldn’t take our eyes off Hong’s Jin throughout Season 1. The gentle affection she had Jin administer to the other members of the Oxford Five! The razor-sharp focus with which she reminded us that Jin was a scientist to be taken seriously! And the absolute devastation when Jin watched in hope — and then horror — as her elaborate plan to send Will’s brain into space fell apart in spectacular fashion. We believed it all, thanks to Hong’s otherworldly level of talent. — Kimberly Roots
Carrie Preston, Elsbeth
WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: With a penchant for quirkiness, Elsbeth‘s titular lawyer could have easily become a caricature. But as much as Preston made us laugh with her delivery of Elsbeth’s non-sequiturs, the actress also matched her comedic skills with equally impressive dramatic chops. Case in point: the surprisingly vulnerable emotions she showcased in the season finale, which gave new dimension to her character and reminded us that beneath that offbeat exterior is a deeply feeling person. In her time with the NYPD, Elsbeth has proven herself to be someone who shouldn’t be dismissed, and neither should the talented Preston. — Vlada Gelman
Noomi Rapace, Constellation
WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: Apple TV+’s latest sci-fi drama — conceived as it was as a “psychological thriller” — would not have come anywhere close to delivering on that promise if you had anyone less than stellar playing astronaut Jo Ericsson. Rapace, though, engaged us from the very instant that things started getting (very) weird, then proceeded to somehow capture Jo’s fast-increasing levels of confusion upon returning to an Earth that felt… different. If you ever felt downright ill at ease watching Jo struggle to make sense of her new reality, all credit goes to Rapace’s all-in performance. — Matt Webb Mitovich
Anna Sawai, Shōgun
WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: Sawai’s Lady Mariko was the FX saga’s warm, beating heart — even if for most of the season it was hidden behind an eightfold fence. Mariko was at first an enigma as translator for “barbarian” John Blackthorne, but starting with Episode 5, during which her brute of a husband forced her to vocalize for the Anjin her checkered past, Sawai drew us in and had us rooting for her the rest of the way. When circumstances ultimately led Mariko to fulfill her destiny, Sawai (and her way with a naginata spear) sold us on the maiden’s might. — M.W.M.
Emma Stone, The Curse
WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: Showtime’s deeply uncomfortable cringe comedy was one of the wildest things we’ve seen in years — for proof, see the season finale — but Stone kept the whole thing grounded with a hilarious portrait of tone-deaf white privilege. As newlywed home renovator Whitney, Stone laid the satire on thick, plastering on a cheery smile for the reality TV cameras. But she also hinted at an inner turmoil bubbling within Whitney that came roaring out at inopportune times. If The Curse was a newly built house, Stone was the sturdy foundation that kept it from tumbling over. — D.N.
Best of TVLine
The Best Streaming Services in 2024: Disney+, Hulu, Max and More
What's New on Netflix in January — Plus: Disney+, Hulu, Amazon and Others
Get more from TVLine.com: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter
