32 actors who should get nominated for Emmys — but probably won’t

There were some amazing performances this year — actually, there were a lot. Which sadly means that plenty of people will be left out of well-deserved nominations. In honor of all the excellent TV this year, here is an Emmys dream list: a list of people who should be nominated for Emmys, but probably won't, due to the overwhelming competition.

We left off shoe-ins like Nicole Kidman from "Big Little Lies," Elizabeth Moss from "The Handmaid's Tale," Donald Glover from "Atlanta," and many more.

Here are all the actors who deserve an Emmy nomination, but probably won't get one.

(Note: not everyone on this list actually submitted themselves to be nominated for an Emmy, but we think they deserve one anyway.)

Lead Actress, comedy

Rachel Bloom, "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend"

On "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," Bloom does everything: she sings, dances, she pulls off hilarious comedy and heartbreaking drama. Her character Rebecca Bunch is hopelessly in love with her ex-boyfriend Josh, and has many layers that unpack quickly in the show's second season. "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" also happens to be one of the best shows on TV right now.

Aya Cash, “You’re the Worst”

Cash's character on the FX dramedy suffers from clinical depression. In season three, she starts seeing a therapist (played by Samira Wiley of "The Handmaid's Tale" and "Orange Is the New Black") and continues her rocky relationship with Jimmy (Chris Geere). Cash manages to make Gretchen both the worst and yet completely sympathetic, while staying funny and dramatic at the right moments.

Minnie Driver, "Speechless"

This year, Minnie Driver proved that she can do pretty much everything. Her performance on the ABC comedy, which is irreverent and brings awareness to people with disabilities, was one of the highlights of the TV season.

Kristen Bell, "The Good Place"

Kristen Bell delivers some of her best work to date as very-bad-person Eleanor on the smart NBC comedy. Her ability to embrace her character, no matter how awful her life is, is remarkable. Bell also shows her comedy chops in scenes with veteran comedic actor Ted Danson.

Sharon Horgan, "Catastrophe"

"Catastrophe" is one of those shows that can make you laugh out loud, then make you sob into a pillow seconds later. In season three of the Amazon Prime series, Horgan's performance is her best so far. She pushes both her emotional and comedic range to levels that she hadn't in previous seasons, especially in the heartbreaking season finale.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge, "Fleabag"

On "Fleabag," Waller-Bridge is able to play someone lovably inappropriate while also capturing the heartbreaking grief of losing a close friend.

Lead Actor, comedy

Rob Delaney, “Catastrophe”

In season three of "Catastrophe," Delaney's character takes a tragic turn back to alcohol. Twitter-famous comedian Delaney still manages to keep some of the comedy alive throughout the first few episodes, but his remarkable performance here deserves a nomination for the dramatic turn it takes toward the end of the season.

Ted Danson, "The Good Place"

The veteran comedy actor brought his never-fading charms to NBC's "The Good Place." His role takes a shocking turn in the season finale's twist that makes his performance even better when looking back on the whole season.

Thomas Middleditch, "Silicon Valley"

Richard Hendricks took a dark turn this season, and Middleditch proved in his performance that he can do a lot more than just playing the hilariously neurotic tech geek.

Supporting Actress, comedy

Donna Lynne Champlin, "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend"

In season two of The CW musical comedy, Donna Lynne Champlin takes on a bigger role that includes infidelity in her marriage, an abortion, and a falling out with her best friend Rebecca (Rachel Bloom). While this might sound like a network drama, Champlin adds her charm and talent to her booming ballads that are always laugh-out-loud funny, and some of the most memorable musical sequences on the show.

Jane Krakowski, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”

The "30 Rock" alum pretty much deserves to be nominated for everything she does. In season three of the Netflix comedy, Krakowski continues to humanize her golddigging Manhattan housewife character, Jaqueline Voorhees-White. In season three, Jaqueline is on a mission to change the racist name of the Washington Redskins in an attempt to win back the affection of her Native American parents who can't take her seriously.

Eden Sher, "The Middle"

Eden Sher has always delivered a memorable performance as the naive, lovable, hard-working (and at times very annoying) Sue Heck for eight seasons of the ABC comedy. "The Middle" follows a lower-middle class family in Indiana and highlights their struggles with money and keeping it all together. In the shadow of "Modern Family," it's never gotten the attention that it deserves, especially Sher's performance. In season eight, Sher's performance grows up along with Sue, who is in her second year of college.

Sarah Sutherland, "Veep"

Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Anna Chlumsky are "Veep" favorites when it comes to the Emmys. But over the past six seasons, Sutherland's performance as Catherine Meyer has blossomed to hilarious levels. The more she's given to work with, the better she gets. In season six, Catherine's strained relationship with her mom, her new life with partner Marjorie, and their decision to have a baby together (with Richard Splett's sperm) make for some of the season's most memorable moments.

Supporting Actor, comedy

Mark Bonnar, “Catastrophe”

"Catastrophe's" Mark Bonnar plays Chris, one of the strangest characters on television. At this point in the series, he's the primary comedic relief as it shifts to a more dramatic turn. He steals every scene and delivers some of the most memorable lines.

