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Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
LOLLY ADEFOPE AND AIDY BRYANT ON “SHRILL”
FYC: Female Actor in a Comedy Series
AHEAD OF THE JAN. 12 SAG AWARD NOMINATIONS
announcement, the time has come to brush up on the year’s top television contenders. Brace yourself: There’s a lot of TV out there, particularly when it comes to comedy series featuring leading or supporting women. Read on for a sampling of the ladies who make us laugh the most.
Awkwafina
“Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens”
Awkwafina’s presence has made the comedy landscape a better place. Every element of her Comedy Central series, from the character’s hunched physicality and deadpan delivery to her offthe-wall aspirations for a more fly lifestyle, clearly emerges from the writer-producer-star’s highly original sensibilities. Her scenes opposite Lori Tan Chinn as her grandmother, in particular, are so funny that they demand a rewatch.
Aidy Bryant
“Shrill”
You know those screen stars who make you feel like you just want to be friends with them? Bryant is the epitome of this phenomenon, and nowhere is it more apparent than on this Hulu original series. In the actor-writer-producer’s capable hands, the selfdeprecating, decidedly un-shrill Annie goes from wanting to fade into the background without upsetting anyone to exploring her own self-confidence and sense of self-worth.
Rose Byrne
“Physical”
Any show that gives us dozens of close-ups of Byrne’s expressive face deserves every available award. As Sheila, a wife and mother caught in the throes of bulimia, the actor is as detestable as she is sympathetic. After years of delivering reliably terrific supporting turns, “Physical” is exactly the powerhouse vehicle Byrne fans have been craving.
Lily Collins
“Emily in Paris”
Any story centered on a charmingbut-flawed hero needs a leading actor who understands its tonal qualities on a cellular level. In fact, it’s mostly up to them to define and maintain the show’s appeal. As a millennial marketing executive and fish out of water in the City of Lights, the infinitely charismatic Collins provides a perfect example of how to carry a series.
HANNAH EINBINDER ON “HACKS” SELENA GOMEZ ON “ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING”
How I Got My SAG Card:
Christina Applegate
Hannah Einbinder
“Hacks”
How do you hold your own when sharing a scene with a legend like Jean Smart? Ask Einbinder, an impressive TV newcomer and one half of this show’s dynamic duo that lends it equal parts heart and humor. Even as her Ava Daniels gets on our nerves, the actor makes her relatable, and demonstrates again and again her ability to pivot between comedy and drama.
Maya Erskine
“PEN15”
The success of “PEN15” rests entirely on the shoulders of its creator-stars, Erskine and Anna Konkle. They do the kind of character work as 30-somethings playing middle schoolers that shouldn’t work on paper, yet somehow has for two hilarious seasons. Erskine makes Maya Ishii-Peters’ sexual awakening through the confusion of puberty particularly relatable in a series that’s designed to make you cringe.
Elle Fanning
“The Great”
Long live Catherine the Great— Fanning’s portrayal of the Russian empress, that is. Funny, complex, surprising, and entertaining, the star’s arc from submissive betrothed to authoritative motherto-be is what makes this Hulu dramedy work. We’ll readily overlook historical inaccuracies to watch Catherine become an indomitable presence at court, sparring with enemies and resplendently conspiring with friends. Huzzah!
Renée Elise Goldsberry
“Girls5eva”
Just as Jane Krakowski and Tituss Burgess did before her, Goldsberry spins her every “Girls5eva” line (as penned by Meredith Scardino) into comedic gold—she even calls them her “mouth gems.” As Wickie, the headstrong diva of a ’90s onehit-wonder girl group making a comeback in middle age, the “Hamilton” star invests so much narcissistic commitment into her absurd delusions that you’ll start believing them, too.
Selena Gomez
“Only Murders in the Building”
While she plays it more straightfaced in contrast to her wacky co-stars, Gomez as the mysterious Mabel Mora is probably the most fun actor to watch on this Hulu hit. Externally, she comes off as cold and capable; but Gomez explores Mabel’s vulnerabilities through several powerful scenes,
all while maintaining genuine chemistry with Steve Martin and Martin Short.
Regina Hall
“Black Monday”
Being the only woman at an ’80s stock-trading firm does not deter Hall’s Dawn from exuding confidence and going toe-totoe with coke-snorting bros. It feels like Hall was made for this ridiculous Wall Street world, wearing gaudily fabulous outfits, inhaling cigarettes in the middle of Jazzercising, and making loads of dough, all while cracking us up.
Allison Janney
“Mom”
Bonnie is a screw-up who unapologetically screws up other people’s lives. But Janney is so pitch-perfect in her physical comedy, so endearing, and so damn funny that she makes this (frankly horrible) woman affable. Who else could pull that off? It’s
RENEÉ ELISE GOLDSBERRY ON “GIRLS5EVA”
no wonder the seven-time Emmy winner frequently sweeps awards shows—and will surely continue to do so.
Anna Konkle
“PEN15”
Don’t let the winking prankster title fool you; “PEN15” grapples with more than facile concerns of the teen spirit. Konkle, as middle schooler Anna Kone, charts an especially emotional arc on Season 2 of the hit Hulu series as she navigates her parents’ ongoing divorce. While those scenes will leave you in tears, opposite Erskine, she’ll have you in stitches.
Cristin Milioti
“Made for Love”
If you’re looking for the perfect marriage of actor and role, look no further than Milioti as Hazel Green-Gogol, emerging from a desert bunker in a soppingwet party dress, eyes full of hilarious desperation. It’s a perfect marriage she’s portraying, too, opposite Billy Magnussen’s techbillionaire man-child; the two provide a darkly comedic master class in conveying the difference between things said and unsaid.
