clockwise (from top left): Wilson, Griffiths,
Pounder, Harden.
When we first asked the TV.com offices for best supporting actress in a drama nominations, we never expected the amount of responses that came back. This field is deep, and cutting the worthy ladies down to 10 was the chore of all chores--but we finally got it done.
Cable dominated our shortlist, but when it came to the final five, ABC scored a trifecta of nominations. Have a look at our nominations and see if you agree.
CCH Pounder, The Shield
Role: Captain Claudette WymsCCH isn't just one of the most intense actors on The Shield, she's one of the most dedicated actors--male or female--on the small screen. As Captain Claudette Wyms in the final season of the show, she battled Vic Mackey and a terminal illness. Pssshhh! Claudette would kick both their butts!
Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters
Role: Sarah WhedonRemember the first time you saw Rachel Griffiths? Perhaps it was in Hilary and Jackie, maybe it was in Six Feet Under. All you knew was... boy can this girl act! And in a drama ensemble that's one of the best on television, Griffiths more than holds her own.
Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy
Role: Miranda BaileyChandra Wilson is always walking the red carpet come awards show season. She took a character on Grey's and made it her own--Miranda Bailey was originally envisioned as a blonde white lady. But no matter how far Grey's Anatomy went off the deep end, one thing stayed constant on the medical drama--Wilson's superb acting. And she's managed to stay out of the off-screen drama the show is famous for.
Helllllooooo Elizabeth!
Elizabeth Mitchell, Lost
Role: Juliet BurkeA lot of people rolled their eyes when Juliet was introduced on Lost. Great, another babe to tempt Jack and mess up the Jater/Skater love triangle? But she stuck around and won our hearts while toying with our emotions. Her dimples broke the ice, but it's those stern talks--sometimes Juliet is the only one who makes any sense out there--she lays on the Losties that put her on this list.
Marcia Gay Harden, Damages
Role: Claire MaddoxDamages set the bar for an ensemble basic-cable cast in its first season, but who would have thought it would be raised for season two? Adding Marcia Gay Harden to an already stellar cast made every single scene of this series must-see TV. And Harden went along with the trademark twist and turns like it was second nature.
Honorable Mention: Rutina Wesley--True Blood, Christina Hendricks--Mad Men, Katey Sagal--Sons of Anarchy, Pauley Perette--NCIS, Mary McDonnell--Battlestar Galactica
And our winner is: Rachel Griffiths. Griffiths is pure talent. Her character may not be detonating Hydrogen bombs, battling a rogue anti-gang cop, or dealing with Dr. Izzie Stevens, but she's still award worthy.
Our picks for Best Comedy Series
Our picks for Best Actor in a Comedy
Our picks for Best Actress in a Comedy
Our picks for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy
Our picks for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy
Comments (48)
Felicity Huffman should be nominated
CCH Pounder is one of my favorite actresses. I hope she wins!
Where isht Katherine Heigl?
Aren't you guys gonna make a Emmy Picks: Best Drama Series?
Definitely Elizabeth Mitchell with Juliet Burke.
Elizabeth Mitchell is absolutely fantastic!
Rachel Griffiths ! She is the best, she absolutely deserves the Emmy !!
Elizabeth Mitchell !!!!
Christina Hendricks rocks! I'd vote for her.
great pick of Marcia Gay Harden: every time a scene ended I was hoping to see her in the next, which is more than I could say about any other actress as good as they've been this year.First encounter with Rachel Griffiths: Muriel's wedding (1995).
Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy NO CONTEST
Elizabeth Mitchell. Great Actress and her character is my favorite female character on Lost.
To me Sophia Bush but between them Marcia Gay harden
No way. I'm not going for any for your top picks, how in the world have Rutina Wesley and Christina Hendricks been relegated to your "honourable mention" section? It's either of those actresses 100% for me they both made their roles their own.
Pauley Perette--
Chandra Wilson is a must!
You left out Gretchen Mol
From this list I'd have picked Chandra... I think the real nominated would be Katherine for Izzie's cancer...
