Emmys 2023: Lead Actress In A Comedy Series — Our Dream Nominees!

Here's one thing we know for certain about the outcome of Emmys' 2023 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy race: Jean Smart is not going to threepeat.

After winning in this category in both 2021 and 2022, the Hacks star will be MIA this year on account of her Max satire's third season being pushed out of the eligibility window. Luckily, there are more than a half-dozen very worthy candidates ready, willing and able to scoop up the coveted gold statue.

Scroll through the list below to review all of our Dream Nominees (remember, these aren't predictions; they're wish lists) and then tell us if our picks warrant a "Hell, yes!," "Um, no" or "How could you leave off so-and-so?!"

For the record, 2023 Emmy nominations will be voted on from June 15-26, and unveiled on July 12. The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony is scheduled to air on Monday, Sept. 18 on Fox.

Scroll down for links to our previous Dream Emmy categories:

🏆 Outstanding Drama Series — Our Dream Nominees
🏆 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series — Our Dream Nominees
🏆 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series — Our Dream Nominees
🏆 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series — Our Dream Nominees
🏆 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series — Our Dream Nominees
🏆 Outstanding Comedy Series — Our Dream Nominees

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: Before we even laid eyes on the Netflix dark comedy's series finale, Applegate had already been turning in some of her funniest, most heartfelt work in Season 3's preceding nine episodes. But in the show's swan song, the beloved TV vet cleared her own very high bar, delivering the best performance of her career in the process. The Married With Children alum recently suggested that her MS diagnosis could force her into early retirement. If that's the case — and selfishly, we hope it's not — we can't imagine a more triumphant coda.

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: In the ABC comedy's second season, creator/star Brunson brought the laughs that we've come to expect and showed off new sides of her sweet teacher character. Janine can often be the punchline of her colleagues' jokes and teasing, but Brunson imbued her performance with newfound confidence and growth as Janine went on a journey of self-discovery and dished out some zingers, too, along the way. Meanwhile, the introduction of Janine's mother and sister, with whom she has troubled relationships, gave Brunson a chance to expertly mix humor with hurt.

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: As an automotive company CEO who doesn't even like to drive cars, Gasteyer's Katherine Hastings could easily veer into cartoonish absurdity. But under the actress' leadership, the Payne Motors boss is somehow both hilariously clueless and capable when it comes to handling everything from employees' reproductive rights to delicate foreign relationships. Comedy vet Gasteyer knows how to deliver laughs — we're still in hysterics at Katherine getting high to face her fear of being in a car full of bunnies — but it's the vulnerability she showed in the wake of Katherine's divorce that really left a lasting impression.

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: The death of Elora's beloved grandmother and her quest to fulfill the late Daniel's wishes gave the actress the floor to flex some mighty dramatic chops in Season 2. But emotional wounds aside, Jacobs proved to be a versatile performer, wearing her heart on her sleeve one second and going toe-to-toe with the show's funniest recurring stars (Gary Farmer, Kirk Fox) the next. Luckily, Elora's intelligence never spared her from res hijinks. When it came to stabbing a possible predator or pulling off one of the Dogs' classic heists, Jacobs' comedic timing and delivery had us transfixed.

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: It's no mystery why Lyonne is back in the awards conversation again after memorable turns on Orange Is the New Black and Russian Doll. On Peacock's proudly retro detective show, she brought a big smile to our faces as sleuth Charlie Cale, whose highly attuned lie-detector skills helped her crack case after case. Her raspy Noo Yawk accent made just about every line of dialogue funny, but she also brought an unexpected depth to Charlie, who carries a wounded soul underneath all the witty one-liners. Not putting Lyonne on your Emmy ballot? Now that's bulls—t.

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: The Netflix show wouldn't have captured the zeitgeist the way it did were it not for Ortega's effortlessly cool take on the iconic titular character. Serving up lethal sarcasm with an unnerving stare and a perfectly deadpan delivery, odd one-liners in the actress' deft hands became quotable zingers. Plus, the spooky dance she choregraphed — inspired by Siouxsie Sioux, '80s goth dance clubs and OG on-screen Wednesday Lisa Loring — went viral. Ortega not only embodied the spirit of the beloved teen, she made the character her own, and we devoured every delectable moment. To put it simply, she slayed.

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: We thought the hopelessly superficial Brooke Dubek was actually becoming a bit more enlightened when she ditched showbiz for a career in service, and... we don't know why we thought that. Yorke has been as hilarious as ever this season as Brooke applied her selfish and sarcastic worldview to the non-profit sector, and she was even a touch poignant as Brooke desperately searched for meaning in her utterly meaningless life. We're still rooting for Brooke to become a better person, but Yorke just makes it so much fun to watch her being the worst.