Emmys 2021: Lead Actress in a Comedy Series — Our 7 Dream Nominees!
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Potentially surprising factoid: During The Big Bang Theory‘s record-setting 12-year run on CBS, Kaley Cuoco received a total of zero Emmy nominations for her starring role as Penny.
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We suspect the Academy is about to make up for lost time.
The actress’ first post-Big Bang project, The Flight Attendant, has been a breakout hit for HBO Max. It’s also been an awards magnet, with the comedy caper’s first season scoring multiple Golden Globe and SAG nods. The kudos momentum is expected to continue in July when Emmy nominations are announced. And, yes, one of those nods will, without question, be for Cuoco’s very worthy titular performance.
Scroll through the list below to review all seven of our Dream Nominees for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (remember, these aren’t predictions; they’re wish lists) and then tell us if our picks warrant a “Hell, yes!,” “Um, no” or “How could you leave off so-and-so?!”
For the record, 2021 Emmy nominations will be voted on from June 17-28, and unveiled on July 13. The 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony is scheduled to air on Sunday, Sept. 19 on CBS.
Scroll down for links to our previous Dream Emmy categories:
Outstanding Drama Series — Our 7 Dream Nominees
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series — Our 7 Dream Nominees
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series — Our 8 Dream Nominees
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series — Our 8 Dream Nominees
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series — Our 7 Dream Nominees
Outstanding Comedy Series — Our 7 Dream Nominees
KALEY CUOCO, THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT
WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: Though a tightly wound thriller set in motion by a brutal murder, HBO Max’s adaptation of the Chris Bohjalian novel competes as a comedy — and that is in great part due to Cuoco’s ability to make the titular Cassie Bowden as entertainingly hapless as she is recklessly impulsive. As the poster girl for extremely bad decisions, Cuoco invites you into Cassie’s crazed mind as she puzzles over her next, questionable move. And whenever Cassie tries to rationalize her exploits with gal pal Annie, Cuoco leans into her sitcom skill set to trade in crackling banter.
MAYA ERSKINE, PEN15
WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: It physically pains us to separate Erskine from her co-star Anna Konkle — we’d happily hand them a two-headed Emmy for Best Comedy Duo — but if we had to pick a best best friend from Season 2, it’s Erskine. A new boyfriend and a starring role in the school play brought out all kinds of emotional turmoil for Maya this season, and Erskine’s uncanny ability to channel a 13-year-old’s giddy victories and crushing defeats deserves a standing ovation.
RENÉE ELISE GOLDSBERRY, GIRLS5EVA
WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: As former ’90s girl group diva Wickie, Goldsberry delivered a string of wickedly clever bon mots with such sharpness and comedic timing that we were doubled over in laughter. Every episode of the Peacock musical comedy featured a memorable Wickie moment, but none more so than the sixth installment, in which Goldsberry was knockout hilarious, going for outrageousness with gusto during her character’s time in the absurd Maskical: The Musical.
CRISTIN MILIOTI, MADE FOR LOVE
WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: As a woman escaping from her abusive husband’s virtual reality simulator, Milioti lightened the mood with frantic physical comedy and impeccable timing. With a story that bordered on absurdism, the actress delivered her dialogue with precision, eliciting oodles of humor despite the show’s dramatic tendencies. And while her funny bone was undeniable, Hazel’s complicated emotions pushed Milioti to deliver a beautifully layered performance that was filled with just as much fortitude as it was farce.
JEAN SMART, HACKS
WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: Few actresses can make a zinger sting quite like Smart. As formerly disgraced stand-up comedian Deborah Vance, Smart embodies strength and chutzpah as her character delivers laughs on stage and spits fiery insults to those around her. While Deborah’s tough exterior felt unshakable to start, Smart has expertly infused Deb with ample heart and undying tenacity. This may not be Smart’s first rodeo in the comedy world, but it just so happens to be one of her best.
HAILEE STEINFELD, DICKINSON
WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: Like Emily Dickinson’s poems, Steinfeld crafted her Season 2 performance with care and precision, as the intensely private Emily felt queasy about the prospect of becoming a literary celebrity. She can still fire off a darkly witty punchline with the best of them, to be sure, but it’s the emotional depth and fire she brings to Emily — especially in her passionate yearning for BFF/sister-in-law Sue — that brings Dickinson to luminous life.
ROBIN THEDE, A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW
WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: HBO’s riotously funny sketch show is routinely showing up SNL with its fresh, ambitious sketches, and Thede holds it all together with a rich panoply of performances. Whether she’s a brashly confident conspiracy theorist, a tragically unfashionable acquaintance no one can remember meeting or a bearded dude incapable of saying the right thing, Thede anchors the whole damn series with her chameleon-like versatility.
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