Awards

Watchers on the Wall Awards: Best Actress

Posted on by Sue the Fury

awards

Given that the field of nominees for lead actresses on Game of Thrones was so narrow, we skipped the preliminaries for this category. So this is the first and last time you all will be voting on Best Actress at the Watchers on the Wall Awards this year!

Your top 5 finalists are all very talented and worthy of the prize, but only one performer can win it.

Check out clips from the actresses’ performances this year, and decide whether this year’s winner will be:

Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth:

Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen:

Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister:



Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark

Maisie Williams as Arya Stark

You have one vote in the finals! The poll will be open for 48 hours, until 9/25/14, at 12PM.

Thank you to everyone who has supported the Watchers on the Wall Awards!

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Sue the Fury
Susan Miller, Editor in Chief of WatchersOnTheWall.com

88 Comments

  3. Always enjoy watching Maisie but I don’t think she had the chance to show as much range as in Season 3, so my vote is going to Lena.

    All very good nominations though.

  4. Damn – between Maise and Sophie for me. Im leaning towards Sophie, because her character made a major turn last season,and played it beautifully. Maise well, she is as good as she’s always been I think I made my choice, Sophie it isl

  7. It’s definitely a contest between Maisie and Lena for me – they had a lot more range and diversity of attitudes and emotions to portray than the other actresses, and both did a fantastic job.

    I’m picking Lena. Between Cersei’s attempts to sweet-talk the judges in Tyrion’s trial, her reaction to Joffrey’s death, her loathing of Tyrion, her interactions with Tywin and Jaime…she did a fantastic job this year.

    If we’re getting as much of her story in Season 5 as I suspect we are, it’s be fantastic.

  8. I narrowed it down to Lena or Sophie and I don’t know what I should vote. I think I’ll vote for Sophie just because I’m pretty sure that I’ll vote for Lena next year.

  9. Sophie for me. It was a hard pick, Lena was also amazing but I thought that Sansa’s material this year was somehow better, and Sophie really nailed it.

  11. My vote goes for Lena Headey, she acts so well that makes the character of Cersei far more interesting than the one from the books.

  16. Sophie for me. Her scenes with Lysa and the Lords of the Vale were amazing. But Maisie and Lena were not far off.

  17. This is an impossible choice, I want to vote for them all! In the end I went with Sophie for season 4 for the exact scene in the clip, she played that perfectly. But Lena is the best of the bunch overall 🙂

  18. Lena is my one and only in this particular category. She’s had a fantastic season this year, and an even better material is coming her way. Just… Lena!

  20. I love Gwen Christie and think she’s doing notable work as Brienne, and taking especially well to the physical, more demanding challenges of the role. But her previous awards for Best Supporting Actress will have to do.

    Emelia Clarke is severely underrated from where I stand. I find her compelling as always as Danaerys and given little credit for having to play a lot of stoic notes (something that affects Kit Harington to some extent too). She did some really nice work this year with having to put up a good front to Jorah after his betrayal, and the clip above, speechifying to the slaves, is real good. But I thought her best work was last year.

    Maisie Williams can’t ever be underestimated and I get why people sort of always want to gravitate to her. I really liked her scene with the dying farmer, and when she leaves the Hound to die. But to me the star of that storyline this year was the Hound. She’s never not great, but this year I still see her as third-best.

    Lena Headey. Good lord. She’s a goddamned powerhouse, and again, she had quite a showcase for some really great work, as she always does. It’s very hard to not vote for her, particularly after her “Take him! TAKE HIM!” moment, which was the great, bellowing at the guards, and the opener of Breaker of Chains, where she’s yelling at Tyrion, “You did this! YOU DID THIS!” and her completely broken face when her father sinks his claws into Tommen.

    She’s magnificent.

    But I’m going with Sophie Turner, who has been overlooked for so long by voters in these awards. The deconstruction of the princess myth is one that really took its turn this year. She’s completely dead inside at the beginning of the year, and has a great “I want to be where people won’t talk to me” moment with Tyrion, and the great, suffering, silent moment seeing the nasty, vicious reenactment of her brother’s death in a mocking form. And then from there, her great scene with Kate Dickie when she has to mostly listen and react, followed by her pleading when Lysa threatens to throw her through the Moon Door. But the “confession” is what nails it all. What a moment. It’s true that it takes away a bit of Baelish’s agency and makes him a bit less careful than in the books, but that’s fine because Sansa as a character is more important. And she plays it so well, collapsing into Lady Waynwood’s arms, looking up at Baelish – but without some kind of sly smile, just a look – is awesome. And then the scene after! She opens her mouth just a bit, and then elects not to say anything. She’s got “hand” now, as Seinfeld would have put it. She rocked it this year. Sophie Turner, all the way.

