Hollywood may be a man's world, but lately, more and more ladies are getting the chance to tackle meaty leading roles. Here are just a few that are breaking all the rules.
Trust us, these women could take on the men any day.
Where to Watch: Showtime, Sundays at 10 p.m.
While next Sunday marks only the second season of Showtime's hit thriller Homeland, Claire Danes has already created a legacy for herself with the show and her character, the complex and insanely smart CIA agent Carrie Mathison. For those of you who haven't yet seen the show, be warned: it can get pretty graphic. But the dark material is worth it to watch Danes' powerful performance. Critic...
Where to Watch: Fox, Tuesdays at 8 p.m.
Sure, New Girl didn't seem like a big stretch outside of Zooey Deschanel's real personality when it first began. But that doesn't take away from the fact that it is now one of the funniest shows on TV. Deschanel is charming, hilarious and has great chemistry with every co-star. It's not hard to see why she was nominated for an Emmy this year.
Where to Watch: ABC, Sundays at 9 p.m.
The first season of the sudzy thriller was edge-of-your-seat fun. And that was all because of Emily Van Camp's layered performance as Emily Thorne, the girl who has nothing to lose but a lot of revenge to gain. Van Camp demonstrated strength, intelligence and vulnerability to make her a new kind of heroine.
Where to Watch: NBC, Thursdays at 9:30 p.m.
Spread the word: There is no better female role model than Amy Poehler's hilarious and wonderful Leslie Knope. On NBC's hit comedy, Poehler's character is the epitome of a new-aged woman. She's smart, funny, strange, determined, and most important, caring. Leslie is one of the best women ever to be on TV because she believes in the power of women. We're anxiously waiting for the day when Poe...
Where to Watch: ABC, Sundays at 8 p.m.
Two sides of a coin. Jennifer Morrison plays the "savior" on ABC's hit drama Once Upon a Time while Lana Parilla tackles the role of the Evil Queen. This one show awesomely combines several different strong women characters with these two great ladies at the forefront. And once you start watching, you won't ...
Where to Watch: NBC, Thursdays at 8 p.m.
The pioneer. Tina Fey was one of the first women to break the original barrier by creating, writing and starring in her own show almost seven years ago -- and she's still going strong today. Tina Fey is a reminder that women of all ages can do anything. Isn't that the exact mark of a strong woman?
Where to Watch: HBO, Sundays at 10:30 p.m.
Another name that proves women can do anything: Lena Dunham. With her new show Girls, the actress, writer, director, and producer proves that females can push the comedy boundaries, too. Whether you hate it or love it, you can't deny that Girls is a great step into the future for women everywhere. While the girls on Girls aren't necessarily the best role models (they're in their early 20s- tr...
Where to Watch: NBC, Thursdays at 8:30 p.m.
On Saturday Night Live, Maya Rudolph was Queen. She, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, sat on comedy thrones. And on her new show, Rudolph gets to do that again, this time with Christina Applegate. Both women are wonderful in this NBC comedy. Rudolph's Ava is outlandish but sweet and harmless while Applegate's s...
Where to Watch: ABC, Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 10:00 p.m.
Moving on to new shows... Connie Britton, a veteran of playing strong women on TV (see: the phenomenal Friday Night Lights) plays a country singing legend who is forced to come up with new tricks to stay on top while a new singer in the form of Hayden Panettiere tries to dethrone her. The wome...
Where to Watch: Fox, Tuesday, September 25 at 9:30 p.m.
If you don't know Mindy Kaling by now, she's the adorably neurotic and rom-com-obsessed actress who played Kelly on The Office. Kaling is moving onto bigger and more creative ventures in a very Tina Fey-way by creating, writing and starring in her own new series, The Mindy Project. While the pilot is funny but heavy with rom-com cliches, we have hope that Kaling's character, OB-G...
