Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series:
- Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel)
- Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey)
- Claire Danes (Homeland)
- Robin Wright (House of Cards)
- Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men)
- Connie Britton (Nashville)
- Kerry Washington (Scandal)
In this heavily crowded category, there are a few people who I don't think stand much of a chance, and that's Elisabeth Moss, Connie Britton and Michelle Dockery. Dockery is only nominated because the Academy loves Downton Abbey so much, but she really doesn't do much on that show, and Connie Britton they've just decided they love overall, ever since they finally noticed her for the later seasons of Friday Night Lights. Since then she's constantly been nominated, even for a (much) lesser show. As for Elisabeth Moss, I'd love to see her win an Emmy, but Mad Men is still batting .000 in acting wins, and she really didn't get much to do this season either. So that leaves us with Wright, Washington, Danes and Farmiga. I really think Robin Wright was nominated on name recognition alone, she's really a supporting character on House of Cards, and her screen time in her episode proves it. Kerry Washington was nominated this season because her show is a hugely popular nighttime soap, but her acting, for me, doesn't compare with that of Claire Danes or Vera Farmiga. Of those two, it could honestly be either one, because the episode Farmiga submitted gives her a chance to show enormous range and over the top theatrics, and she really could win on the impact of that episode alone. But Claire Danes' episode if fantastic for her as well, and I truly think her performance here was better than the one she won with last year, where Carrie was manic and off her meds. So I'm going to say, given how the Emmys love their repeat winners, that Claire Danes takes it again. And she'd be perfectly deserving if she did, so that's fine with me.
Will Win: Claire Danes
Should Win: Claire Danes
Dark Horse: Vera Farmiga
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series:
- Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad)
- Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey)
- Damian Lewis (Homeland)
- Kevin Spacey (House of Cards)
- Jon Hamm (Mad Men)
- Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom)
Man, now this is another really tough one to call. Aside from Hugh Bonneville, every single one of these guys could win and deserve it. They're all fantastic on their respective shows and in their submitted episodes. Jon Hamm even submitted a great episode this season where he breaks down in front of the office- if there was the slightest chance that a Mad Men actor could actually win an Emmy I might predict him, but I truly think his only chance to win is going to be for his last season, which is now two years away. Kevin Spacey is a two-time Academy Award winner and big name, and he's great on his show, but not that likable (sometimes they like villains but sympathy for the character does play a factor). Jeff Daniels has a great big opening monologue in the pilot episode of The Newsroom, an idealistic Sorkin-esque speech that they used to love on The West Wing, so he could be a possibility, but his character is also missing that likability factor. And of course, there's three time winner Bryan Cranston, who should never be counted out, but his likability has gone increasingly downhill over the seasons as well (you used to be able to relate to him and he was kind of an antihero, but now he's morphed into the outright villain). That leaves Damian Lewis, and even though he's technically a terrorist, he remains much more of a tortured and conflicted figure who suffers a lot and elicits our sympathy, and he also submitted the same episode that Claire Danes did, which is just as great for him as it is her, if not more so. Their scenes together are compelling, emotional and heartwrenching, where Brody has to go through every possible emotion and make us believe it. It's also a better episode than what he won for last year, so I think he and Danes are going to both win for the second straight season.
Will Win: Damian Lewis
Should Win: Damian Lewis
Dark Horse: Kevin Spacey (this is a wild guess, because if there's an upset here it could honestly be anyone besides Hugh Bonneville, but I'll go with Spacey for the big name status)
