Yesterday Game of Thrones collected a truly astonishing – and record breaking – 32 nominations for its eighth and final season. Talk about going out with a bang! What’s even more incredible is that almost a third of those were for the acting alone, with ten nominations for the cast. Understandably, they had plenty to say about this unprecedented achievement.
Kit Harington gave a statement to US Weekly expressing appreciation for his Lead Actor nod. “Many thanks to the Academy. It’s been an amazing journey with ol’ Jon Snow. I’m thrilled he’s been nominated.”
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Supporting Actor nominee Nikolaj Coster-Waldau shared the shock and amazement of the cast. “I was just on the phone with Gwendoline [Christie], who is also very excited. It’s unreal. We’re all just so thrilled, all of us. To have Kit, Emilia [Clarke], myself, Peter [Dinklage], Alfie [Allen], Gwendoline, Maisie [Williams], Sophie [Turner], Lena [Headey], Carice [Van Houten]…ten of us? It’s insane! None of us expected this.”
Coster-Waldau is aware the final season had a negative reception from some critics and fans, but he doesn’t believe the writing is at fault. “I think it was a mix of many things. For one, it’s the basic idea of not wanting the show to end, and any ending would have been very upsetting. But the only thing I can say is you don’t get this many actors nominated with bad writing. It just does not happen. This validates the writing on Game of Thrones, for sure.”
New (and long overdue) Supporting Actor nominee Alfie Allen told People that the cast was ectastic at the news. “32 nominations, it’s pretty insane. It’s collectively a mad thing. We’ve got a group chat going, it’s going crazy at the moment. It’s amazing. It’s just incredible, I can’t wait for the actual night.”
Initially Allen was unaware he was nominated. “I was on out and about just doing stuff. I got a congratulations text and I just thought it was a group nomination, and I didn’t realize it was an individual one, which is crazy. I’m just ecstatic really, I can’t believe this. It really surprised me, I was not expecting it at all. I’m still in shocked, still happily in shocked. It’s amazing.”
Even more than the possibility of winning an Emmy, Allen is looking forward to reuniting with his fellow cast members. “It’s gonna be a great night. I haven’t seen these people since the show has ended so it’s going to be great to sort of round it up on a positive celebration with everyone. It’s going to be a really lovely night.”
Many of the actors took to social media to share their excitement. Supporting Actress nominees Maisie Williams and Gwendoline Christie had very different reactions on Twitter, with Williams responding to the news with a pleased yet humble GIF…
https://t.co/SPC1GvXizwpic.twitter.com/is6SYyip8t
— Maisie Williams (@Maisie_Williams) July 16, 2019
…while Christie was a little less reserved.
I CANT BELIEVE IT!!!!!!????!?!!?!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU UNIVERSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #EmmyAwards#CANITTRULYBEREAL?????????? 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯♥️ @ London, United Kingdom https://t.co/rZsgOdEjNc
— Gwendoline Christie (@lovegwendoline) July 16, 2019
Christie also told Variety that she “never ever thought this would happen…I couldn’t be more delighted, this is the best day ever.” She adds, “I honestly couldn’t feel more overwhelmed, privileged and heartened that people want to see more unconventional female storylines. I’m so excited for Kit and Emilia and Maisie and Alfie, and Nikolaj congratulated me this morning. It feels like a celebration.”
Fellow Supporting Actress nominees Sophie Turner and Lena Headey expressed their gratitude on Instagram. Turner shared a story in which she also congratulated her cast mates.
Headey’s post gave us a look at her excited reaction to the news.
Guest Actress nominee Carice Van Houten couldn’t believe the good news.
View this post on InstagramWhut ?!?!? 🔥 the summer is hot and full of surprises ! Wow, I’m very excited and proud!
A post shared by Carice van Houten (@leavecaricealone) on
Last but most certainly not least, George R.R. Martin offered praise to the entire Game of Thrones team.
My congratulations to David Benioff, Dan Weiss, our producers, directors, and all the rest of our amazing cast and crew… those who were nominated and those who were overlooked alike, they all have reason to be proud. https://t.co/xmOLeatYFV
— George RR Martin (@GRRMspeaking) July 17, 2019
Regardless of how you feel about season eight, I think we can all admire the incredible acting and tremendous effort put forth by the cast and crew over the past decade. Here’s hoping for some well deserved awards in September.
