Who is winning Featured Actress in a Play ?

One of my favorite categories! Haven't seen much discussion of this category yet.

Some strong contenders:

• Jessica Hecht - Eureka Day
• Bianca Leigh - Oh, Mary!
• Fina Strazza - John Proctor is the Villain
• Amalia Yoo - John Proctor is the Villain
• Kara Young - Purpose
• Alana Arenas - Purpose
• Helena Wilson - The Hills of California
• Leanne Best - The Hills of California
• Molly Osborne - Othello
• Kimber Elayne Sprawl - Othello
• Tala Ashe - English
• Marjan Neshat -English
• Mare Winningham - Cult of Love
• Shailene Woodley - Cult of Love
• Ilana Glazer - Good Night, and Good Luck
• Alison Jaye - Stranger Things: The First Shasow
• Stori Ayers - Home

What do you think ?

My nominee predictions would be:
Jessica Hecht
Kara Young
Mare WInningham
Marjan Neshat
Helena WIlson

My pick would be Jessica Hecht, but would honestly not be upset with any of these 5 winning!

My nominee choices (preference not prediction) would be

• Jessica Hecht - Eureka Day
• Fina Strazza - John Proctor is the Villain
• Kara Young - Purpose
• Alana Arenas - Purpose
• Marjan Neshat -English

And I would be genuinely happy with any of them winning. Even just getting down to five was super hard. There was a lot of terrific work this year.

I feel like Marjan Neshat is more of a lead and Tala Ashe has a “showier” role in English. Honestly these are two of my favorite performances of the season, but they seem almost too subdued to really gain the attention of awards season voters.


also Sadie Sink should be in this category, not a lead, but I guess we’ll see what they decide for her.

LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Harry Lennix, and Jon Michael Hill are above the title in the opening night Playbill, so they will be eligible in the leading categories.

I’d expect to see nominated

Kara Young

Jessica Hecht

Bianca Leigh

Then I’d love to see some combination of

Fina Strazza/Amalia Yoo

Helena Wilson/Ophelia Lovibond/Leanne Best

Tala Ashe/Marjan Neshat (who I’m still semi-surprised wasn’t petitioned for lead)


While Shelby may be the character the action revolves around, she didn’t feel like a lead to me in Proctor. I know Sink is above the title but if she went featured, she’d probably win.

It’s probably Young again or Hecht. Both would be deserving.

Updated On: 4/26/25 at 08:39 AM

HeyMrMusic said: "LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Harry Lennix, and Jon Michael Hill are above the title in the opening night Playbill, so they will be eligible in the leading categories."

Well damn. Looks like they pulled the old “change the billing by opening night” trick, but got away with it. Thanks for the correction.

In which case my vote is going to change Hecht vs. Young, with Hecht winning as an overdue nominee with a standout performance and a recency bias against Young. (Although that hasn’t stopped consecutive winners before - see Judith Light)