In 2023, Keri Russell earned her fourth Best Drama Actress Emmy nomination for her work on the first season of “The Diplomat.” Having previously picked up a trio of bids for “The Americans,” she became the 12th woman ever recognized in said category for multiple series. Take a look through our photo gallery to find out who else belongs to this exclusive club.
Of the dozen entrants on this list, only two – Russell and Connie Britton (“Friday Night Lights”; “Nashville”) – did not win for at least one of their nominated roles. Those who charmed enough voters as stars of two series each are Barbara Stanwyck (“The Barbara Stanwyck Show”; “The Big Valley”), Susan Hampshire (“The Forsyte Saga”; “The First Churchills”), Michael Learned (“The Waltons”; “Nurse”), and Sela Ward (“Sisters”; “Once and Again”).
Although female drama series stars were not permanently afforded their own exclusive category until 1966, those (like Stanwyck) who contended for earlier generic honors such as “Best Female Star of a Regular Series” are factored in here.
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Barbara Stanwyck
Image Credit: NBC; ABC “The Barbara Stanwyck Show” (1961)
“The Big Valley” (1966-1968)Results:
1961; 1966 – won
1967-1968 – lost to Barbara Bain, “Mission: Impossible” -
Susan Hampshire
Image Credit: BBC; PBS “The Forsyte Saga” (1970)
“The First Churchills” (1971)Results:
1970-1971 – won -
Mariette Hartley
Image Credit: CBS; NBC “The Incredible Hulk” (1979)
“The Rockford Files” (1980)Results:
1979 – won
1980 – lost to Barbara Bel Geddes, “Dallas” -
Michael Learned
Image Credit: CBS; CBS “The Waltons” (1973-1978)
“Nurse” (1981-1982)Results:
1973-1974; 1976; 1982 – won
1975 – lost to Jean Marsh, “Upstairs, Downstairs”
1977 – lost to Lindsay Wagner, “The Bionic Woman”
1978 – lost to Sada Thompson, “Family”
1981 – lost to Barbara Babcock, “Hill Street Blues” -
Sharon Gless
Image Credit: CBS; CBS “Cagney & Lacey” (1983-1988)
“The Trials of Rosie O’Neill” (1991-1992)Results:
1983-1985; 1988 – lost to Tyne Daly, “Cagney & Lacey”
1986-1987 – won
1991 – lost to Patricia Wettig, “Thirtysomething”
1992 – lost to Dana Delaney, “China Beach” -
Sela Ward
Image Credit: NBC; ABC “Sisters” (1994)
“Once and Again” (2000-2001)Results:
1994; 2000 – won
2001 – lost to Edie Falco, “The Sopranos” -
Glenn Close
Image Credit: FX; FX “The Shield” (2005)
“Damages” (2008-2010; 2012)Results:
2005 – lost to Patricia Arquette, “Medium”
2008-2009 – won
2010 – lost to Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer”
2012 – lost to Claire Danes, “Homeland” -
Julianna Margulies
Image Credit: NBC; CBS “ER” (1997-2000)
“The Good Wife” (2010-2012; 2014)Results:
1997 – lost to Gillian Anderson, “The X-Files”
1998 – lost to Christine Lahti, “Chicago Hope”
1999 – lost to Edie Falco, “The Sopranos”
2000 – lost to Sela Ward, “Once and Again”
2010 – lost to Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer”
2011; 2014 – won
2012 – lost to Claire Danes, “Homeland” -
Claire Danes
Image Credit: ABC; Showtime “My So-Called Life” (1995)
“Homeland” (2012-2016)Results:
1995 – lost to Kathy Baker, “Picket Fences”
2012-2013 – won
2014 – lost to Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife”
2015 – lost to Viola Davis, “How to Get Away with Murder”
2016 – lost to Tatiana Maslany, “Orphan Black” -
Connie Britton
Image Credit: DirecTV; ABC “Friday Night Lights” (2010-2011)
“Nashville” (2013)Results:
2010 – lost to Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer”
2011 – lost to Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife”
2013 – lost to Claire Danes, “Homeland” -
Elisabeth Moss
Image Credit: AMC; Hulu “Mad Men” (2009; 2011-2013; 2015)
“The Handmaid’s Tale” (2017-2018; 2021; 2023)Results:
2009 – lost to Glenn Close, “Damages”
2011 – lost to Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife”
2012-2013 – lost to Claire Danes, “Homeland”
2015 – lost to Viola Davis, “How to Get Away with Murder”
2017 – won
2018 – lost to Claire Foy, “The Crown”
2021 – lost to Olivia Colman, “The Crown”
2023 – lost to Sarah Snook, “Succession” -
Keri Russell
Image Credit: FX; Netflix “The Americans” (2016-2018)
“The Diplomat” (2023)Results:
2016 – lost to Tatiana Maslany, “Orphan Black”
2017 – lost to Elisabeth Moss, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
2018 – lost to Claire Foy, “The Crown”
2023 – lost to Sarah Snook, “Succession”
