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BENJAMONSTER AWARDS 2024: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Today's award is Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series!

Past Awards in This Category: 2023   2022   2021   2020

This year's nominees are...

JENNIFER ANISTON as Alex Levy in The Morning Show (Apple TV+)













MELISSA BENOIST as Sadie McCarthy in The Girls on the Bus (Max)













AYO EDEBIRI as Sydney Adamu in The Bear (FX/Hulu)













MAYA ERSKINE as Jane Smith in Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Prime Video)













CARRIE PRESTON as Elsbeth Tascioni in Elsbeth (CBS)












IMELDA STAUNTON as Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown (Netflix)











EMMA STONE as Whitney Siegel in The Curse (Showtime)













And the Winner Is...
EMMA STONE
The Curse (Showtime)
The Curse would have been a very different show without Emma Stone. It would have not been nearly as good a show without Stone. It turned a quirky little project from the oddballs Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie and gave it some serious gravitas with an Oscar winner in tow. Stone isn't afraid to take on challenging material that is off the beaten path and that was the case here. Shows like this don't usually get an actor of Stone's caliber and so the scenes with her landed so much more. Stone is so gifted at giving away body language through her eyes or pursed lips. Her character was despicable but you could see everything she was thinking with her different facial expressions. I hope she keeps choosing unique projects like this and then sharing her gifts with them.

Thoughts on the Rest of the Nominees:
Jennifer Aniston, the inaugural winner in this category in 2020, was back for her third nomination because she continues to be the most compelling character and performance on The Morning Show even if it doesn't work 100% of the time. I already sang the praises of Maya Erskine in my post for Lead Actor in a Drama Series Donald Glover. I, for one, am happy that Erskine took over for Phoebe Waller-Bridge in development. Imelda Stautnon was given much more to do in the final season than the fifth season and she really guided the show to a graceful ending. Ayo Edebiri was bumped up to Lead for the second season of The Bear as her character has become more prominent with higher aspirations. Carrie Preston took a small doses character (for me) and turned her into a character who's really fun to spend 40+ minutes a week with in an old case of the week, broadcast style. Finally, Melissa Benoist might be a surprise here but she had a lot of strong moments in The Girls on the Bus.

Tomorrow: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series!
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