This year’s contenders on the Lead Actress in a Drama Series category are consists of two previous winners and four previous nominees. One of them will be part of Star Wars Episode IX. One of them will play Lisbeth Salander. One of them is the first Asian nominated in this category. This is a competitive category and we can’t wait to find out this September 17 if last year’s winner, Elisabeth Moss, will reclaim the glory or someone will dethrone her. Here’s my analysis and predictions in this category.
Claire Foy – The Crown
Claire Foy played the role of Queen Elizabeth II. This is her second consecutive nomination. She submitted the episode “Dear Mrs. Kennedy.” Will she win? Possibly. She will not return on the third season so this is the last chance for the voters to honor her for this performance. She has also won two SAG Awards. She has an excellent episode submission. She has one of the best odds among the nominees in this category. The show also earned a lot of nominations. The downside is that last year’s winner, Elisabeth Moss, might score another win and the voters might opt her out once again.
Tatiana Maslany – Orphan Black
Tatiana Maslany played various characters in the show. This is her third nomination and she has won two years ago for this performance. She submitted the finale episode “To Right the Wrongs of Many.” Will she win again? Maybe. Since she has won two years ago, it proves that she is on the radar. She didn’t get nominated last year since the show wasn’t eligible so, technically, she is also the defending champion. As we all know, she is playing a lot of characters which is appealing to the voters. The downside is that the competition here is stronger than the time when she won plus this is the show’s only nomination.
Elisabeth Moss – The Handmaid’s Tale
Elisabeth Moss plays the role of Offred. This is her second consecutive nomination for the show. She previously earned nominations for her performances on Mad Men and Top of the Lake. She submitted the episode “The Last Ceremony.” Will she win again? Possibly. She is the defending champion in this category and repeat winners always happen at the Emmys. The show also earned a lot of nominations and it is currently the Outstanding Drama Series frontrunner. The downside is that three other nominees in this category are nominated for their final season and they might opt to vote for them instead.
Sandra Oh – Killing Eve
Sandra Oh plays the role of Eve Polastri. This is her first nomination for the show. She previously earned nominations for her performance on Grey’s Anatomy. She submitted the episode “I Have a Thing About Bathrooms.” Will she win? Possibly. She made headlines when her nomination was announced due to the fact that she is the first ever Asian nominated in this category. The voters might vote for her because of that and the fact that Asian representation has been the number one news in Hollywood lately due to the success of Crazy Rich Asians. The downside is that the show is not nominated in the Outstanding Drama Series category.
Keri Russell – The Americans
Keri Russell played the role of Elizabeth Jennings. This is her third consecutive nomination. She submitted the episode “The Summit.” Will she win? Possibly. This is the last chance for the voters to honor her and, since this is her third nomination, she has the overdue factor. She recently won a TCA Award (beating others that are also nominated here in this category). The show is also nominated in the Outstanding Drama Series category. The downside is that her character wasn’t mostly likeable throughout the season although her episode submission showed her positive side. Also, this is a competitive category as she is competing with other two nominees who are also on their final season.
Evan Rachel Wood – Westworld
Evan Rachel Wood plays the role of Dolores Abernathy. This is her second consecutive nomination. She submitted the episode “Reunion.” Will she win? Maybe. She has variety range of acting in this performance given the complexity of the character and it could be appealing to the voters. The show also earned a lot of nominations. She also has a great episode submission. The downside is that the voters might not like her character since it’s not a human and this is also a very competitive category.
VERDICT: My prediction right now is Elisabeth Moss of The Handmaid’s Tale. It is probably the safest prediction right now given how competitive this category is. But, this is an open race and it won’t be surprising to see other nominees win here.
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