Emmys 2021: Lead Actress In A Drama Series — Our 7 Dream Nominees!

An Emmy nomination for Pose breakout Mj Rodriguez would be history-making, seeing as how Emmy has never recognized a trans actress (or actor) in a lead acting category. (In 2014, Laverne Cox became the first trans acting nominee ever when she scored a Guest Actress nod for her work in Orange Is the New Black.)

Rodriguez was snubbed for Pose's first two seasons, but she is back in the hunt for the acclaimed FX drama's third and final season. In other words, if voters want to recognize the actress for her work as doting House Mother Blanca, then it's now or never. And from where we are standing, Rodriguez absolutely deserves to make the cut this year.

Scroll through the list below to review all seven 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, 2021 Emmy nominations will be voted on from June 17-28, and unveiled on July 13. The 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony is scheduled to air on Sunday, Sept. 19 on CBS.

Scroll down for links to our previous Dream Emmy categories:

Outstanding Drama Series — Our 7 Dream Nominees

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: Colman's Queen Elizabeth took a clear backseat in Season 4 as Gillian Anderson's Margaret Thatcher and Emma Corrin's Princess Diana took over — but the Oscar winner still found ways to rule. The one-off episode that found an intruder breaking into Buckingham Palace and confronting Elizabeth was nail-bitingly tense, and Colman perfectly balanced Elizabeth's creeping terror with her stiff upper lip. Plus, as Charles' marriage to Diana fell apart, Colman was stubbornly severe as Elizabeth chided both of them for making their mess public and tarnishing the crown. Long may she reign.

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: It's not easy playing a beloved icon like Princess Diana, but Corrin — a little-known newcomer — stepped confidently into those giant shoes in Season 4 of Netflix's royal drama with her fascinating, heartbreaking portrait of "the people's princess." Deftly capturing both Diana's youthful exuberance as she first started dating Prince Charles and, later, her aching loneliness as their marriage crumbled, Corrin managed to steal the spotlight from the likes of Olivia Colman and Gillian Anderson... and showed us fresh layers of a woman we thought we already knew so well.

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: As a graduate looking to secure her desk at a London investment bank, Herrold ran the gamut from calm and collected to sheer panic-mode. As her character Harper overstepped boundaries and clashed with difficult colleagues, the actress exhibited strength and control, buoying Harper when the you-know-what hit the fan. Herrold's portrayal kept us glued to her character's journey as she morphed from a mild-mannered expat to a savage, selfish, no-nonsense businesswoman.

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: The upside of June's relentlessly harrowing journey in the Hulu drama's fourth season? It's allowed Moss to deliver even more breathtaking work, particularly in Episode 3. At first, Moss made June defiant and angry opposite Commander Lawrence, unwilling to give up the fugitive handmaids' location; later, she went from obstinate to obliterated as June realized her daughter was afraid of her. Moss has given herself over entirely to June's desolation time and again — and in return, we hope Emmy voters will give her a nod.

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: Leading a series that mirrors the stages of grief set the perfect stage for Piper to unleash every emotion in the book, from fear and denial to bargaining and acceptance. Over eight episodes, we watched her title character deal with the aftermath of an affair, as she spun a web of lies trying to cover her tracks. Despite all of her manic behavior and flaws, the fact that we still mourned everything Suzie lost and endured by season's end was a true testament to Piper's powerful, multilayered performance.

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: For three seasons now, Rodriguez has been the steadily beating heart and soul of FX's trailblazing LGBTQ drama as house mother Blanca. In Season 3, Blanca's heart got a well-deserved reward in the form of new boyfriend Christopher, with Rodriguez showing us a tender, sexy side. But Blanca's first priority is always her children, and we marveled at Rodriguez's quiet strength as Blanca kept her kids in line with a blend of warm affection and tough love.

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: It can't be easy to act next to bloodthirsty forest demons and decapitated ghosts, but amid the swirl of CGI terrors served up each week by HBO's horror drama, Smollett still managed to shine. Of particular note was her work in Episode 3, in which an enraged Leti channeled a Lemonade-era Beyoncé and took a baseball bat to the parked cars of some cross-burning white supremacists. The Friday Night Lights alum poured her clear eyes and full heart into the sequence, demonstrating a dynamic athleticism, physicality and emotional vigor that took our breath away.