Ayla Ruby
Today’s the day when someone will make Emmy history. We’re just a few hours from the ceremony. The Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series is packed with talent from both newcomers and small-screen veterans. The women nominated have given their all to these roles. Here, we look into their careers to see their work that led them to this Emmy moment.
Imelda Staunton
Nominated For: The Crown
Previous nominations: 2 Nominations (The Girl)
Hidden gem: The radio-drama Julie Enfield Investigates. If you like PBS Masterpiece and the podcast Limetown, Staunton’s turn as DSI Enfield will scratch that itch.
A multi-talented actress whose career includes award winning work in theater, film, and television, Imelda Staunton played Queen Elizabeth II on Netflix’s The Crown.
If you haven’t watched The Crown, you may have seen her in some of her other award-winning work. As Vera Drake in the 2004 film by the same name, Staunton was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. She has numerous BAFTA nominations for her TV work, including for Return to Cranford and The Girl.
If you like Harry Potter, Staunton may be famous to you for another reason. She played the pink-clad Dolores Umbridge in the fantastical universe. Recently the actress confirmed that she would return to the role for a Harry Potter theme park attraction at Universal Studios.
Anna Sawai
Nominated For: Shōgun
Previous nominations: None
Hidden gem: Pachinko
On Shōgun, Sawai plays the lead character Toda Mariko. After starring in TV production of Annie as a kid, Anna Sawai got her big break as a member of a Japanese girl-group called FAKY. Since she first was on TV, Sawai has had several memorable lead roles, including recently on Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters as Cate Randa and on Pachinko as Naomi. She’s also been in film and is probably best known for being Elle in the Fast & Furious movie F9.
Maya Erskine
Nominated For: Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Previous nominations: 4 Nominations (Pen15, Mr. and Mrs. Smith)
Hidden gem: Wine Country (2019)
Not only does Maya Erskine shine in front of the camera, but she also a talented and Emmy-nominated writer. As Jane Smith on the spy-drama Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Erskine kicks butt with a touch of humor, too. If you have a young child, you might recognize Erskine’s voice as that of Mercy Graves in the animated film DC League of Super Pets. Starting out on Hart of Dixie, her career includes recent work on Obi-Wan Kenobi as Sully Stark and the acclaimed Netflix anime Blue Eye Samurai.
Carrie Coon
Nominated For: The Gilded Age
Previous nominations: 2 Nominations (Fargo, The Gilded Age)
Hidden gem: Gone Girl (2014)
As Bertha Russell on The Gilded Age, Carrie Coon is not afraid to shake up the world of old money in New York City and beyond. She commands the screen from the opera wars to navigating married life opposite Morgan Spector’s George Russell. Like several others in The Gilded Age, Coon has an impressive theater background. She has a Tony nomination for her work in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. Coon has also made waves on screen in 2016-2017’s The Leftovers as Nora Durst and on Fargo as Gloria Burgle. Coon will be in the upcoming season of The White Lotus.
Jennifer Aniston
Nominated For: The Morning Show
Previous nominations: 10 Nominations (The Morning Show, Friends: The Reunion, 30 Rock, Friends), 1 Win (Friends)
Hidden gem: Office Space (But is it really a hidden gem?)
It’s been more than 20 years since Friends and Ross and Rachel were on our TV screens, but Aniston still has us all watching, as evidenced by her work on the acclaimed Apple TV+ series, The Morning Show. As the fiercely ambitious Alex Levy, Anniston grapples with a very familiar and chaotic news world and a personal life that’s pretty dramatic, too.
Not only has Aniston been a household television name, but she’s also had a stellar film career, including Bruce Almighty, Along Came Polly, and the recent Murder Mystery franchise with Adam Sandler.
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