Game of Thrones is long over, but no less than FIVE cast members are up for Emmys for their work on other shows. Fingers crossed!
Game of Thrones may be two years gone, but the cast was so huge that there’s no keeping them out of the Emmy nominations. In fact, no less than five Game of Thrones veterans are up for awards in this year’s ceremony, and four of them have never had a nomination before.
Let’s start with the old hand. Charles Dance (Tywin Lannister) has been nominated for the his work on Netflix drama The Crown as Lord Louis Mountbatten:
Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series
- Don Cheadle (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier)
- Charles Dance (The Crown)
- Timothy Olyphant (The Mandalorian)
- Courtney B. Vance (Lovecraft Country)
- Carl Weathers (The Mandalorian)
Dance has been nominated for Emmys three times before (although somehow never for his time as Tywin) but hasn’t won. Might this be the year?
A bunch of people online have been confused over this category, especially by the inclusion of Don Cheadle, who shows up for one quick scene in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and then disappears. Even Cheadle himself seems perplexed:
Next up, Tobias Menzies (Edmure Tully) is also up for his work on The Crown, this time as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh:
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
- Tobias Menzies, The Crown (Netflix)
- O-T Fagbenle, The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)
- Max Minghella, The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)
- Bradley Whitford, The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)
- Michael K. Williams, Lovecraft Country (HBO)
- Giancarlo Esposito, The Mandalorian (Disney+)
- John Lithgow, Perry Mason (HBO)
- Chris Sullivan, This Is Us (NBC)
Although Tobias has been in the game for awhile, this is somehow his first Emmy nomination. Let’s hope he clinches it, although it could be hard to beat popular actors like Giancarlo Esposito and John Lithgow.
Next up, Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Jojen Reed) is nominated for his work in the Netflix smash hit The Queen’s Gambit.
Best Supporting Actor, Limited Series, Movie or Anthology
- Daveed Diggs, Hamilton (Disney+)
- Jonathan Groff, Hamilton (Disney+)
- Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton (Disney+)
- Anthony Ramos, Hamilton (Disney+)
- Paapa Essiedu, I May Destroy You (HBO)
- Evan Peters, Mare of Easttown (HBO)
- Thomas Brodie-Sangster, The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix)
People are also confused by this category on account of how many people from Hamilton are in it. In fact, they’re confused about Hamilton’s presence in general, since what we saw on Disney+ was a recording of a stage performance rather than a TV show proper.
Nathalie Emmanuel (Missandei) is also getting her first Emmy nomination, for her work on the Quibi show Die Hart.
Outstanding Actress In A Short Form Comedy Or Drama Series
- Die Hart — Nathalie Emmanuel as Jordan King
- Keke Palmer’s Turnt Up With The Taylors — Keke Palmer as Barbie / Gammy Tay / Lil Thad / Miranda / Rick
- Mapleworth Murders — Paula Pell as Mrs. Abigail Mapleworth
- Reno 911! — Kerri Kenney-Silver as Deputy Trudy Wiegel
Emmanuel shared her excitement on Twitter. I hope she wins!
Finally, Hannah Waddingham, known to Game of Thrones fans everywhere as Septa Unella the Shame Nun who marched Cersei naked through the streets of King’s Landing, has her first-ever Emmy nomination for playing Rebecca on Ted Lasso, the new Apple TV+ comedy starring Jason Sudekis as a folksy football coach.
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
- Rosie Perez, The Flight Attendant (HBO Max)
- Hannah Einbinder, Hacks (HBO Max)
- Aidy Bryant, Saturday Night Live (NBC)
- Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live (NBC)
- Cecily Strong, Saturday Night Live (NBC)
- Juno Temple, Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)
- Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)
“Well, my manager came into my hotel room and said it,” Waddingham told E! News about how she learned of her nomination. “And I went, ‘Hold on, make sure you’ve got that right first before I get excited.'”
She came around quickly. “I’m gonna get absolutely smashed out of my mind,” Waddingham laughed. “Why not? The work’s done…”
"Friends of mine have watched [Ted Lasso] two times, three times. That’s down to the writing, plucking at people’s heartstrings and people’s funny bones. You know, that it just keeps on giving…For those people who think it’s about football, I think we all know it’s very much not about football. It’s about the beautiful game of people in each other’s lives more than anything."
The 73rd annual Emmy Awards will air on CBS on September 19, 2021.
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