Throughout the 1960s, several theatrical films from two decades prior were reworked into television series, the majority of which lasted a maximum of two seasons. One of these cases involved the 1947 fantasy film “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir,” starring Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison. The TV adaptation, which debuted in 1968 with Hope Lange and Edward Mulhare in the lead roles, did not fare particularly well and was cancelled by NBC after a single season. It was immediately picked up by ABC, but its tenure there was just as short.
The show did manage to garner six Emmy nominations during its short run, including one for Best Comedy Series. Lange also picked up a pair of Best Comedy Actress trophies, making her the second youngest champion in her category at the time. Over half a century later, she places behind a total of nine younger women, including three who triumphed in their 20s.
Since 1954, a total of 36 actresses have won Emmys for their lead roles on continuing comedy programs, beginning with Eve Arden (“Our Miss Brooks”). Including Lange, a dozen of the winners have prevailed multiple times.
Scroll through our photo gallery to find out who ranks ahead of Lange on the list of 10 youngest Best Comedy Actress Emmy winners. This list also factors in winners of the now-retired variety performance awards, since regular cast members on continuing variety series now compete here.
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10. Hope Lange (‘The Ghost and Mrs. Muir,’ 1969)
Image Credit: NBC Age: 35
Role: Carolyn Muir
This was Lange’s first of two consecutive wins for this role. She later received a third Emmy nomination for her lead role in the TV movie “That Certain Summer” (1973).
Other nominees:
Diahann Carroll (“Julia”)
Barbara Feldon (“Get Smart”)
Elizabeth Montgomery (“Bewitched”) -
9. Debra Messing (‘Will & Grace,’ 2003)
Image Credit: NBC Age: 35
Role: Grace Adler
Messing garnered five bids during this show’s original eight-season run and won for her work on its fifth.
Other nominees:
Jennifer Aniston (“Friends”)
Patricia Heaton (“Everybody Loves Raymond”)
Jane Kaczmarek (“Malcolm in the Middle”)
Sarah Jessica Parker (“Sex and the City”) -
8. Phoebe Waller-Bridge (‘Fleabag,’ 2019)
Image Credit: Steve Schofield Age: 34
Role: Fleabag
Waller-Bridge took the Emmys by storm in 2019 when she won acting, writing, and producing awards for “Fleabag.” She also competed for the Best Drama Series prize as a “Killing Eve” producer.
Other nominees:
Christina Applegate (“Dead to Me”)
Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Veep”)
Natasha Lyonne (“Russian Doll”)
Catherine O’Hara (“Schitt’s Creek”) -
7. Shelley Long (‘Cheers,’ 1983)
Image Credit: NBC Age: 34
Role: Diane Chambers
Long earned three more consecutive nominations before exiting “Cheers” at the end of its fifth season. She was later recognized for her guest appearance on the 90-minute series finale in 1993.
Other nominees:
Nell Carter (“Gimme a Break!”)
Mariette Hartley (“Goodnight, Beantown”)
Swoosie Kurtz (“Love, Sidney”)
Rita Moreno (“9 to 5”)
Isabel Sanford (“The Jeffersons”) -
6. Jennifer Aniston (‘Friends,’ 2002)
Image Credit: NBC Age: 33
Role: Rachel Green
After receiving a pair of supporting nominations for this role, Aniston was reclassified as a lead and triumphed on her first of three bids in the category.
Other nominees:
Patricia Heaton (“Everybody Loves Raymond”)
Jane Kaczmarek (“Malcolm in the Middle”)
Debra Messing (“Will & Grace”)
Sarah Jessica Parker (“Sex and the City”) -
5. Helen Hunt (‘Mad About You,’ 1996)
Image Credit: NBC Age: 33
Role: Jamie Buchman
Hunt collected nominations for all seven seasons of this show and won for each of its final four.
Other nominees:
Ellen DeGeneres (“Ellen”)
Fran Drescher (“The Nanny”)
Patricia Richardson (“Home Improvement”)
Cybill Shepherd (“Cybill”) -
4. Tracey Ullman (‘The Tracey Ullman Show,’ 1990)
Image Credit: Fox Age: 30
Role: Various
Ullman’s first of five sketch comedy series brought her her first of four acting victories. This win came in the now-retired variety performance category, which Ullman also conquered in 1994 with “Tracey Takes On New York.”
Other nominees:
Dana Carvey (“Saturday Night Live”)
Billy Crystal (“Midnight Train to Moscow”)
Julie Kavner (“The Tracey Ullman Show”)
Angela Lansbury (“The 43rd Tony Awards”) -
3. Rachel Brosnahan (‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,’ 2018)
Image Credit: Amazon Studios Age: 28
Role: Midge Maisel
Since prevailing on her first outing in this category, Brosnahan has gone on to earn two more consecutive bids. Her win was notorious for breaking the record six-year streak of Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Veep”), whose show took an extra year off before its final season.
Other nominees:
Pamela Adlon (“Better Things”)
Allison Janney (“Mom”)
Issa Rae (“Insecure”)
Tracee Ellis Ross (“Black-ish”)
Lily Tomlin (“Grace and Frankie”) -
2. Mary Tyler Moore (‘The Dick Van Dyke Show,’ 1964)
Image Credit: CBS Age: 27
Role: Laura Petrie
Before she took home three awards for her eponymous 1970s sitcom, Moore collected a pair of trophies for her groundbreaking portrayal of this Manhattan housewife.
Other nominees:
Shirley Booth (“Hazel”)
Patty Duke (“The Patty Duke Show”)
Irene Ryan (“The Beverly Hillbillies”)
Inger Stevens (“The Farmer’s Daughter”) -
1. America Ferrera (‘Ugly Betty,’ 2007)
Image Credit: ABC Age: 23
Role: Betty Suarez
Ferrera was twice nominated for her work on this four-season series, which was adapted from a Colombian telenovela.
Other nominees:
Tina Fey (“30 Rock”)
Felicity Huffman (“Desperate Housewives”)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“The New Adventures of Old Christine”)
Mary-Louise Parker (“Weeds”)
