2015 Emmy Contenders: Best Actress in a Comedy Series

2015 Contenders
Cristela Alonzo "Cristela"
Beth Behrs "2 Broke Girls"
Alex Borstein "Getting On"
Saffron Burrows "Mozart in the Jungle"
Aya Cash "You're The Worst"
Courtney Cox "Cougar Town"
Kat Dennings "2 Broke Girl"
Zooey Deschanel "New Girl"
Minnie Driver "About a Boy"
Lena Dunham "Girls"
Edie Falco "Nurse Jackie"
Anna Faris "Mom"
Jane Fonda "Grace and Frankie"
Sutton Foster "Younger"
Ilana Glazer "Broad City"
Kathyrn Hahn "Happyish"
Patricia Heaton "The Middle"
Abbi Jacobson "Broad City"
Lisa Joyce "Billy and Billie"
Mindy Kaling "The Mindy Project"
Ellie Kemper "The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"
Lisa Kudrow "The Comeback"
Julia Louis-Dreyfus "Veep"
Melissa McCarthy "Mike & Molly"
Laurie Metcalf "Getting On"
Lea Michele "Glee"
Niecy Nash "Getting On"
Amy Poehler "Parks & Recreation"
Gina Rodriguez "Jane the Virgin"
Emmy Rossum "Shameless"
Tracee Ellis Ross "black-ish"
Kristin Schaal "The Last Man On Earth"
Amy Schumer "Inside Amy Schumer"
Lily Tomlin "Grace and Frankie"
Kate Walsh "Bad Judge"
Casey Wilson "Marry Me"
Constance Wu "Fresh Off the Boat"

Commentary - With Taylor Schilling leaving the race to join Drama, there is at least one spot open in this category, although with some of the new contenders emerging here, some of the old favorites might get knocked out. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is a lock to return, and honestly, I would not be surprised if she won yet again for Veep. But all of the other four are vulnerable. McCarthy has been left off before, and managed to come back. Her summer movie Spy this year could help her retain her slot. Poehler should get one last nod, and hopefully a first win. Girls and Nurse Jackie used to be high on the Emmy list, but have slipped in terms of total nominations. Dunham and Falco are currently Emmy favorites, and both have had strong seasons. But as we know, as shows age, and new shiny contenders emerge, even favorites can be left off the list. For example, Gina Rodriguez has a Golden Globe in hand, and a lot of supporters out there. The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt will have the full weight of Netflix behind it, without Orange is the New Black in the running, meaning Ellie Kemper could be a dark horse. Grace and Frankie is getting mixed reviews, but do not discount the power of legends Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. There are also plenty of veteran shows trying to get their leads into this competitive race. Mindy Kaling just got a boost from Hulu who has saved The Mindy Project and given the show a ton of great buzz. Zooey Deschanel could benefit from a good season of New Girl. Emmy Rossum could get in for Shameless, who has had its stock rise since it switched to Comedy. Amy Schumer is on the rise, Tracee Ellis Ross is fantastic in black-ish, Lea Michele, the girls from Getting On, Aya Cash, Courtney Cox, Minnie Driver, the leads on Broad City and hopefully the hilarious Anna Faris on Mom, are all major contenders that could crop in in this close, and exciting race.