  23. Voted for Lena ofcourse.

    I think she wins this by a comfortable margin with Maisie and Sophie kneck and kneck for 2nd place

  25. Don’t think any of them were that strong this year compared to others. I’ll go with Maisie as she developed some great chemistry with Rory.

  27. – I thought Gwen was the standout supporting actress of season 3. She was fine in season 4, but she didn’t really stand out to me, especially as a lead.

    – Emilia’s acting is controversial in the fandom, of course. I tend to think that she’s capable, but highly dependent on the material, and I don’t care for how the writers tended to approach Dany this season. In the comparatively few scenes where we weren’t being kept at a distance from her, as with the final chaining of the dragons, I thought she was very good. But for the season as a whole, I’d say adequate.

    – Lena’s one of the best performers on the show, no doubt, but, whether this is a writing, directing, or acting issue, or some combination, I thought her reaction to Joffrey’s death was seriously underwhelming, and that was the big “acting” moment I was looking forward to from her this year (Indira Varma subsequently delivered something more in line with my expectations).

    That leaves our two youngest leads, Maisie and Sophie:

    – This was another good year for Maisie. I’ve in the past said I have some questions about whether her scenes all add up to an arc, but on an acting level she delivers the goods. I think the next season should bring some interesting new challenges for her (after three straight seasons of wandering around the Riverlands in the same costume).

    – I ultimately went with Sophie, partly for factors extrinsic to the performance itself. For the past few seasons I’ve regularly spoken up for her as one of the show’s more underrated players, in part because of the bile that’s often thrown at the character and also because the writers have consistently deprived her of what should have been key showcase moments and reduced her to a supporting character. Well, this year they finally deigned to let her have her own story, and I thought she did well with it (with the added degree of difficulty of having so many scenes where it’s just her and Aidan Gillen’s bizarre performance; she’s doing the heavy lifting in all those moments).

  28. It was hard to choose between Maisie and Lena. They are by far the strongest actresses on this show now. Each season they have delivered some of the most powerful performances in television. But I had to go with Maisie because though she began the series as the strongest of the younger set, she has grown so much as an actress that she has surpassed many more seasoned actors. So because of her astounding growth, I have to go with her.

  30. While all five of them were great, and Arya and Brianne are favorites of mine, in the end it was between Lena and Sophie for me. Sophie had her greatest year yet, particularly her performance of Sansa’s performance as a silly little girl at Littlefinger’s trial. Yes, the scene was controversial because it was largely made up and it undermined book|Littlefinger’s cleverness, but I thought it allowed for an amazing opportunity for both Sansa and Sophie to grow as… well, peformers, each of a different kind. I never hated Sansa as others do, but I now can say she’s one of my favorite characters. That was surprising for me.

    However, when all it’s said and done, although I really want to vote for her because both the actress and the character are criminally underrated, Lena Headey as Cersei is the one who truly blew me away this season, particularly with her scenes in “The Children”. First there’s Cersei with Tywin, shown above: You’ll fight over him like beasts until you rip him apart! I will BURN our house to the ground before I let that happen! And then there’s her later scene with Jaime: People will whisper. They’ll make their jokes. Let them. They’re all so small I can’t even see them. I only see what matters. Again, these are controversial scenes for many book readers, but in my opinion they contained Headey’s best acting yet in the show, and that’s saying something. The latter quote in particular shows how different this Cersei is from the books, where she very much cares about what “people will whisper”, so much so that she’s completely paranoid about it. For me, that’s not white-washing but complexity: I find Cersei a much more fascinating character in the show, in part due to how she’s written but also in large part thanks to Lena Headey.

  33. “I WILL BURN OUR HOUSE TO THE GROUND BEFORE I LET THT HAPPEN”

    All the leading ladies on this show are amazing, but Lena is just a goddamn powerhouse. Can’t wait for her AFFC material nex year.

  34. Sophie Turner has made her character so much more interesting than the book material provides. The same can be said of Lena Headey, as well, but I guess I went with my heart her– I’ve always been team Sansa.

    Emilia Clarke is SO MUCH BETTER, IMO, when she’s speaking in other languages. Maybe that’s a material problem, as pointed out above.

    Maisie Williams is fantastic, as is Gwendoline Christie, but Sophie all the way

  35. Brienne is always great, but didn’t really have much of an arc this season. Emikia Clarke was very good, but sometimes her line delivery felt a little off.

