Since 2000, there have been 16 cases of female comedy series costars competing directly against each other at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. These instances have involved 11 pairs of women (with five rematches) and have led to three Best TV Comedy Actress wins for Megan Mullally (“Will & Grace,” 2004; over Debra Messing), Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” 2019; over Alex Borstein), and Catherine O’Hara (“Schitt’s Creek,” 2021; over Annie Murphy).
This category’s repeat showdown record of two is held by “Grace and Frankie” cast mates Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, who both vied for the prize every year between 2017 and 2019. In the corresponding drama actress category, this record is matched by Lorraine Bracco and Edie Falco of “The Sopranos” and Julia Garner and Laura Linney of “Ozark.”
The 2004, 2019, and 2021 comedy actress lineups each included more than one costar battle, with the last having involved Murphy and O’Hara as well as “Dead to Me” pair Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini. This remains the only one of the six individual TV SAG Awards categories in which there has never been a three-way showdown among performers from a single show.
Scroll through our photo gallery to learn more about the 16 cases of dual nominations in this category, and be sure to tune in to the 29th SAG Awards ceremony, streaming live on Netflix’s YouTube channel on Sunday, February 26.
-
Calista Flockhart and Lucy Liu (‘Ally McBeal,’ 2000)
Image Credit: Fox Characters: Ally McBeal and Ling Woo
Characters’ relationship: Law firm coworkers
Seasons: 2 – 3
Result:
Both lost to Lisa Kudrow (“Friends”) -
Debra Messing and Megan Mullally (‘Will & Grace,’ 2001; 2004)
Image Credit: NBC Characters: Grace Adler and Karen Walker
Characters’ relationship: Employer and employee
Seasons: 2 – 3; 5 – 6
Results:
2001 – Both lost to Sarah Jessica Parker (“Sex and the City”)
2004 – Mullally won -
Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker (‘Sex and the City,’ 2002)
Image Credit: HBO Characters: Samantha Jones and Carrie Bradshaw
Characters’ relationship: Friends
Season: 4
Result:
Both lost to Megan Mullally (“Will & Grace”) -
Patricia Heaton and Doris Roberts (‘Everybody Loves Raymond,’ 2004-2005)
Image Credit: CBS Characters: Debra Barone and Marie Barone
Characters’ relationship: Daughter and mother-in-law
Seasons: 7 – 9
Results:
2004 – Both lost to Megan Mullally (“Will & Grace”)
2005 – Both lost to Teri Hatcher (“Desperate Housewives”) -
America Ferrera and Vanessa Williams (‘Ugly Betty,’ 2008)
Image Credit: ABC Characters: Betty Suarez and Wilhelmina Slater
Characters’ relationship: Fashion magazine coworkers
Seasons: 1 – 2
Result:
Both lost to Tina Fey (“30 Rock”) -
Julie Bowen and Sofía Vergara (‘Modern Family,’ 2012)
Image Credit: ABC Characters: Claire Dunphy and Gloria Pritchett
Characters’ relationship: Stepdaughter and stepmother
Seasons: 2 – 3
Result:
Both lost to Betty White (“Hot in Cleveland”) -
Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin (‘Grace and Frankie,’ 2017-2019)
Image Credit: Netflix Characters: Grace Hanson and Frankie Bergstein
Characters’ relationship: Friends
Seasons: 2 – 4
Results:
2017-2018 – Both lost to Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Veep”)
2019 – Both lost to Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) -
Alex Borstein and Rachel Brosnahan (‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,’ 2019-2020)
Image Credit: Amazon Characters: Susie Myerson and Midge Maisel
Characters’ relationship: Talent manager and client
Seasons: 2 – 3
Results:
2019 – Brosnahan won
2020 – Both lost to Phoebe Waller-Bridge (“Fleabag”) -
Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini (‘Dead to Me,’ 2021)
Image Credit: Netflix Characters: Jen Harding and Judy Hale
Characters’ relationship: Friends
Season: 2
Result:
Both lost to Catherine O’Hara (“Schitt’s Creek”) -
Annie Murphy and Catherine O’Hara (‘Schitt’s Creek,’ 2021)
Image Credit: PopTV Characters: Alexis Rose and Moira Rose
Characters’ relationship: Daughter and mother
Season: 6
Result:
O’Hara won -
Juno Temple and Hannah Waddingham (‘Ted Lasso,’ 2022)
Image Credit: Apple TV+ Characters: Keeley Jones and Rebecca Welton
Characters’ relationship: Former coworkers
Season: 2
Result:
Both lost to Jean Smart (“Hacks”)
