Game Of Thrones made history when it racked up a record number of Emmy nominations earlier this month. Now, HBO has promised to help out all the actors who earned a nod from the Television Academy — even those who had to submit themselves for consideration.
The unprecedented 32 nominations are a victory lap for the hit HBO fantasy series after a much talked-about final season. The noms highlight the show’s deep bench: from a creative, innovative crew to an all-star cast, Game Of Thrones was a force to be reckoned with.
However, several of the nominees — including Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy, Carice van Houten as Melisandre, and Ser Brienne of Tarth herself, Gwendoline Christie — were not submitted for consideration by HBO, per The Hollywood Reporter. While networks typically decide what talent to support during awards season, Allen, Van Houten, and Christie all had to self-nominate their performances.
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“Thrones is unique because it has 20-something series regulars,” HBO exec Casey Bloys said at the Television Critics Association summer press tour earlier this week, per Vanity Fair. Bloys explained that HBO has to be strategic about who to back for a nomination or an award, since too many people in the same category can split support among Emmy voters and cancel each other out.
Now that the nominations have been announced, Bloys said that HBO intends to dedicate its (extremely formidable) resources to helping all its actors campaign for a big win.
Allen, Van Houten, and Christie are in the race for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama, Best Guest Actress in a Drama, and Best Supporting Actress in a Drama, respectively. Their co-stars, including Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey, Maisie Williams, Sophie Turner, Kit Harington, and Emilia Clarke, are also nominated.