Emmys 2020: Lead Actress, Comedy — Our Dream Nominees

The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards will be airing (in some form!) on Sept. 20. Before the real nominees are unveiled on July 28, we at TVLine have come up with our own dream nominations in 15 major categories. Scroll down to see our ideal contenders for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, then give us your thoughts!

CATHERINE O'HARA, SCHITT'S CREEK

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: A 2019 nominee, O'Hara ensured that Emmy voters would slip another feather in her cap for the series' final season by — as Moira might say — splendiferously taking her from the depths of despair (at The Crows Have Eyes 3 being shelved) to lofty new heights (over Sunrise Bay's reboot). O'Hara was so exquisitely exaggerated, we were raising a glass of Herb Ertlinger's "finest" to her even before she delivered Moira's wedding speech, a masterwork that was equal parts hilarious and heartfelt.

CHRISTINA APPLEGATE, DEAD TO ME

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: We already knew that Applegate could heartbreakingly — and often hilariously — portray Jen Harding's grief in the wake of losing her husband. But the actress found new ways to wow us in Season 2, giving Jen fascinating layers of guilt and self-loathing as she grappled with killing Steve... then struck up a romance with his twin brother, Ben. Applegate oscillated between cynical comedy and profound vulnerability with ease, building to a devastating Episode 9 performance that simply slayed us.

JANE LEVY, ZOEY'S EXTRAORDINARY PLAYLIST

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: Because even though the premise of NBC's musical dramedy is a little out there, Levy brought a believable skepticism and exasperation to Zoey that made her evolution so compelling to watch. And it wasn't just Zoey's new power that Levy navigated so convincingly; she also brought an effortless charm to the character's many personal dilemmas, then broke our hearts just as easily while Zoey grappled with her dad's declining health. But if Emmy voters need more evidence of Levy's talent, they need only watch Episode 8, a demanding hour of television that showcased the actress' phenomenal range.

LEIGHTON MEESTER, SINGLE PARENTS

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: We know there's about as much chance of Meester getting a nomination as there is of ABC reversing its decision to cancel her outstanding, inclusive comedy. But we're still gonna light all our gas station candles and pray to the Emmy gods on her behalf, because she made a trashy treasure of Angie D'Amato, putting enough spin on her lines to make us dizzy and packing enough heart into her high jinks to make us care. Deeply.

LINDA CARDELLINI, DEAD TO ME

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: It'd be easy to describe Dead to Me's Judy Hale as merely Jen Harding's free-spirited friend — but Cardellini's dazzling, nuanced performance has elevated the character to so much more than just a kooky bestie. The actress brought new depth to Judy in Season 2, mining Steve's recent death for a wonderfully complex depiction of grief. But Cardellini shone even brighter as Judy tested the romantic waters with Natalie Morales' Michelle, enchanting us — and, hopefully, Emmy voters — with her palpable new-crush giddiness.

MELISSA BARRERA, VIDA

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: Because we haven't seen someone this adept at sidesplitting comedy and heartbreaking drama in a while. This season, Barrera put both talents to work in equal measure. We howled with laughter when a tipsy Lyn realized that her ability to adapt was her superpower. (There should be a special category for those who can play drunk so sincerely.) Then we ached with the character as Barrera re-met, forged a relationship with and then ultimately was betrayed by her estranged father. (That breakdown with Johnny? Aces.)

ZOE KRAVITZ, HIGH FIDELITY

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: Switching the gender of navel-gazing record store owner Rob Brooks for Hulu's reboot could've just been a gimmick, but Kravitz infused her character with such heart and humor that we nearly forgot all about John Cusack. Kravitz displayed an easygoing charm that we never got to see from her on Big Little Lies, and when the normally cool-as-a-cucumber Rob let her emotions peek out — like when she confronted the residual heartbreak left over from her failed relationship with Mac — it hit like a sledgehammer.

PAMELA ADLON, BETTER THINGS

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: If being the co-creator, showrunner, writer, producer and director of Better Things weren't enough, Adlon also delivers one of the most realistic performances on television. As Sam Fox, Adlon runs the gamut of emotions, from crying over her kids' lost youth to engaging in an uproarious war of C-words with her eldest daughter, Max. But no matter how crazy things seem, Adlon always reveals a silver lining through her contagious cackle and chutzpah, striking the perfect tonal balance between comedy and conviction.