Twelve times Game of Thrones stars should’ve won Emmys but didn’t
By Dan Selcke
Image: Game of Thrones/HBO
Jack Gleeson (Joffrey Baratheon): Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series — “The Old Gods and the New”
Okay, look, Jack Gleeson’s performance as Joffrey isn’t exactly subtle — the kid gleefully gnashing the scenery, scowling and screaming at anyone who looks at him funny — but my god, what FUN it was to watch and hate him. To this day, Joffrey is the most loathsome villain on the show, a petty sadist with no appreciation for how many lives he ruins with his flippant decisions and casual cruelty. It sometime seemed like Gleeson was inhabiting more of an type than a character, but it’s a type that worked beautifully.
And under all the bravado, Gleeson did suggest that Joffrey may have just been a messed up, pampered kid way out of his depth. Maybe that was the scariest thing about him: is Joffrey a unique psychopath, or is this how any privileged rich kid would act if given unlimited power and no compunction about using it however he pleased? Joffrey’s brand of evil was uniquely immature, but that doesn’t mean it can’t have far-reaching effects.
But there’s no need to overthink it. Every time Joffrey came onscreen you wanted to pop him in the mouth. That deserves some kind of recognition, no?