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Jane Alexander – Severance: “Sweet Vitriol” as Sissy Cobel (Apple TV+)
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Gwendoline Christie – Severance: “Cold Harbor” as Lorne (Apple TV+)
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Kaitlyn Dever – The Last of Us: “Through the Valley” as Abby (HBO)
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Cherry Jones – The Handmaid’s Tale: “Exile” as Holly (Hulu)
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Catherine O’Hara – The Last of Us: “Future Days” as Gail (HBO)
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Merritt Wever – Severance: “Who Is Alive?” as Gretchen George (Apple TV+)
What the Experts Predict:
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Variety says Kaitlyn Dever – The Last of Us: “Through the Valley” is the frontrunner. Taking on Abby, one of the most controversial and layered roles from the game, she delivered a performance that was intense, vulnerable, and haunting.
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Hollywood Reporter highlights Catherine O’Hara – The Last of Us: “Future Days.” They argue her mix of warmth and heartbreak gave the episode a surprising emotional weight.
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IndieWire thinks Jane Alexander – Severance has a real shot — she brought a gravitas to “Sweet Vitriol” that only a veteran actor of her caliber can.
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Deadline points to Merritt Wever – Severance: “Who Is Alive?” as another contender, praising her grounded performance in a very surreal episode.
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LA Times calls Gwendoline Christie a standout in Severance: “Cold Harbor”, but probably not strong enough to topple Dever or O’Hara.
In summary:
Dever feels like the favourite, but O’Hara and the Severance pair (Alexander and Wever) have enough buzz to make this competitive.
My Prediction:
I think Kaitlyn Dever – The Last of Us: “Through the Valley” wins. It’s a high-profile role in one of TV’s biggest shows, and she pulled it off with emotion.
If I Had the Vote:
I’d give it to Gwendoline Christie – Severance: “Cold Harbor.” She has this otherworldly presence, and in “Cold Harbor” she turned that into pure menace and mystery. It was sharp, unsettling and every second she was on screen felt electric.