…Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy.
To be honest, Allen winning the top spot over Kit Harington (Jon Snow) comes as a bit of a shock. After all, Harington had more screen time, and even earned an Emmy nomination for his physically exhaustive performance in “Battle of the Bastards.” This isn’t a knock against Allen—he killed every one of his scenes this year. (Last year, too.) On a show full of great performances, he sometimes seems in danger of getting overlooked. But not among you good people. Commenter Wyllis, for example, was all aboard from the start.
"[M]y vote went to alfie allen, who i agree is underrated. [J]onathan pryce is obviously amazing."
Jessica put it more simply.
"ALFIE ALFIE ALFIE!"
Agreed.
DarkStark had some great insight into why Allen’s work was so powerful during Season 6, and had a game plan for how to judge performers in such a rich, crowded field.
"On this show, how much the performer is given to do and the episodic nature of the show becomes the determinant with most people. Personally, I judge the result against the material. Harington had his best season IMO and gave his best performance yet. Iwan was fantastic. And Liam’s scene where he threatens Melisandre had me in awe. But it was Alfie Allen, an actor I usually turn from in a role who nailed every one of the few scenes he was in. His acting is physical, facial, psychologically transparent. From voice to body language, he brings total clarity to Theon. I can’t stand muddy, wishy washy acting where the audience feels shut out of a character’s mind. We understood every thought, every fear, every shame Theon felt. IMO Alfie’s work this year was his masterpiece."
But not everyone was all kittens and rainbows over Theon in Season 6. While JMP* is a huge fan of Allen’s acting, they thought something was off this year.
"In the past, I have repeatedly called for recognition to Alfie’s portrayal of Theon in S3 & S4 especially; he easily should have, at a minimum, been nominated for an Emmy. His acting was superb for all the reasons everyone has mentioned. However, this season the writing failed him imo, so I couldn’t vote for Alfie. There’s not one bit of me that entertained for a millisecond … that after getting a pep talk from his sister and the subsequent chugging of a cup of mead, all remnants of Reek seemed to leave his body and he was back to the old Theon, capable of fighting, captaining a ship, etc… etc… etc…"
Interesting take. What do you all make of this argument?
LFC2005 was also high on Allen, but thought another actor deserved the win more:
"Alfie Allen was fantastic as usual and as much as I love Jon, Kit was not the best actor this year. Good yes, but someone like Iwan Rheon deserves ‘best actor’"
It’s hard to argue with Rheon’s charisma this year, particularly during “Battle of the Bastards”—that episode seemed to bring out the best in everyone. Bandit, meanwhile, was on Liam Cunningham’s train:
"Liam Cunningham as Davos elevates the other actors he is with when he is on screen. His confrontation with Melisandre over Shireen, demand for mutton, and his conversation with Lyanna are truly memorable scenes this season."
And of course, Kit Harington had his boosters, like Monz:
"Kit’s portrayal of Jon Snow is IMO on point and therefore my vote’s with him. The shear physicality involved in BOtB and the psychological toll involved in filming that episode in particular is something never to be forgotten and to absolutely be commended and rewarded."
In Season 6, Alfie Allen turned in a performance that was at times heartbreaking. But by the end, there was also a sense of elation as he stood on the deck of his ship and looked up at the Greyjoy banner as it caught a full head of wind and unfurled, before he sailed with Daenerys’ fleet across the Narrow Sea toward Westeros, and home.
Next up: Best Actress from Season 6. Be sure to vote before the polls close!