Top 10 Lead Female Drama TV Characters
Top 10 Lead Female Drama TV Characters
These women make for some great television. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 10 lead female drama TV Characters. For this list, we’ll be looking at leading female characters on the small screen. That means that supporting characters, or members of an ensemble, as well as animated characters, are excluded.
#10: Hannah Helene Horvath
“Girls” (2012-)
For two years, aspiring writer Hannah has lived the good life while being fully financially supported by her parents. But things quickly change when her funds are abruptly cut off. Forced to deal with some harsh realities, and fend for herself for the first time, Hannah has to do a lot of growing up – and fast. Living in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Hannah regularly has to deal with many situations and problems unique to female millennials, and has to address many issues that are widespread among a generation that’s coming of age in an ever changing world. These include modern relationships, STDs, and body image.
#9: Jessica Fletcher
“Murder, She Wrote” (1984-96)
She may be a retired schoolteacher and a childless widow, but Angela Lansbury’s Jessica Fletcher is far from an old maid. In fact, she fills her time by solving a new murder each week. As a bestselling novelist of detective mysteries, Fletcher’s know how and genre-savvyness certainly come in handy while living in a small town with an astoundingly high murder rate. Unlike any amateur sleuth seen before or since, the unconventional character has been adored by fans young and old for generations, and has made the show one of the most popular detective dramas of all time while also earning Lansbury numerous award nominations.
#8: Olivia Pope
“Scandal” (2012-)
After leaving her job as the White House Communications Director, Olivia Pope decides to build her own firm, dealing in crisis management – in other words, dealing with scandals, which are often political in nature. And in Washington D.C., there is plenty of that to go around. Perhaps the most important person that Pope has to protect from scandal is herself, however, and especially the fact that she was the mistress of the President of the United States. Despite an insane personal life, Pope manages to be a consummate professional though and excells at what she does, all while being a fashion trendsetter to boot.
#7: Sydney Bristow
“Alias” (2001-06)
As the name of the show implies, this super spy can take on a variety of personas while working as a double agent within a terrorist organization. With a set of skills that would make James Bond jealous, Sydney knows over two dozen languages, is a master of deception and, when things go sideways, can fight her way out of any situation with her Krav Maga skills. The only thing stronger than Sydney’s physical toughness is her own emotional resolve. Starting in the pilot episode with the murder of her fiancée, this character definitely goes through the ringer throughout the show, but she never backs down from her duty or allow anything to break her.
#6: Annalise Keating
“How to Get Away with Murder” (2014-)
This slick defense attorney, portrayed by the immensely talented Viola Davis, is fierce and determined. A complex character with a tragic past, Annalise is a master of manipulating others – including members of the court – and is someone to be both feared and respected. As a criminal law professor, she teaches her students more of how to get around the law than law itself, including, of course, the subject of the show’s title, with Keating and her students becoming involved with a murder cover up. Davis even earned an Emmy for Outstanding Lead actress in a Drama Series, becoming the first African American woman to do so.
#5: Kate Beckett
“Castle” (2009-)
After meteorically rising through the ranks after joining the Police Academy fresh out of college, Kate Beckett gets a new partner while investigating a strange case that appears to mirror the story of novelist Richard Castle. And who is said partner? Castle himself! This leads to his decision of basing his next character on Beckett, named Nikki Heat, and that which is inspired by her real-life counterpart’s intelligence and aptitude for police work. Although their relationship is strained at first, Beckett eventually comes to respect Castle and his unique perspective, with the two eventually even entering a relationship. While Beckett can solve just about any crime, including her own mother’s murder, she can be a bit of a geek as well, being an avid comic book fan, but that’s what makes her so great.
#4: Piper Chapman
“Orange Is the New Black” (2013-)
Based on real-life criminal Piper Kerman and her memoirs of a year spent in a women’s minimum security prison, the character of Piper Chapman is a fish out of water in her strange new world. After bidding farewell to her privileged lifestyle, Chapman runs into a series of problems while dealing with both the prison guards and fellow inmates. Skirting the line between being sympathetic and narcissistic, Chapman undergoes a metamorphosis over the course of the series as a result of her dark environment. Though she began as naive and self-indulgent, once in prison, Chapman is turned into a survivor and a fighter. She also takes the time to reflect on her spoiled life and what landed her there in the first place.
#3: Veronica Mars
“Veronica Mars” (2004-07)
The premise of this cult classic series, which combines noir with high school drama, would have buckled under a lesser protagonist, but the sassy and wise beyond her years Veronica Mars made it one of the most memorable shows in recent years. Tossing aside the traditional role of females only existing as eye candy or the femme fatal in the noir genre, Mars was a fully realized and deeply complex character. With a tragic past that included the murder of her best friend, being abandoned by her mother and surviving rape, Mars was a jaded, but still extremely headstrong and fierce protagonist – as well as one heck of a private detective!
#2: Carrie Mathison
“Homeland” (2011-)
After an incident in Iraq in which she learns of an American soldier that’s been turned by al-Queda, CIA officer Carrie Mathison returns to the US disgraced and under mysterious circumstances. Her suspicions quickly turn to rescued POW Nicolas Brody, who had been missing for eight years and suddenly resurfaces. Despite skepticism from her superiors, Mathison begins to conduct her own unauthorized surveillance of Brody, and it is one that borders on obsession that’s fueled by her bipolar disorder. Filled with a fear that she’s going crazy, Mathison’s path is one of danger and intrigue, while her bold and sometimes questionable decisions have made her one of the most intricate and intriguing characters on TV.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
Nancy Botwin
“Weeds” (2005-12)
Temperance ‘Bones’ Brennan
“Bones” (2005-)
Emily Thorne
“Revenge” (2011-15)
Brenda Leigh Johnson
“The Closer” (2005-12)
Rayna Jaymes
“Nashville” (2012-)
Jackie Peyton
“Nurse Jackie” (2009-15)
#1: Alicia Florrick
“The Good Wife” (2009-16)
Inspired by many real-life political scandals, the name of this series references Alicia Florrick’s support of her husband and former State Attorney after he was accused using state money for prostitutes. Despite her public showing of support for Peter, Alicia is understandably devastated by the betrayal of the man she loves. Inspired by Hillary Clinton and Elizabeth Edwards, Alicia has a strong background as a lawyer, and returns to the profession to support her children following Peter’s arrest and many years away from law. The character has been praised as a modern and complex woman who balances her many complex relationships, career and goals, with raising two children, all while dealing with multiple scandals in the age of social media.
Do you agree with our list? Who are your favorite dramatic leading ladies? For more dramatic top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to MsMojo.