Desmin Borges, “You’re the Worst”

Edgar is a recovering heroin addict, breakfast-loving veteran with PTSD — a loaded character description, especially for a comedy, and Desmin Borges plays him to perfection. His friends constantly mock him for his addiction and his PTSD, and throughout season three he struggles with his relationship and is the center of a moving episode that focuses on his use of marijuana to cure his PTSD. While his character's background is tragic, he's also the funniest character on the show.

Sam Richardson, "Veep"

Always subtle, but always the hardest laugh, it's about time Richardson gets recognized for his work on the HBO comedy. He's stealing scenes in the presence of some of the best comedic actors in the business, and this past season he was a stand out particularly in his storyline as the sperm donor for Catherine and Marjorie's baby.

Zach Woods, "Silicon Valley"

Like Sam Richardson on "Veep," Woods, who comes from an improv background, has had the best laughs and steals the most scenes with his subtle and often very dark comedy on the HBO series. Most fans of the show point to T.J. Miller's Erlich Bachman as the funniest character in the show, but he's been out-shined by Woods' character Jared for a while now.

Lead Actress, drama

Carrie Coon, "The Leftovers"

Coon should be nominated this year since it’s her last time to be eligible for the HBO series that just ended. Coon was one of the best things about “The Leftovers,” and it would be a shame if her performance went unrecognized at the Emmys.

Shiri Appeleby, "UnReal"

With Appleby's character, Rachel, you never know what she's thinking or what her motives are. That a huge credit to the great writing, which is often as manipulative as the show her character produces (and the real show it's satirizing). But huge credit also has to go to Appleby's performance, which comes across as completely effortless.

Evan Rachel Wood, "Westworld"

Anyone who can convincingly play a robot who thinks she is a human and has free will — but is actually a robot controlled by creative writers and a very creepy Anthony Hopkins — deserves recognition of some kind.

Mandy Moore, "This Is Us"

Former pop star Mandy Moore is charming, funny, and heartbreaking in her role on the popular NBC drama. She convincingly plays her character at different ages, which isn't easy to pull off believably.

Supporting Actress, drama

Alexis Bledel, "The Handmaid's Tale"

Bledel, who has also appeared on "Gilmore Girls" and "Mad Men," gave it her all in her small role on "The Handmaid's Tale." It is the most memorable performance of the first season of "The Handmaid's Tale," one of the most memorable performances of the past year, and Bledel's best performance to date.

Yvonne Strahovski, “The Handmaid’s Tale"

After making a name for herself on "Chuck" and "Dexter," the Australian actress turned heads in her role as Serena Joy on "The Handmaid's Tale." Strahovski plays the villain with poise and empathy, and this performance helps the audience see the awful world of Gilead through her eyes.

Samira Wiley, "The Handmaid's Tale"

The former star of "Orange Is the New Black" proves she has acting chops in her moving performance as Moira, a stubborn handmaid and friend of Offred/June (Elisabeth Moss) who encourages her friend June to do whatever it takes to find a way out of Gilead and stay level-headed.

Holly Taylor, "The Americans"

In season five, Paige is growing up fast. Throughout the season, she starts to confront and somewhat embrace the true identity of her parents (and her own), all while being an average American teenager. Taylor has always been excellent in this role and is one of the best young actors working today.

Lead Actor, drama

Milo Ventimiglia, "This Is Us"

On the NBC drama that makes everyone cry uncontrollably every week, Ventimiglia manages to make an average American dad unique, relatable, and lovable with his moving performance.

Dan Stevens, “Legion”

Stevens explores the mind through his performance in the visually stunning and admittedly confusing "Legion." Stevens portrays David, a young man who has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals since he was a kid.

Justin Theroux, "The Leftovers"

On "The Leftovers," Theroux brings multiple dimensions amdist the unpredictable and surreal story, and in doing so, connects to the audience and makes it feel real. Through such rich material, Theroux has proven that he belongs up there with Jon Hamm and Bryan Cranston in the prestige TV acting club.

Matthew Rhys, "The Americans"

Rhys was nominated last year, and is likely to get nominated again this time around, but he's included on this list because he deserves the attention and absolutely deserves to win this year for his portrayal of the very conflicted Russian spy Phillip Jennings.

Supporting actor, drama

Joseph Fiennes, "The Handmaid's Tale"

Until this, Fiennes was probably most known for his role as Shakespeare in 1998's "Shakespeare in Love." In his role as The Commander on the Hulu series, Fiennes is subtle, creepy, and horrifying, but somehow doesn't give anything away. He is a villain, but the warmth he extends toward Offred (Elisbaeth Moss) might make you second-guess what his actual beliefs are in the world of Gilead.

Frank Langella, "The Americans"

Langella brought so much to his character, Gabriel, that we knew so little about. He made a character that could've been forgettable and boring one of the most interesting characters in the show's history.

Noah Emmerich, “The Americans”

Noah Emmerich has deserved recognition for his role as FBI agent Stan Beeman ever since season one of "The Americans." In season five, as the series comes to an end, he's getting closer and closer to figuring out his neighbors' true identity. In this past season, Stan enters a new relationship with a woman who may or may not be a Russian spy. Emmerich's ability to play Stan as happy but still grieving — all while hating his job — is quite an achievement.