What the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress Nominees Wore to Their First-Ever Emmys Red Carpet
The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards has the potential to be an evening of firsts for nominees in both the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories. Among them is Anna Sawai, whose nomination for “Shogōn” could herald a historic win as the first Japanese actress to take home a Best Actress Emmy.
The red carpet at the Emmys also presents an opportunity for newcomers to dress to impress, a feat some of this year’s nominees achieved with flying colors for their first time at the television awards show. From Maya Erskine’s sheer Valentino debut to Jennifer Aniston’s timeless strapless black dress, here are some of the nominees’ inaugural Primetime Emmy Award red carpet looks.
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Maya Erskine, 2019
Maya Erskine, Nominee, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. The “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” Best Actress nominee attended her first Primetime Emmys red carpet in a peach Valentino gown. The dress had long sleeves and a “jester-like” frilly collar with matching frilled cuffs. The bodice featured a sequin-like shimmer in an argyle cross-pattern that extended just below the waist, transitioning into straight vertical lines on the pleated full-length skirt.
Reese Witherspoon, 2017
Reese Witherspoon, Nominee, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Witherspoon first attended the Primetime Emmy Awards in 2017 for “Big Little Lies.” Witherspoon wore a custom Stella McCartney blazer dress in deep teal with a hint of sheen. She paired the outfit with matching pointy-toe pumps and silver knocker earrings by David Webb. The look was styled by Petra Flannery.
“The Morning Show” star was nominated for Best Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie for her role in the HBO series. Although Witherspoon did not win the award, which went to her co-star Nicole Kidman, the show won Best Limited Series, and the cast presented the award to themselves.
Jennifer Aniston, 1995
Jennifer Aniston, Nominee, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. “The Morning Show” star and producer first attended the Primetime Emmy Awards in 1995, a year after “Friends” began airing. Aniston wore a black strapless gown with matching elbow-length gloves. Her hairstyle, a layered shoulder-length cut that frames and flips away from the face, became known as “The Rachel.” This cut, along with Aniston’s other hair styles throughout the show, quickly gained popularity among the public. She attended the event with her “Friends” costar, Matthew Perry.
Greta Lee, 2019
Greta Lee, Nominee, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Among six total nominees for Best Supporting Actress, Lee was nominated alongside three other cast members from “The Morning Show” for her role as Stella Bak, the ambitious president of the show’s fictional news network. Lee made her Primetime Emmy Awards debut in 2019, wearing an electric green two-piece by Christopher John Rogers from his spring 2020 collection. The ensemble, featuring the Cloud Top and Bell Pepper Skirt in Chloride Green taffeta, was styled by Danielle Goldberg.
Elizabeth Debicki, 2023
Elizabeth Debicki, Nominee, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Debicki attended her first Primetime Emmy Awards earlier this year, after the awards show was pushed due to the writers and actors guild strikes at the time. The actress, who portrayed Princess Diana in “The Crown,” wore a custom Dior gown in a red so deep it almost appeared black when the light wasn’t hitting it. The dress featured a boat neck, a low, draped back and a braided belt around the waist. The look was styled by Elizabeth Saltzman, who has styled the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow and Saoirse Ronan, among others.
Christine Baranski, 1995
Christine Baranski, Nominee, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Nominated for her role as the stubborn aristocrat Agnes van Rhijn in “The Gilded Age,” the veteran comedian attended her first Primetime Emmy Awards in 1995, winning Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Maryann Thorpe in “Cybill.” She wore a black strapless dress with a bodice featuring vertical stripes of matte and shiny textures. The skirt flowed to her ankles with a thigh-high slit. She accessorized with a black bag with a gold chain-link shoulder strap and strappy, pointed-toe black heels.
The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards will take place on Sept. 15 at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater, hosted by Emmy-winning father-son duo Eugene and Dan Levy. The show will air live on ABC at 8 p.m. ET. Carrie Coon is nominated for Best Actress for “The Gilded Age,” Imelda Staunton for “The Crown” and Taylor Holland, Karen Pittman and Nicole Beharie are nominated for Best Supporting Actress for their roles in “The Morning Show.”
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