Awarded to the actress deemed by Cosmo voters to have achieved the best performance in a leading role an eliible 2002 film. Cosmo voters must carefully decide whether the performance was in a leading or supporting capacity. Not all films will have both a male and a female lead, and it is theoretically possible in ensemble films for every role to be considered a supporting role. It is theoretically possible for an actress to be nominated in both leading and supporting categories for the same performance.

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Winner:

Julianne Moore - Far From Heaven

 

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Also Nominated:

Nicole Kidman - The Hours	Diane Lane - Unfaithful	Meryl Streep - The Hours
Maura Tierney - Scotland, PA	Nia Vardalos - My Big Fat Greek Wedding	Renée Zellweger - Chicago

Also Considered: Jennifer Aniston for The Good Girl; Kirsten Dunst for The Cat’s Meow; Edie Falco for Sunshine State; Salma Hayek for Frida; Madonna for Swept Away; Julianne Moore for The Hours; Natalie Portman for Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones; Meryl Streep for Adaptation; Hilary Swank for Insomnia; Maribel Verdu for Y Tu Mama También; Emily Watson for Punch Drunk Love; Jennifer Westfeldt for Kissing Jessica Stein; and Catherine Zeta-Jones for Chicago