#ThankYouDavidandDan
It’s not Jon that’s nominated Kit, it’s you. I do like that you’ve phrased it like that.
I miss them all!
I miss my GoT- journey!
I miss all the discussions about it here on WotW!
Greatest show that ever was or ever will be 😀
This was great adventure, as Lena said. I hope show Jane Godman is making can bring me at least half the joy GoT gave me.
Emmy nominated actor Alfie Allen, Emmy nominated actress Sophie Turner, Emmy nominated actress Gwendoline Christie,…
It sounds good 😀
Well deserved!!! Happy for them and proud of them! “Game Of Thrones” was an extraordinary journey, beginning to end. None of this would have been possible without the amazing cast and crew, writers, directors and producers!
Once again, thank you one and all! Congratulations and the best of luck to everyone!
https://ew.com/comic-con/2019/07/17/game-of-thrones-showrunners-comic-con/
Good on them. They don’t owe this fandom anything. Now go get those Emmy’s you deserve!
A total of 161 Emmy nominations for the series! That’s where they’ve set the record bar for a scripted series. Incredible!
I don’t care if (some) people don’t think some of the actor noms were earned in S8. * Almost entirely across the board for the entire series we were treated with incredible performances. The casting was beyond fantastic! Still, every Emmy season only two or three were given any recognition individually. Several more of them deserved it at some point during their role or each season of their run!
*
Soapbox: I am finding it hard to not care and not comment when I’ve seen a few people elsewhere suggesting Maisie is among those not deserving. I guess some think that a supporting actress nomination requires sitting in a chair and having lengthy dialogue exchanges and nothing else. *shrug* Maisie reportedly worked her ass off filming the season; spending weeks covered in mud, dirt, dust, fake and real blood, while doing a shitload of physical action. In between that she was able to give us some of those moments of spoken and unspoken emotion and expression that she’s been so good at for the entire series (and only gotten one previous nomination for). She gave us all those brilliant scenes of Maisie with Ned, Yoren, Tywin, Jaqen, Beric & Thoros, Gendry, and Sandor that were in seasons other than her nominated S6 & S8. Even for S7 in which many thought Arya’s storyline was kind of screwed she still delivered some very memorable moments. Again, if nothing else, SHE is deserving of a series nomination.
Jack Bauer 24,
I guess they want their first public appearance to be when they win Emmys.
Emmy wins are coming.
And can’t disagree with ncw. And I love the reactions. The meme queen Maisie, the very excited Gwendoline, the always funny Lena, Alfie who is the real life Jon Snow and that would have happen to me too. And the amazing Carice van Houten who like a real Dutch person is very down to earth with her comment. Which all could win.
Jack Bauer 24,
Damn Nikolaj phrasing that sentence that they are not the most hated men on earth and that they read the comments really get to me.
And it really make me despise those who try to break them.
For me Dave and Dan are brilliant people who brought something special on screen that no one else could. And it made my last 9 years better and dragged me through some shitty moments. So many thanks Dave and Dan for making my life a little bit better 🙂
Clob,
What? Missie not deserving? What? I don’t know what they are smoking but probably better to stop.
Congratulations to all cast & crew! I really hope Alfie Allen gets the nod. He’s very deserving. I hope it’s a GoT centric evening. 🥂❤️🎉
Iul,
Right?! 🤣 It’s YOU they are honoring, Kit. I hope he realizes that.
The cast was excellent! Well deserved!
Everyone did better than they have done before. They are truly not a fault. Even though this a weak year and their final year, they should celebrate the noms – they would deserve recognition even in a competitive year!
Clob,
Absolutely true re: Maisie. I honestly haven’t read any comment about her not deserving the nomination, so I’m surprised to hear this, but you nailed it all on the head. She’s been incredible through the entire run of the series, and brought to life one of the most iconic characters in a show of iconic characters! She is every bit as deserving as any of the other nominees. Salty people will be salty I guess..
