Stockard Channing: Out of Practice
Seasons on show: One
Emmy pedigree: 13 noms; two wins (“The West Wing,” 2002; “The Matthew Shepard Story,” 2002)
Episode submitted: “I’ll Cry if I Want To”
Season highlight: Nothing in particular but, rather, the appreciation for a woman of a certain age who’s sexual and interesting and not defined by being someone’s ex-wife or mother.
Why she may win: With 13 nominations on her resume, she’s a known quantity and has been an Acad fave since the ’80s.
Maybe not: The show was mediocre and hardly anyone watched, despite the team from “Frasier” (Joe Keenan and Christopher Lloyd) behind it.
Quote: “I felt exhumed when I heard the news as if I rose from the dead. When a show is canceled, you feel like no one is watching. I feel validated for all of us.”
Jane Kaczmarek: Malcolm in the Middle
Seasons on show: Seven
Emmy pedigree: Seven noms
Episode submitted: “Lois Strikes Back”
Season highlight: When Lois retaliates against some girls who play a mean prank on Reese, followed by a heart-to-heart with him where she confesses that the family’s blood lines include some bad genes that make her do horrible things.
Why she may win: Despite being nommed in every single season of “Malcolm,” Kaczmarek has come up short every time. In an overlooked perf for many years, there’s a good chance she’ll be the sentimental favorite this time around.
Maybe not: Sentimentality doesn’t always translate to votes, so it’s tough to say whether that will make a difference.
Quote: “Lois hit such a chord with people because she harkened back to a day when parents said no and weren’t afraid of their children. She didn’t worry whether her children liked her or not, and (when they talked back) I told them, ‘Why? Because I’m the mom and I say so.'”
Lisa Kudrow: The Comeback
Seasons on show: One
Emmy pedigree: Seven noms; one win (“Friends,” 1988)
Episode submitted: “Valerie Does Another Classic Leno”
Season highlight: When Valerie watches in horror during the party celebrating the premiere of “The Comeback” and the way she’s portrayed and manipulated.
Why she may win: Kudrow took on a role that forced her to poke fun at herself, aging actresses and those willing to be humiliated or exploited on reality shows.
Maybe not: She was convincing as a Hollywood neurotic but the skein was often painful to watch — though that was sometimes the point. The show’s weakness doesn’t help her.
Quote: “We loved making ‘The Comeback’ and are so proud of it. The nominations we’ve received are thrilling. Maybe even too thrilling … a needy, Valerie Cherish kind of thrilling.”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus: The New Adventures of Old Christine
Seasons on show: One
Emmy pedigree: Eight noms; one win (“Seinfeld,” 1996)
Episode submitted: “Supertramp”
Season highlight: While not as kooky as Elaine’s dance moves on “Seinfeld,” her sexy but strange shimmies in the grocery store while trying to pick up a guy prove she’s still got it — a talent and knack for physical comedy.
Why she may win: She’s the only nominated actress returning to work on the same series next season, which could equate to stability voters are looking for.
Maybe not: Same reason. Voters may feel they’ll have time to give Louis-Dreyfus her due in years to come.
Quote: “I like the self-deprecating quality of the title and the humor of the show. I like the idea of humiliating yourself.”
Debra Messing: Will & Grace
Seasons on show: Eight
Emmy pedigree: Five noms; one win (“Will & Grace,” 2003)
Episode submitted: “The Finale”
Season highlight: The cliffhanger scene in the second-to-last episode leading up to the finale, where Will and Grace have a huge fight.
Why she may win: Compared to Lucille Ball for the current laffer generation, Messing and her comedic timing on the show have always been impeccable, and a win would be a nice send-off for eight years in the sitcom trenches.
Maybe not: It’s been three years since her last nom, and she won for that. The nom here might be the Acad’s way of showing respect, not necessarily a win.
Quote: “Our finale closed a lot of doors for me in a good way. It allowed Grace to experience being a mother in a simple and honest domestic setting, and to see all of our characters aging gracefully. It was very emotional to shoot, and you could have heard a pin drop in the audience that night. And to be nominated at the culmination of eight years on the show is so meaningful.”
