Emmys 2011: A Look At The Lead Comedy Actress Race — Including Our Dream Nominees

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Toni Collette, United States of TaraThough she struck gold at the 2009 Emmys and was nominated again in 2010, the ongoing popularity of Nurse Jackie, and now the emergence of The Big C, would seem to weaken her chances. (How many leading ladies from Showtime series can fit on one ballot?) Of course, the show’s recent cancellation could create a “final tribute” nomination groundswell, as may have happened for Julia Louis-Dreyfus last year with The New Adventures of Old Christine.

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Courteney Cox, Cougar TownIt’s taking Cougar Town longer to live down its initial predatory premise (and title) than it took the ABC comedy to find its qualitative footing. But through it all, its leading lady’s multi-faceted portrayal of Jules Cobb has been spot-on. Maybe now Emmy will finally give her the deserving nomination she never received during her years she spent hanging with those other Friends.

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Kaley Cuoco, The Big Bang TheoryAdmirably, there’s nothing even remotely dense in real life about this sitcom vet who dumbs it down so lovably on CBS' hit comedy. So maybe (hopefully) Emmy voters will finally pick up on what viewers did long ago — that Cuoco is an underrated gem — and award her some long overdue props.

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Edie Falco, Nurse JackieWhen this Emmy favorite (thanks to The Sopranos) won the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy last year, even she questioned how such a dark role as her titular philandering and self-destructive druggie could be considered comedic. But if it didn’t hurt her chances then, it’s hard to imagine it will now. She’s a lock for a nod.

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Tina Fey, 30 RockThis funny lady isn’t a shoo-in for another Emmy nod, if not another win, merely because she has already racked up so many awards (both as a 30 Rock star and a writer) that her name is somehow automatically announced among the nominees. She’s a shoo-in because she’s just that good.

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Tamsin Greig, EpisodesOne of the nicest arch actress treats to come out of England since Emma Thompson, this Stateside newcomer imbues her fish-out-of-water writer/producer character with a wit so dry, it ought to come with a chaser. Now if only Emmy voters knew how to spell her name. Or knew her name, for that matter.

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Laura Linney, The Big CAs formidable as the competition in this category is, there will almost surely be room on the list of nominees for the estimable star of The Big C. Not only is she coming off of a Golden Globe victory for her work on the Showtime hit, she’s already got three Emmys for prior projects.

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Patricia Heaton, The MiddleHer iconic turn on Everybody Loves Raymond has already earned her two Emmys for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. And now that The Middle has emerged from ABC’s Modern Family-anchored Wednesday comedy bloc as a contender in its own right, she seems well-positioned to reenter the awards race herself.

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Melissa McCarthy, Mike & MollyAfter paying her dues on Gilmore Girls and Samantha Who?, this perennial second banana finally got her own showcase — and her own show — in CBS’ Mike & Molly. Her scene-stealing big-screen turn in the current box office hit Bridesmaids has only served to increase her profile.

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Lea Michele, GleeEmmy knows the Glee ingénue, and likes her — she was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series last year. But do they like her enough to single her out among the McKinley High ensemble in a year when the competition is this stiff?

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Mary-Louise Parker, WeedsThe Weeds star has been nominated three times without ever bagging the Emmy. While her work remains exemplary, coming off a prior year in which she wasn’t nominated — and with so many other newer Showtime series making louder noise — she faces an uphill battle getting back on the ballot.

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Martha Plimpton, Raising HopeThis second-generation Hollywood star has, despite an enviably diverse list of credits, flown under the radar for much of her career. But Emmy is aware of her — she’s been previously nominated for a guest spot on Law & Order: SVU. And her tour de force as Raising Hope’s sharp-tongued young grandma could be hard for voters to ignore, especially when on the rare Tuesday she could also be spied getting in The Good Wife's face as the ruthless Patti Nyholm.

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Amy Poehler, Parks and RecreationThe sweet heart of Parks and Recreation snuck into the Emmy derby last year, so now the question becomes: Can she build on that momentum and win for the first time? Ever-optimistic Leslie Knope would say, "Yes!" Alas, up against all of Showtime’s dark-comedy actresses, she may just have to settle for another nomination.

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Yvonne Strahovski, ChuckAs worthy of an Emmy nomination as the NBC series' leading spy lady may be, her chances of bagging one seem slim. Neither her name nor her character’s are household ones. (Even voters who are sadly unfamiliar with the name Zachary Levi will at least know the name “Chuck”.)

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