As much as I know that most awards shows are popularity contests voted on by only a certain few, I would be so pleased if Alfie won. Much as I love NCW, Alfie just has been SO good. So so good. I don’t think any character has changed my feelings so much as Theon. Alfie’s Theon. 🙂
I also respect that he is more of an introvert when it comes to his life outside of his work. It’s a hard thing to keep under the radar as a celebrity these days.
And who doesn’t love the thought of seeing them all together again for possibly the last time?
Clob,
*”Soapbox: I am finding it hard to not care and not comment when I’ve seen a few people elsewhere suggesting Maisie is among those not deserving. I guess some think that a supporting actress nomination requires sitting in a chair and having lengthy dialogue exchanges and nothing else. *shrug* Maisie reportedly worked her ass off filming the season; spending weeks covered in mud, dirt, dust, fake and real blood, while doing a shitload of physical action. In between that she was able to give us some of those moments of spoken and unspoken emotion and expression that she’s been so good at for the entire series (and only gotten one previous nomination for). She gave us all those brilliant scenes of Maisie with Ned, Yoren, Tywin, Jaqen, Beric & Thoros, Gendry, and Sandor that were in seasons other than her nominated S6 & S8. Even for S7 in which many thought Arya’s storyline was kind of screwed she still delivered some very memorable moments. Again, if nothing else, SHE is deserving of a series nomination.”
___________
Is there room on that soapbox? Because I think MW earned an Emmy just for this one scene from S8e5:
PS #VoteMaisie
#ASNAWP 👸🏻
#HeroOfWinterfell 🏰
Yes. It goes to show how perfect the casting was, because it’s such a Jon thing to say…
Like “I don’t want [to be king]”, for example. 😉
Kudos to all the cast and crew for the awesome noms! Special thoughts for Sophie, who was a bit of an underdog and made us cheer for Sansa in the end.
All I want to say is I hope the actors win all the awards, and Emilia most of all. ❤️
Salty?
***
“At the water’s edge she stopped, the silver fork in hand. It was real silver, solid through and through. It’s not my fork. It was Salty that he gave it to. she tossed it underhand, hearing the soft plop as it sunk below the water.
Her floppy hat went next, then the gloves. They were Salty’s too. She emptied her pouch into her palm; five silver stags, nine copper stars, some pennies and halfpennies and groats. She scattered them across the water. Next her boots. They made the loudest splashes. Her dagger followed, the one she’d stolen off the archer who had begged the Hound for mercy. Her swordbelt went into the canal. Her cloak, tunic, breeches, smallclothes, all of it. All but Needle.
She stood at the end of the dock, pale and goosefleshed and shivering in the fog. In her hand, Needle seemed to whisper to her. Stick them with the pointy end, it said, and, don’t tell Sansa! Mikken’s mark was on the blade. Needle was too small to be a proper sword, it was hardly more than a toy. She’d been a stupid little girl when Jon had it made for her. “It’s just a sword,” she said, aloud this time…
… but it wasn’t.
Needle was Robb and Bran and Rickon, her mother and her father, even Sansa. Needle was Winterfell’s grey walls, and the laughter of its people. Needle was the summer snows, Old Nan’s stories, the heart tree with its red leaves and scary face, the warm earthy smell of the glass gardens, the sound of the north wind rattling the shutters of her room.
Needle was Jon Snow’s smile. He used to mess my hair and call me “little sister,” she remembered, and suddenly there were tears in her eyes.”
– from GRRM, “A Feast for Crows”
Clob,
Soapbox: I am finding it hard to not care and not comment when I’ve seen a few people elsewhere suggesting Maisie is among those not deserving. I guess some think that a supporting actress nomination requires sitting in a chair and having lengthy dialogue exchanges and nothing else. *shrug* Maisie reportedly worked her ass off filming the season; spending weeks covered in mud, dirt, dust, fake and real blood, while doing a shitload of physical action. In between that she was able to give us some of those moments of spoken and unspoken emotion and expression that she’s been so good at for the entire series (and only gotten one previous nomination for). She gave us all those brilliant scenes of Maisie with Ned, Yoren, Tywin, Jaqen, Beric & Thoros, Gendry, and Sandor that were in seasons other than her nominated S6 & S8. Even for S7 in which many thought Arya’s storyline was kind of screwed she still delivered some very memorable moments. Again, if nothing else, SHE is deserving of a series nomination.
