Fear not; even if “The White Lotus” were to over-perform in a Supporting Actress category again, there are performances from Rhea Seehorn, Sarah Snook, Elizabeth Debicki, and more that still make the Emmys race competitive.
We will update this article throughout the season, along with all our predictions, so make sure to keep checking IndieWire for the latest news from the 2023 Emmys race. The nomination round of voting takes place from June 15 to June 26, with the official Emmy nominations announced Wednesday, July 12. The Creative Arts Emmy Awards will be presented over two consecutive nights on Saturday, September 9 and Sunday, September 10, with an edited presentation of the ceremonies to be broadcast on FXX at a later date. Finally, the 75th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards take place on Monday, September 18, and air live on FOX at 8:00 p.m. ET/ 5:00 p.m. PT.
The State of the Race
If this were a dream line-up of who we would want to see receive more Emmys attention, of course there were be more shows represented, but one cannot look at how “The White Lotus” dominated this category in Limited Series last year and not expect its better-reviewed, more watched second season and not predict that the show will now take over Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series when Emmy nominations are announced in July.
Should Jennifer Coolidge’s move to the Lead Actress category become official, it leaves room for Aubrey Plaza and Meghann Fahy to have a better chance at winning for how their deliciously twisted couples dynamics played out. Haley Lu Richardson and Sabrina Impacciatore also both benefit from having a lot of their scenes opposite powerhouse Coolidge, so they could likely get an Emmy nomination too, the way Natasha Rothwell did last season. Now if the young Italian actresses Simona Tobasco and Beatrice Grannò get in, expect the show to clean up the Drama Series categories as well.
All that said, Ann Dowd has won the Emmy before for her turn as Aunt Lydia, so she is the most likely actress to represent “The Handmaid’s Tale,” a show that has dominated this category before, but its last season was less buzzy than usual. “Game of Thrones” never fared particularly well here, but Milly Alcock and Olivia Cooke, stars of the more female-focused prequel series “House of the Dragon” could change that. The show certainly performed as well as HBO was hoping it would, and even won a Golden Globe for Best Drama Series.
“Yellowjackets” is also likely to net at least one nomination here should Christina Ricci submit as a Supporting Actress again. The cast are joined by Lauren Ambrose and Simone Kessell in Season 2, as adult versions of Van and Lottie, respectively. Kessell as a possible cult leader sounds a bit juicier, but either or both could make it in depending on the response to the breakout Showtime hit’s sophomore effort.
All that said, there is a large push from “Better Call Saul” viewers to have Rhea Seehorn finally win for her performance as Kim Wexler in the AMC drama’s final season. “Succession” is about to end within the Emmys eligibility period too, so voters may feel stars Sarah Snook and J. Smith-Cameron are due for their four seasons of excellent work. And Elizabeth Debicki playing Princess Diana was the standout performance of “The Crown” Season 5, so the category is actually set up to be a little more competitive than just all HBO stars.
Current Contenders (In Alphabetical Order):
Milly Alcock, “House of the Dragon” (HBO)
Olivia Cooke, “House of the Dragon” (HBO)
Elizabeth Debicki, “The Crown” (Netflix)
Ann Dowd, “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu)
Meghann Fahy, “The White Lotus” (HBO)
Beatrice Grannò, “The White Lotus” (HBO)
Sabrina Impacciatore, “The White Lotus” (HBO)
Simone Kessell, “Yellowjackets” (Showtime)
Aubrey Plaza, “The White Lotus” (HBO)
Christina Ricci, “Yellowjackets” (Showtime)
Haley Lu Richardson, “The White Lotus” (HBO)
Rhea Seehorn, “Better Call Saul” (AMC)
J. Smith-Cameron, “Succession” (HBO)
Sarah Snook, “Succession” (HBO)
Simona Tobasco, “The White Lotus”
More Drama Category Predictions:
Outstanding Drama Series
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
To see IndieWire’s full set of predictions for the 75th Emmy Awards click here.
Last Year’s Winner: Julia Garner, “Ozark”
Still Eligible: No.
Hot Streak: With Garner out of the running, having tied the record for most consecutive wins in this category last year, the streak to look at is if Netflix could win Supporting Actress in a Drama a fifth year in a row.
Notable Ineligible Series: Patricia Arquette, “Severance” (Season 2 was not eligible); Sydney Sweeney, “Euphoria” (Season 3 was not eligible); Sadie Sink, “Stranger Things” (Season 5 was not eligible); Fiona Shaw, “Killing Eve” (ended); Julia Garner, “Ozark” (ended)
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