Emmys 2013: The Lead Drama Actress Race In Review, Including Our 6 Dream Nominees

By Team TVLine June 12, 2013 12:49 pm EST

Emmy Best Actress Drama Nominees

Connie Britton

Connie Britton, Nashville

Glenn Closee

Glenn Close, Damages

Claire Danes

Claire Danes, Homeland (Lead Actress) Saturday Night Live may have made sport of her acting choices, but there was nothing funny about her work this season. As Carrie discovered Brody’s duplicity (then gave in to her feelings for him, anyway!), last year’s Emmy victor kept her basket-case character breathtakingly relatable.

**Claire Danes, Homeland (Lead Actress)**

Saturday Night Live may have made sport of her acting choices, but there was nothing funny about her work this season. As Carrie discovered Brody's duplicity (then gave in to her feelings for him, anyway!), last year's Emmy victor kept her basket-case character breathtakingly relatable.

Downton Abbey Series 3

Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey

Vera Farmiga

Vera Farmiga, Bates Motel (Lead Actress) Norman’s the crazy one on A&E’s Psycho prequel, but we’re mad about the actress who plays his Mommie Dearest. She didn’t just go from defiant to defeated, from deceitful to deluded over the course of a season, she did it over the course of a single episode. Repeatedly!

**Vera Farmiga, Bates Motel (Lead Actress)**

Norman's the crazy one on A&E's Psycho prequel, but we're mad about the actress who plays his Mommie Dearest. She didn't just go from defiant to defeated, from deceitful to deluded over the course of a season, she did it over the course of a single episode. Repeatedly!

Lucy Liu

Lucy Liu, Elementary

Julianna Margulies

Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife (Lead Actress) As Alicia addressed the future of not only her personal life but also her professional one, her portrayer reminded us why she took home the Emmy in 2011. Even the buzz surrounding the newbs won’t be enough to keep her from offering stiff competition.

**Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife (Lead Actress)**

As Alicia addressed the future of not only her personal life but also her professional one, her portrayer reminded us why she took home the Emmy in 2011. Even the buzz surrounding the newbs won't be enough to keep her from offering stiff competition.

Tatiana Maslany

Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black (Lead Actress) Though the BBC America series’ lead probably deserves an Emmy for quantity -- she plays seven different characters, after all! -- it’s actually the quality of her work that makes her such a contender. Stunningly, she makes each of her half-dozen roles unique.

**Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black (Lead Actress)**

Though the BBC America series' lead probably deserves an Emmy for quantity — she plays seven different characters, after all! — it's actually the quality of her work that makes her such a contender. Stunningly, she makes each of her half-dozen roles unique.

Elisabeth Moss

Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men

Ellen Pompeo

Ellen Pompeo, Grey's Anatomy

Emmy Rossum

Emmy Rossum, Shameless (Lead Actress) Apparently, it’s award show voters that are really shameless. How else can you explain the fact that the closest this gem of an actress has come to an Emmy is her own name?

**Emmy Rossum, Shameless (Lead Actress)**

Apparently, it's award show voters that are really shameless. How else can you explain the fact that the closest this gem of an actress has come to an Emmy is her own name?

Keri Russell

Keri Russell, The Americans (Lead Actress) In lesser hands, Elizabeth could have come off as a one-note ice queen. But, thanks to the erstwhile Felicity, she’s as complex as she is dangerous.