2022 Emmy Predictions: Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series has been competitive the last few years, and this year will prove to be no different. With more series’ than ever before to keep up with and 8 slots to work within the category, it will be a race to see who will even be nominated. The race won’t include key players from last year, specifically the supporting actresses from The Crown and The Handmaid’s Tale, who took up seven out of the eight possible spots. That leads the field wide open for new and returning players to enter the competition.

Most likely the only locks of the pack would be Sarah Snook from Succession and two-time Emmy winner Julia Garner for Ozark. Succession swept up all the guilds earlier this year and looks to be stiff competition in all categories it’s contending in; Julia Garner has won twice now for her role on Ozark, which just aired its final season this year, so she’ll also be a fierce contender. Likely joining them will be Squid Game breakout Jung Ho-yeon, a role that has already garnered her a SAG Award this year. To round out the likely nominees is J. Smith Cameron for her role in Succession, which has provided her character with more to do as the seasons go on. Cameron has not yet been recognized by the Television Academy for her work in the HBO drama, but it looks likely that she’ll join her co-star Sarah Snook in the pool of nominees.

This leaves four more potential spots to be taken. Sydney Sweeney has earned much praise from critics and audiences alike for her performance in Euphoria’s much-discussed second season. Christina Ricci is unhinged in the first season of Yellowjackets, Showtime’s newest drama that could make quite an impact at the Emmys and the recent category switch for the actress could help her net her first Emmy nomination in 16 years. Emmy winner Julianna Margulies joined Apple’s The Morning Show for its second outing and the star has made waves for her performance – could this Emmy winner join the race? Christine Baranski might not have yet scored an Emmy nod for her role in The Good Fight, but the previous nominee could rejoin the supporting actress race for her performance in HBO’s The Gilded Age. Another high profile, Emmy winning actress in contention is Patricia Arquette’s performance in the buzzy Apple+ series, Severance. Or will it finally be Rhea Seehorn’s year to get nominated for her performance in Better Call Saul?

Here are my predictions for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

1. Julia Garner – Ozark (Netflix)
2. Sarah Snook – Succession (HBO)
3. Jung Ho-yeon – Squid Game (Netflix)
4. J. Smith-Cameron – Succession (HBO)
5. Christina Ricci – Yellowjackets (Showtime)
6. Patricia Arquette – Severance (AppleTV+)
7. Youn Yuh-jung – Pachinko (AppleTV+)
8. Rhea Seehorn – Better Call Saul (AMC)

Look out for: Christine Baranski, The Gilded Age (HBO); Julianna Margulies, The Morning Show (AppleTV+); Sydney Sweeney, Euphoria (HBO)

Photo: Graeme Hunter/HBO