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Britney Spears snubbed by Emmys

Star did not make the short list for her ‘How I Met Your Mother’ role

Image: "How I met Your Mother."
Josh Radnor as Ted, right, and guest star Britney Spears as Abby, in a scene from "How I met Your Mother." Emmy left the pop star off the list of 11 finalists.
Monty Brinton / AP
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Access Hollywood
updated 7:39 p.m. ET July 2, 2008

Well, at least they can’t take away her Grammy.

Following her guest-starring stint on CBS’ “How I Met Your Mother,” Britney Spears has been left off of the list of Emmy’s 11 semifinalists in the category of best guest actress in a comedy series, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Despite earning largely rave reviews for her turn as Abby the receptionist on the hit sitcom, Spears couldn’t crack the top 11, although she was one of 41 actresses to be considered for a nomination.

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However, Spears wasn’t the only guest-starring celeb to get the snub.

Mary-Kate Olsen, who portrayed a Bible-thumping pothead in Showtime’s “Weeds,” was also left off the list, as was Alyssa Milano, who showed up on NBC’s “My Name Is Earl” during the season.

In fact, Spears wasn’t even the lone “HIMYM” guest star to be left off the list — “Scrubs” star Sarah Chalke (who played Spears’ boss on the show) also failed to crack Emmy’s top 11 in the category.

So who did make the cut?

Sarah Silverman is one step closer to an Emmy nod, earning a spot in the top 11 for her guest spot on “Monk.”

The same goes for Edie Falco, Carrie Fisher and last year’s winner in the category, Elaine Stritch, all of whom have made the list following appearances on NBC’s “30 Rock.”

Vivica A. Fox’s hopes for an Emmy are still alive on the heels of her performance in HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” And Amy Ryan (who burst onto the big screen in Ben Affleck’s “Gone Baby Gone” in 2007) turned a guest trip to Dunder Mifflin into a shot at an Emmy after her role in “The Office.”

With Spears and Olsen being left out in the Emmy cold, it’s very likely Lindsay Lohan saved herself some time by opting not to submit her name for consideration following her stint on “Ugly Betty.”

The top 11 will be further whittled down before the final nominees are announced.

The complete list of semifinalists for best guest actress in a comedy series are:

  • Polly Bergen, “Desperate Housewives” (“Distant Past”)
  • Shirley Knight, “Desperate Housewives” (“If There’s Anything I Can’t -Stand”)
  • Kathryn Joosten, “Desperate Housewives” (“Welcome to Kanagawa”)
  • Annie Potts, “Ugly Betty” (“Zero Worship”)
  • Elaine Stritch, “30 Rock” (“LudaChristmas”)
  • Carrie Fisher, “30 Rock” (“Rosemary’s Baby”)
  • Edie Falco, “30 Rock” (“Episode 210”)
  • Jane Lynch, “Two and a Half Men” (“Rough Night in Hump Junction”)
  • Amy Ryan, “The Office” (“Goodbye Toby”)
  • Sarah Silverman, “Monk” (“Mr. Monk and His Biggest Fan”)
  • Vivica A. Fox, “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (“The Rat Dog”)
Copyright 2009 by NBC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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