Salty or saltpetery? Half the world agrees with you, but Clob is right. The crybabies with their loutish threats and vengefulness wouldn’t know quality if it hit them upside the head. Mob mentality disparaging anyone whose character displeased them has taken over, with latent misogyny also emerging. Their mums should confiscate their mobiles til after the Emmys.
And now the yobs are claiming victory. Today D&D, Miguel and 2 of the actors pulled out of tomorrow’s SDCC panel due to ‘scheduling conflicts’. This sort of thing happens, but with all the current aggro, it does make one wonder. And cast members still planning to appear (Maisie, NCW, Jacob, John B, Liam, Conleth, and Isaac) will be a lonely little band carrying the load for the entire cast and crew. The Hall H audience will probably love them. But alas, afterwards the yobbos plan to watch the videos. No doubt everything panel-members say and do, even their body-language, will be analysed and interpreted, probably to their detriment and the detriment of the show. Oh, what fools we mortals be.
Ten Bears,
Nice! Such a wonderful part from that chapter in AFFC!
My sincerest congratulations to all nominees. It’s been 9 brilliant years of a show that, when I was introduced to it, I never knew I wanted. Now, I’m saving up for the day when I can get Fire & Blood branded on my chest in Valyrian glyphs; and Winter is Coming scarred on my spine in the runes of the First Men. That is the level of fandom to which this show has now ascended me. D&D, GRRM, the whole cast and crew of this show. THANK YOU.
Clob,
THISSSSSSSSSS
That is the one moment in the entire series that had me sobbing out loud.
Why are some of them so surprised?
Gwendoline Christie, Alfie Allen and Carice van Houten submitted themselves for their awards, stumping up the $225 submission fee.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/emmys-three-nominated-game-thrones-stars-submitted-hbo-did-not-enter-them-1224887
They may have submitted themselves but they didn’t think they would be nominated.
Congrats to the whole team, in front of and behind the cameras! You have worked hard to give us a wild ride for a decade. I’m extremely grateful to all.
Tryptych,
Maybe because they expected not to get nominated at all? I mean more have tried with entering themselves but not get a place among the nominated. And it’s also possible that another actor have entered them. I can see NCW entering Gwen, Sophie Alfie and that Liam entered Carice.
Pigeon,
“…And who doesn’t love the thought of seeing them all together again for possibly the last time?”
______
I am so looking forward to Sophie and Maisie sitting next to each other and trolling the audience with one of their faux make-out sessions.
#Mophie
I love NCW firing back at some of the trolls (not those with constructive criticism), some of the hate towards S8 is frankly gone well over the top and I’m pleased to see so much positive recognition to counter balance.
You/your rep can submit you for consideration without expecting to have a real chance of being chosen. ;p That’s encouraged & done all the time, it just rarely results in nominations. In this case it did, as they’re richly deserved…not only for S8 but for their overall performances. +D
Aw, can they really do that? How sweet that would’ve been. x-}
(Although Carice said her agent threw her hat in the ring, and she was very surprised to get a nom. Of course, she shouldn’t be!)
Clob,
There are people who don’t think she’s deserving? WTF? She’s been consistently brilliant throughout the series, and showed incredible range in S8.
Ten Bears,
That’s the scene when I knew that Maisie was really something special. She literally brought all of the feelings that I had when reading that scene in the books to life on the screen without words. She’s phenomenal!
Ashara D,
I’m a “pre-books” show-only fan, although I am familiar with a few iconic passages – including that “Needle was Jon Snow’s smile” internal monologue.
And yes, I agree: Maisie Williams brilliantly – and wordlessly – translated that to the screen with just her facial expressions, and tearing up when she couldn’t bear to toss Needle off the dock.
No-door!
Was the show heavily truncated – yup. Did this affect the story and character development – oh yes. Was it ground breaking TV – undoubtedly. Are the awards deserved – most certainly. Am I glad we still have George’s books to come with their (sometimes overly heavy) detail – yaaaaaaaay.
I know! Even her vanquished adversary agrees, and congratulated her on her S8 performance.
https://images.app.goo.gl/2yq3Scrvg8GBLvdH8