Kaitlyn Dever out front in Drama Guest Actress Emmy odds for killer ‘The Last of Us’ role

This year's Emmy race for Best Drama Guest Actress is shaping up to be a battle between The Last of Us and Severance.

Two guest stars from each show appear in Gold Derby's top four spots: Kaitlyn Dever and Catherine O'Hara for HBO's zombie apocalypse adaptation, and Gwendoline Christie and Merritt Wever for Apple TV+'s sci-fi workplace series. Our predicted lineup of six is rounded out by Cherry Jones for The Handmaid's Tale and Hilary Swank for Yellowjackets.

Dever appears in three episodes of The Last of Us Season 2 as Abby, a soldier who seeks revenge against Joel (Pedro Pascal) for murdering her father. When she finally locates him, Abby and her group of followers torture and beat Joel to death with a golf club, in front of his daughter figure, Ellie (Bella Ramsey). The cycle of revenge violence continues, as Ellie takes it upon herself to kill everyone associated with Abby until the two come face to face in the finale. In 2023, Dever received the first Emmy bid of her career, for her supporting turn on Dopesick. She has also appeared in projects like Justified, Unbelievable, and Apple Cider Vinegar, the latter of which she'll be on this year's Emmy ballot for Best Movie/Limited Series Actress.

O'Hara plays Gail on The Last of Us, a therapist at the encampment who continues to see Joel, despite him being responsible for murdering Gail's husband, Eugene (Joe Pantoliano), who had been infected by a zombie bite. Like Dever, O'Hara could be a two-time Emmy nominee this year; she also has a key supporting role as a fired movie producer on The Studio. The veteran actress has two Emmy Awards on her mantel, for starring on Schitt's Creek (2020) and for writing SCTV Network (1982).

Christie's role of Lorne, an anti-social goatherd in Severance Season 2, stood out for its sheer uniqueness. Much of her scenes are shared with Adam Scott's Mark S., who stumbles upon Lorne's Mammalians Nurturable division while trying to uncover what happened to his missing wife. This would be Christie's second career Emmy nomination, after previously earning a bid for her breakout role of Brienne of Tarth on Game of Thrones (2019).

Wever also made her Severance debut in the second season, though her character is much more grounded and driven by emotion. She portrays Gretchen George, the wife of Zach Cherry's outie character, Dylan George. Their marriage has become stale over the years, but Gretchen soon rekindles her love for him by secretly meeting with his innie version, Dylan G., under the watchful eye of Miss Huang (Sarah Bock). Wever is already a two-time Emmy champion for the comedy series Nurse Jackie (2013) and the limited series Godless (2018).

Jones returned to The Handmaid's Tale for the final season as Holly Maddox, the feminist mother of June (Elisabeth Moss). Only this time, she was seen in the present-day story (as opposed to flashbacks) after June found her alive and working at a refugee camp in Alaska. In the series finale, Holly convinces her daughter to write a book about everything she's accomplished as an escaped handmaid who helped take down Gilead. Jones has three Emmys to her name for 24 (supporting, 2009), The Handmaid's Tale (guest, 2019), and Succession (guest, 2020).

Rounding out Gold Derby's top six is Swank for Yellowjackets. She plays the adult version of Jenna Burgess' Melissa, a member of the girls' soccer team who crashed in a plane and survived in the wilderness. In the present, Melissa starts a new life as Kelly after faking her death by suicide. Swank is a double Best Actress Oscar winner for Boys Don't Cry (1999) and Million Dollar Baby (2004), though this would be her first Emmy nomination.

Others in the running for a Best Drama Guest Actress Emmy nomination include Tati Gabrielle (The Last of Us), Jane Alexander (Severance), Julie Hagerty (Matlock), Sydney Cole Alexander (Severance), Angela Bassett (Doctor Odyssey), and Rebecca Tilney (The Pitt). Note that contenders like Gabrielle, who were not officially submitted by a network or studio, can still enter their own names for Emmy consideration.

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