Emmy She Should Have Won: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series For Her Role: Amy Jellicoe on Enlightened Laura Dern is a highly accomplished actress with dozens of nominations for television and film under her belt, including four Golden Globe wins. Like many of the other entries on this list, she has also been nominated for an Emmy but never won one. With an astounding five nominations, each for a different category, it's a small wonder and a real shame that she's never picked up the win. For me, the work she deserved to be most recognised for was her role of Amy Jellicoe on Enlightened. Enlightened was a gem of a show that ran of HBO for only two short seasons, and Dern served as both star and co-creator. And star she did, giving one of the most excellent performances of her life in a show that is categorized as "comedy" by the award shows but is really much more than that. The show may start out feeling like more of a comedy than a drama, but it's not long before things get real, and you'll know this if you've ever seen it. Holding it together firmly is Dern in an incredibly vulnerable role about a woman's emotional struggle against the world and her fight for what she believes is right. Her character is extremely likeable because of Dern's sheer enthusiasm for the role, which is so obviously apparent it's impossible not to enjoy. She strives to be the best, and like her performance in David Lynch's criminally under-appreciated 2006 film Inland Empire, she goes above and beyond the call of duty to completely encompass the character and make her feel real. The most commendable aspect of her performance is the bi-polarity of Jellicoe's character, a woman who was once a ragaholic (she can't live without Ragahol!) but now back in the real world after rehabilitation. The effort she makes to always be so cringe-worthily positive and quirky is brilliant to watch, especially when you just know she's holding back all the anger she has. She's funny and touching in a show that probably wouldn't have worked without her. One Emmy, please.
Joe is a television junkie. A film fanatic. A pop culture know-it-all. An interactive media masters student, and a bass player.
22 years old and Irish. Thinks Netflix is a Godsend.
