The Actress Roundtable

2:19 AM PDT 5/26/2011 by Matthew Belloni, Stacey Wilson

Seven Emmy contenders open up about fame, family and how to get your way on set (and still be liked).

On a recent Saturday afternoon, seven very different women from seven very different TV shows reached a consensus: Working in television is hard work. But for these actresses, the long hours and sleepless nights have paid off: Connie Britton (DirectTV/NBC's Friday Night Lights), Christina Hendricks (AMC's Mad Men), Regina King (TNT's Southland), Melissa Leo (HBO's Treme), Julianna Margulies (CBS' The Good Wife), Kelly Macdonald (HBO's Boardwalk Empire) and Katey Sagal (FX's Sons of Anarchy) are each poised to contend in the most exciting -- and unpredictable -- lead and supporting drama races in history. The actresses gathered April 30 at Siren Studios in Hollywood to talk about their craft in a conversation moderated by THR's Matthew Belloni and Stacey Wilson.