Mary McDonnell should be in the Best Actress category consideration. She deserves a nod as well. In Supporting Actress you should have included Katee Sackhoff for her amazing role as Kara "Starbuck" Thrace on Battlestar Galactica. She was amazing in playing the conflicted hero. She took a role that had a lot of controversy and immediately made it her own. Sadly the Emmy's prefer to repeatedly award the same people rather than reward performances that are outside the box. How very sad for them.
Rutina Wesley was so freaking awesome in True Blood!
Pauley Perrette is an awesome choice;she's been around for years and is very under-rated
katherine Heigl deserves an EPIC win for this season. Yes, her storylibe was drawn out, but she was amazing this season.
stormymac--the reason she's on there as a supporting actress is because on most ensemble shows there isn't a billed star that takes the lead role. All of the shows represented on the above list of 5 nominees except damages is an ensemble that doesn't have a single, focused lead character (damages has glenn close).
I think Mitchel should win for her role in season 5 specially the last episode "the incident" .secondly Chandra is a great actress she should win too . But I wish Elizabeth Mitchel wins for her amazing last moments in the last episode. I believe Chandra won an Emmy before , right ? so I think Mitchel should be given a chance and be awarded for her great role in season 5 of Lost .
Honorable Mention: Mary McDonnell - Battlestar Galactica??????
What show are you watching in which President Laura Roslin is a SUPPORTING character on BSG. She is one of the two leads along with EJO and should be acknowledged as such. Also, no matter which category you choose to put her in, she should not be an honorable mention but a nominee and eventual winner.
Katherine Heigl deserves to be there more than Chandra Wilson and Elizabeth should win it ALL!
Pauley Perette; hands down!
i couldn't agree more, RACHEL GRIFFITHS roxxxxx
Adrianne Palicki, Friday Night Lights.Christine Hendricks, Mad MenHope Davis, In Treatment
chandra wilson for sure..a long deserved one
first choice-elizabeth mitchell
second choice- chandra wilson
third choice- rachel griffiths
I have to give it to Pauley Perette too..
I have to give it to Pauley Perette too..
I have to give it to Pauley Perette. Many of us just discovered NCIS this uyear, and one reason we went back and collected the back episodes was the wonderful Abby -- along with the equally award-deserving David McCallum. I'd also suggest Sofia Vassilieva as an honorable mention.
And of course I am assuming that S. Epatha Merkeson and Lisa Edelstein already have won, or the other suggestions become irrelevant. Cuddy is vital to HOUSE, and Van Buren has been the lynchpin of L&O since the fourth season.
Wilson is always good, so it's easy to forget how outstanding she is. I know Griffiths is powerful too, but I haven't seen B&S this year. All I know is that if Wilson looses the Emmy to Mitchell, which I doubt, it will only be for Mitchell's last amazing episode in which she broke our hearts..more than once.
Looking at the last season of Grey I'm definitely for Chandra Wilson.
Clearly Rachel Griffiths in Brothers & Sisters. Amazing acting spotted !
Elizabeth Mitchel deserve to win , she played an amazing role in season 5 , and the last scene of her in the final episode was honest and its pure drama it made me cry . she deserve to win this .
first choice: Chandra Wilsonsecond choice: Rachel Griffiths
I hope some of the cast of one tree hill;just to be a teenage tv show;i find vary mature.But year by year i am getting more and more dissapointing with the nominations.Are always the same.In drama they picked from nbc and hbo.And for drama:amc,hbo.And i am thhinking where are all the most popular shows;like Two and a half men for example.
chandra wilson or rachel griffiths
I hope April from in treatment gets a nod!
I hope Chandra Wilson wins. She does and awesome job on Grey's Anatomy.
I'm really hoping for CCH Pounder to win. She was so good, and she needs to be recognized fo rplaying that amazing character.
I'd like it to be Mitchell, her acting in the last few minutes of "The Incident" was better than Evangeline Lilley's acting in all five seasons.
Chandra Wilson and Elizabeth Mitchell are both amazing actresses. I don't know what Grey's Anatomy would be without Chandra as Bailey. And Elizabeth Mitchell is a great actress on lost. I'm so torn on which one I want to win. I just hope the best for both actressesand both shows.