Annie Murphy
“Kevin Can F**k Himself”
The multicamera portions of Valerie Armstrong’s daring AMC series qualify it as a comedy, and Murphy is, of course, no stranger to eliciting laughs. But it’s in the dramatic, single-cam half of this story where the actor truly shines. As she digs into the depths of Allison’s loathing for her husband, Murphy’s goofy moments of sending up the sitcom housewife trope take on a delightfully sour undertone.
Sandra Oh
“The Chair”
How brilliant to let Oh loose in academia. She’s an inherently brainy performer who excels at quick-witted line deliveries. Whether she’s in a comedy or drama, her canniness is always on full display. She pulls off both, again, on Amanda Peet and Annie Julia Wyman’s Netflix series as
ANNIE MURPHY ON “KEVIN CAN F**K HIMSELF”
HOLLAND TAYLOR, NANA MENSAH, AND SANDRA OH ON “THE CHAIR”
ISSA RAE ON “INSECURE”
Ji-Yoon Kim, the newly instated English department chair at a fictional Ivy League college. Acting students should look to Oh for clues on harnessing empathy in their performances.
Issa Rae
“Insecure”
For five seasons, this comedic masterpiece has depicted life in Los Angeles for Issa Dee, played to blundering perfection by Rae. Although you constantly feel compelled to grab her by the shoulders and swivel her away from impending bad decisions, you never stop rooting for the notso-indefatigable heroine. That’s thanks to the creator-star’s knack for being funny, relatable, and painfully insecure.
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan
“Never Have I Ever”
Ramakrishnan was cast from an open call for the leading role of Devi Vishwakumar on Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher’s hit dramedy. Her combination of awkwardness and feigned confidence makes it easy to see why. Along with the familiar trials facing high schoolers—like an overbearing mother and hopeless crushes—Devi is dealing with (or refusing to deal with) the loss of her father. Ramakrishnan guides us on her coming-of-age journey beautifully.
Tracee Ellis Ross
“Black-ish”
In some ways, Rainbow Johnson is your typical sitcom mother: frazzled yet poised, put-upon yet supportive. But Ross and the creators of ABC’s most subversive comedy have turned that trope on its head by adding new qualities: She’s goofy, badass, and often borderline deranged. The star keeps demonstrating her dramatic (and directing!) chops, making us love the Johnson family and its matriarch even more than we already did.
Jean Smart
“Hacks”
Playing two diametrically opposed roles on “Hacks” and “Mare of Easttown,” Smart ruled our TV screens this spring. She won an Emmy for the former as Deborah Vance, a boundary-pushing comedian spending the twilight of her career as a washed-up but über-rich Vegas performer. Her delivery of such scathingly hilarious lines as “I was just wondering why you were dressed as Rachel Maddow’s mechanic” should be taught in comedy acting classes forever.
Hailee Steinfeld
“Dickinson”
Who knew Emily Dickinson’s life and words could be infused with modern issues, goofiness, and a compelling coming-of-age arc? This Apple TV+ hit does so with confidence, especially with its leading performance; the alwayswatchable Steinfeld manages to take the poet’s creative process seriously while also highlighting her quirks, romances, and ambitions.
Cecily Strong
“Schmigadoon!”
There’s an added layer of loveliness to Strong’s performance as Melissa, an OB-GYN who’s in a rocky relationship with Keegan-Michael Key’s Josh—while also trapped in a golden age–style musical: As she’s swept off her feet during song-anddance numbers, you can tell the actor is fulfilling a lifelong fantasy. It takes real skill to make fun of something you love, and that is Strong’s sweet spot.
Juno Temple
“Ted Lasso”
Temple continues to be a reliable presence onscreen. She plays football team marketing
manager Keeley Jones with larger-than-life brassiness and sex appeal, but also with a candor that helps her develop into a woman who wants more from her life. Her chemistry with Brett Goldstein’s hardheaded Roy makes them a couple we can’t help but root for.
Lily Tomlin
“Grace and Frankie”
No one can deliver a punchline quite like Tomlin. Season after season on this Netflix buddy comedy—opposite the equally brilliant Jane Fonda, Sam Waterston, and Martin Sheen— the legend continues to delight as a woman with a tenuous grasp on her sanity and social standing. Feeling blue? Tune in to any scene featuring Tomlin on “Grace and Frankie.”
Hannah Waddingham
“Ted Lasso”
What’s remarkable about Rebecca Welton, the steely head of the fictional AFC Richmond football club, is that we should despise her. Yet thanks to Waddingham’s Emmy-winning portrayal, we simply can’t. Initially seeking vengeance
MAITREYI RAMAKRISHNAN, JAREN LEWISON, AND MEGAN SURI ON “NEVER HAVE I EVER” HANNAH WADDINGHAM ON “TED LASSO”
against her ex-husband (who’s also the team’s former owner), Rebecca eventually finds her moral compass. Rather than giving us a villain, Waddingham delivers a complicated, powerful woman breaking down her inner walls to reveal her heart.
Heléne Yorke
“The Other Two”
Devastating zingers, upbeat obliviousness, painfully awkward foot-in-mouth moments—Yorke can do it all as Brooke Dubek, the older sister of an overnight teen sensation. Every time Brooke inches closer to the spotlight as her famous brother and mother’s manager on HBO Max’s second season, Yorke finds another opportunity to positively abase herself for the sake of comedy. Her laughs-per-minute ratio is off the charts.
