2016 Nominees:
Emilia Clarke for HBO's Game of Thrones
Lena Headey for HBO's Game of Thrones
Maggie Smith for PBS' Downton Abbey (WINNER)
Maura Tierney for Showtime's The Affair
Maisie Williams for HBO's Game of Thrones
Constance Zimmer for Lifetime's UnREAL
Lena Headey for HBO's Game of Thrones
Maggie Smith for PBS' Downton Abbey (WINNER)
Maura Tierney for Showtime's The Affair
Maisie Williams for HBO's Game of Thrones
Constance Zimmer for Lifetime's UnREAL
This category may see more turnover this year than any other. The three Game of Thrones actresses aren't eligible this year because the new season hasn't debuted yet. Plus, Smith's win last year was for the final season of Downton Abbey. So, that's at least four open slots in this field. Plus, Tierney and Zimmer may not even return. The Affair doesn't have a strong track record at the Emmys. It wouldn't be surprising to see Tierney's nomination as a one and done thing - even though she remains strong on the show. Meanwhile, the second season of UnREAL was a step down from the first. That critical turn could knock Zimmer off the list as well. So, this could be a completely empty field - which means it's filled with a number of different possibilities.
So now, here's my thoughts on the actors must likely to be nominated for Supporting Actress in a Drama Series:
- Thandie Newton for HBO's Westworld
- Uzo Aduba for Netflix's Orange Is the New Black
- Margo Martindale for FX's The Americans
- Millie Bobby Brown for Netflix's Stranger Things
- Rhea Seehorn for AMC's Better Call Saul
- Maura Tierney for Showtime's The Affair
And now, for some serious threats that could break into the list:
- Chrissy Metz and Susan Kelechi Watson for NBC's This Is Us
- Samira Wiley, Danielle Brooks, Kate Mulgrew, Natasha Lyonne and Laura Prepon for Netflix's Orange Is the New Black
- Samira Wiley, Yvonne Strahovski, Ann Dowd and Madeline Brewer for Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale
- Vera Farmiga for A&E's Bates Motel
- Winona Ryder for Netflix's Stranger Things
- Vanessa Kirby for Netflix's The Crown
- Grace Gummer, Carly Chaikin and Portia Doubleday for USA's Mr. Robot
- Amy Brenneman and Liv Tyler for HBO's The Leftovers
- Constance Zimmer for Lifetime's UnREAL
- Neve Campbell, Patricia Clarkson and Jayne Atkinson for Netflix's House of Cards
- Aubrey Plaza and Jean Smart for FX's Legion
- Cush Jumbo and Rose Leslie for CBS All Access' The Good Fight
- Maggie Siff, Malin Akerman and Condola Rashad for Showtime's Billions
- Elizabeth Marvel for Showtime's Homeland
- Aisha Hinds for WGN America's Underground
Some considerable long-shots:
- Nina Arianda, Olivia Thirlby, Maria Bello, Molly Parker and Tania Raymonde for Amazon's Goliath
- Holly Taylor for FX's The Americans
- Billie Piper, Patti LuPone and Sarah Greene for Showtime's Penny Dreadful
- Paula Malcomson for Showtime's Ray Donovan
- Emily Browning for Starz's American Gods
- Abigail Spencer, J. Smith-Cameron, Adelaide Clemens and Caitlin Fitzgerald for SundanceTV's Rectify
- Margo Martindale, Alison Wright and Marin Ireland for Amazon's Sneaky Pete
- Kate Walsh and Alisha Boe for Netflix's 13 Reasons Why
- Taryn Manning, Blair Brown, Jessica Pimental, Kimiko Glenn and Adrienne C. Moore for Netflix's Orange Is the New Black
- Sissy Spacek and Linda Cardellini for Netflix's Bloodline
- Lesley Manville and Jessica Brown Findlay for Hulu's Harlots
- Alfre Woodard, Rosario Dawson and Simone Missick for Netflix's Luke Cage
- Michelle Forbes for Epix's Berlin Station
- Oona Chaplin for FX's Taboo
And now, just some colorful oddities who still have an outside chance:
- Chyler Leigh for The CW's Supergirl
- Amy Aquino for Amazon's Bosch
- Tina Lifford for OWN's Queen Sugar
- Lynn Whitfield for OWN's Greenleaf
- Carrie-Anne Moss for AMC's Humans
- Phyllis Smith for Netflix's The OA
- Archie Panjabi for NBC's Blindspot
- Isabella Rossellini for Hulu's Shut Eye
What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with my choices? Let me know in the comments below!
