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This year’s toughest race for sure will be in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, a category that includes four previous winners and two other previous nominees. With two of the actresses getting their last shot at winning for their nominated roles, it appears it’s going to be a tough category to predict.
But there’s more to talk about here beyond the fierce talent of Grace and Frankie‘s Lily Tomlin (a six-time Emmy winner), Nurse Jackie‘s Edie Falco (a four-time winner, including one for this role, and is now tied for most lead actress nominations), The Comeback‘s Lisa Kudrow (previously nominated for the role back in 2006, and a winner for Friends), Inside Amy Schumer‘s Amy Schumer (also nominated this year for direction and writing), Parks and Recreation‘s Amy Poehler (who has never won an Emmy despite 12 previous nominations), and Veep‘s Julia Louis-Dreyfuss (who has won in this category for the last three years, plus two other times for her roles in Seinfeld and The New Adventures of Old Christine). Schumer is probably the most surprising actress in this category — and she’s also the only nominee who is under 40.
This category is also going to be a tight race. Yes, Louis-Dreyfus has been knocking out the competition for three years now, but it’s hard to imagine that she’ll be able to pull off a feat like earning four consecutive Emmys. It’s Schumer and Tomlin’s first time in this category, although they’re more known for their work in variety programs. Edie Falco has already won for Nurse Jackie‘s first season, but the Showtime series’ buzz never really carried itself throughout the following six seasons — even if Falco has received three other nominations for the show and Merritt Wever won (and gave the best acceptance speech of all time).
It seems like it’s Amy Poehler’s race to lose, considering her Parks and Recreation came to an end this year — and the fact that she’s never won an Emmy despite a slew of nominations for her work on Saturday Night Live, co-hosting the Golden Globes, and for writing, producing, and starring in Parks and Rec. But don’t forget about Lisa Kudrow. The Comeback‘s cult following was strong enough to earn it a second series nine years after it was cancelled, and critics and audiences alike praised Kudrow’s performance this season for transcending beyond her comic talents.
But let’s also discuss the two major snubs in the category: Black-ish‘s Tracee Ellis Ross and Fresh Off the Boat‘s Constance Wu. Both actresses achieved critical acclaim for their respective roles, and their absence in the category leaves it being, unfortunately, super duper white. Here’s to hoping both of these shows, which are both tackling racial identity in interesting (and comedic) ways will both run for a few more seasons and that their leading actresses will be recognized for their talents.
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