As you prep your 2023 Emmy predictions for Best Drama Actress, make sure you check out our photo gallery showcasing the likeliest contenders. Melanie Lynskey (“Yellowjackets”) being the only 2022 nominee eligible to return puts her in the frontrunner position and leaves several slots wide open for both newcomers and past honorees.
This year’s lead actress hopefuls will not have to fend off reigning victor Zendaya, whose “Euphoria” will not return before the May 31 eligibility cutoff date. The same applies to “The Morning Show” star Reese Witherspoon. The recent nominees whose shows ended during the last eligibility period are Laura Linney (“Ozark”) and “Killing Eve” duo Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh.
Elisabeth Moss, who took this prize for “The Handmaid’s Tale” in 2017, is seeking her fourth bid and second win for the series. With five previous notices for “Mad Men,” her potential new nomination total of nine would put her solely behind Angela Lansbury (12, “Murder She Wrote”) as the second most recognized woman in this category’s history.
Imelda Staunton is looking to become the third actress to triumph here for playing Queen Elizabeth II on “The Crown,” after Claire Foy (2018) and Olivia Colman (2021).
Those with the best chances of being nominated for new series include Emma D’Arcy (“House of the Dragon”), Sharon Horgan (“Bad Sisters”), Helen Mirren (“1923”), and Bella Ramsey (“The Last of Us”).
Frontrunners
Melanie Lynskey (“Yellowjackets”)
Imelda Staunton (“The Crown”)
Bella Ramsey (“The Last of Us”)
Emma D’Arcy (“House of the Dragon”)
Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”)
Helen Mirren (“1923”)
Sharon Horgan (“Bad Sisters”)
Juliette Lewis (“Yellowjackets”)
Strong Contenders
Kelly Reilly (“Yellowstone”)
Hilary Swank (“Alaska Daily”)
Tawny Cypress (“Yellowjackets”)
Christine Baranski (“The Good Fight”)
Keri Russell (“The Diplomat”)
Morfydd Clark (“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”)
Myha’la Herrold (“Industry”)
Amanda Peet (“Fatal Attraction”)
Possible Contenders
Evan Rachel Wood (“Westworld”)
Betty Gilpin (“Mrs. Davis”)
Angela Bassett (“9-1-1”)
Erin Moriarty (“The Boys”)
Karen Fukuhara (“The Boys”)
Sophie Nelisse (“Yellowjackets”)
Toni Collette (“The Power”)
Priyanka Chopra Jonas (“The Citadel”)
PREDICT the 2023 Emmy nominees through July 12
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