Maggie Smith, "Downton Abbey"

Sofia Vergara, "Modern Family"

 

Kelly Macdonald, "Boardwalk Empire"

Ellen Barkin, "The New Normal"

Ellen Burstyn, "Political Animals"

Anjelica Huston, "Smash"

Chloe Sevigny, "American Horror Story: Asylum"

Julie Bowen, "Modern Family"

Christina Hendricks, "Mad Men"

 

Alison Pill, "The Newsroom"

Joanne Froggatt, "Downton Abbey"

Kate Hudson, "Glee"

Anna Gunn, "Breaking Bad"

Morena Baccarin, "Homeland"

Gillian Anderson, "Great Expectations"

Debra Messing, "Smash"

Somebody from the "Steel Magnolias" cast

Somebody from the "Game of Thrones" cast

Somebody from "Hatfields and McCoys"

 

Lowdown: It's a silly category each and every year, since it includes every actress in a small role who popped up anywhere on TV in 2012 and somehow forces voters to equate what Maggie Smith does every week in "Downton Abbey" with something like Kelly Macdonald's female lead performance in "Boardwalk Empire." It's not really fair to anybody. So really, anything could happen. Will Globe voters be impressed by Ellens Barkin and Burstyn from "The New Normal" and "Political Animals"? Sure. That would follow. But the casts of "American Horror Story: Asylum," "Downton Abbey" or "Steel Magnolias" could fill the category if voters were so-inclined. Or "Smash." Or "Newroom." Or "Game of Thrones." Or then there are the dozens of small performances in various TV movies and miniseries productions that could pop up at random. Seriously. Who knows?