Carrie Coonis having a great year with her acclaimed turns inThe White LotusandThe Gilded Age, so it’s the perfect time to go back and revisit her breakout role. Since her movie debut inGone Girlintroduced her to a wider audience, Coon has been widely praised for her portrayals of deeply complex characters across film, television, and theater.
While she’s been in some great movies,Coon is best known for her TV roles. She played Vera Walker inThe Sinnerseason 2 and Gloria Burgle inFargoseason 3. Coon just earneda much-deserved Emmy nominationfor her latest beloved TV performance. But her breakout TV role remains an underrated gem.

Carrie Coon Is Having A Big Year In 2025
2025 Has Been One Of The Best Years Of Coon’s Career
Coon has been having one of the best years of her career in 2025. She played one of the standout characters inThe White Lotusseason 3,the perpetually underappreciated Laurie, which just earned her an Emmy nominationfor Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. On top of that, she’s back as Bertha Russell forThe Gilded Ageseason 3.
Carrie Coon’s Year Is A Reminder To Watch Her Breakout Role In The Leftovers
Coon Played A Woman Who Lost Her Entire Family In An Instant
Thanks toThe White Lotus,The Gilded Age, and the Emmys,Coon is a bigger star than ever, and she’s on more people’s radars than ever. That makes it the perfect time to go back and watch her breakout TV role as Nora Durst inThe Leftovers.The Leftoverswas Damon Lindelof’sLostreplacement, and it’s a masterpiece.
The Leftoversis streaming on HBO Max.
The Leftoverstakes place in a world where 2% of the population mysteriously vanished. The 98% that remain struggle to make sense of “The Sudden Departure” and move on with their lives. Coon plays a wife and mother who lost her entire family in the Sudden Departure, whichgave her plenty of opportunities for depth and gravitas.
Carrie Coon Deserved An Emmy Nomination For The Leftovers
The Leftovers Is Coon’s Only HBO Show That Hasn’t Earned Her An Emmy Nod
So far, Coon has been nominated for three Emmys: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie forFargo, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series forThe Gilded Age, and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series forThe White Lotus.As it stands, she hasn’t won one yet, but it’s only a matter of time.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

2017
2024
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
2025
Carrie Coon’s recent Emmy nomination means thatThe Leftoversis her only HBO show not to earn her an Emmy nod. And that’s a shame, because her work inThe Leftoverswasjust as Emmy-worthy as her work in those other shows. Her portrayal of a grief-stricken woman who lost her whole family in an instant is as powerful as it sounds.