The Nominees Ranked By Which Actress Should Win:
- Merritt Wever for Netflix's Godless - "The Ladies of La Belle"
- Judith Light for FX's The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story - "A Random Killing"
- Penélope Cruz for FX's The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story - "Ascent"
- Sara Bareilles for NBC's Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert
- Adina Porter for FX's American Horror Story: Cult - "11/9"
- Letitia Wright for Netflix's Black Mirror: Black Museum
No one in this category really comes close to the tremendous work that Merritt Wever did on Godless. She got to play such a nuanced character as a woman who was trying to stand out and prove her worth and strength in a male-dominated western setting. And in the end, she was one of the most compelling and infectious qualities of the limited series. Meanwhile, both Judith Light and Penélope Cruz were terrific for drastically different reasons in the Versace show. Light was so expressive as a woman consumed with grief but also determined to push her own narrative of what happened to her husband. And Cruz had to be more stoic and affected but was just as gripping to watch as the series peeled back the layers of her relationship with her brother. And finally, Sara Bareilles continued to prove that she has some serious acting chops. The singer brought so much compassion and heart to her performance as Mary Magdalene in the acclaimed musical. Her performance of "I Don't Know How to Love Him" was one of the most memorial moments of the entire piece even though it was much more low key than a lot of the other production details.
The Nominees Ranked by Which Actress Will Win:
- Penélope Cruz for FX's The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story - "Ascent"
- Judith Light for FX's The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story - "A Random Killing"
- Merritt Wever for Netflix's Godless - "The Ladies of La Belle"
- Letitia Wright for Netflix's Black Mirror: Black Museum
- Adina Porter for FX's American Horror Story: Cult - "11/9"
- Sara Bareilles for NBC's Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert
It's surprising that Cruz didn't just use her movie stardom as an excuse to move up into the lead category. Of course, there was only one true lead in the Versace series and that was Darren Criss. And yet, she will most likely win here because of the way she commits so completely to Donatella Versace's mannerisms. Light has the far superior episode showcase and is incredibly deserving of an Emmy as well. It may ultimately come down to whose episode helps the other more. In that regard, Cruz probably has the edge. Meanwhile, Wever doesn't seem like a given in this race. However, she has surprised before. She stunned everyone with her prior victory for Nurse Jackie. She delivers in an even better performance in Godless. So, she is very much in this race. The other three nominees seem like considerable long shots. Bareilles could ride the wave of strong support for Jesus Christ Superstar Live. Meanwhile, an actress from American Horror Story hasn't won in this category since 2014 with Kathy Bates. And Letitia Wright is a rising star coming off breakout success with Black Panther. That too could bolster her chances. It just seems very unlikely that any of these three women would defeat the top three contenders in this race.
What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with my predictions? Let me know in the comments below!