    I’m a little surprised to see so much Lena love in the comments. She was good this season, but there wasn’t really a moment where I went “whoah, that’s some fine acting.” Plus, she didn’t have that much to work with in between episodes 5 and 10.

    I love Maisie, voted for her last year, and she’d be a deserving winner this year. Her staredown with the Hound in episode 10 was particularly great. But she also had that awkward laugh in episode 8.

    Soohie Turner has been great since the tail end of season one, but this was the first year that her material rivaled Maise’s, and I’d argue it was more consistently good this year than Arya’s. Her fake confession was just as good as Maisie’s blank stare, and she was also excellent in her meal with Tyrion, her silent performance during the Purple Wedding, and her imoromptu deception with Lysa.

    So I’m voting for Sophie.

  36. ProfessorArtNerd:
    Sophie Turner has made her character so much more interesting than the show material provides.

    Fixed that for you.

    I’m also voting for Sophie, who has been excellent each year with the crumbs that the show runners were willing to give her after getting rid of all the rich book material for Sansa, and was great this year when she was finally given something to sink her teeth in instead of being relegated to a supporting character in her own story a la season 3.

  37. ash:
    Mine is the Furry,

    ?You think the others weren’t good?

    Its all subjective, but yes. Not nearly as good as Sophie. Sophie has been the true stand out each and every season. Although I must give props to Lena’s drunkenness and ability to use one eyebrow to perfection.

  38. Damn it’s hard. This season all those 5 actresses did very, very well.

    While I was always rather in the camp of those ‘not impressed’ with Emilia Clarke’s performance (compared to other GoT actresses), I find she did a lot better this season.
    Gwendoline Christie’s performance also became much more natural than before (or I got used to her).
    Maisie Williams couldn’t but shine along Rory McCann’s beautiful portrayal of the Hound.
    But I’m torn between Sophie Turner and Lena Headey. I’d really want to vote for Sophie because of the major turnaround she achieved and because (though unsullied) I seem to gather there’s a lot coming for Lena next season. But Lena was consistently great from one scene to another with difficult material as well.

    Oh, what to do, what to do?

    Ok, Sophie it is this year. She proved she is a better actress than one might expect.

  39. I voted Maisie Williams. Her screen presence and reading of scenes are way above her age level and all the other actresses on this show. Her scene in the Inn in episode 1 is the greatest scene by any actress on the show this year.

    I’d put Gwen next even though I don’t consider her one of the leads. Her facial expressions during the Brienne/Arya/Hound discussions were spot on.

  40. ash,

    This! Gosh I just love how that girl Sophie can cry buckets of tears. Loved her in Mockingbird and the trial of Littlefinger

  42. Emilia Clarke – She was great in the first season, Her second season in Qarth was worse mostly due to the script, Her third season was her standout season as far as development but her acting was mediocre compared to other actresses in the show. Finally with the fourth season, besides the last scene with locking up her dragons and her speech outside Meereen, she was lacking emotion throughout. Overall her acting is inconstant because even though she has a lot of standout seasons, she sometimes acts robotic. She is not the worst actress so hopefully in Season 5 she will do better.

    Maisie Williams – She has really grown to be one of my favorite actresses on the show and it’s not just because she is playing Arya, but she devours every scene and is exciting to watch. However if we are looking at Season 4, she wasn’t given much to do. Her death stare in the finale was amazing and her killing of Polliver was great too, but she did not standout as much as previous seasons. With her going to Braavos in Season 5, she will definitely have a lot more material to work with and it will be an exciting change of scenery.

    Gwendoline Christie – From the minute she appeared on screen, she is what I pictured Brienne to be like. I really like the way she plays Brienne on screen and in every scene overall she is pretty good. However compared to Lena and Sophie, she does not have many emotional scenes and that’s probably just because of her storyline. I’m interested to see what she does next season though.

    Lena Headey – This is interesting because she plays a character that everyone loves to hate, but I have to say she is a fantastic actress. Yeah she might not be exactly how Cersei was in the books, but that makes it a bit more interesting because Lena is really captivating to watch. Pretty much every scene she is in, she dominates and I feel like she was robbed of an Emmy during Season 1 -3. With all the material from A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons, I have no doubt that Lena will continue to be an amazing actress in the next season.

    Sophie Turner – In Season 1, I could not stand Sansa and it wasn’t because of Sophie, it was just that her character was so unlikeable. In Season 2 and Season 3, Sophie improved because of the amount of pain her character experienced and I think Sophie delivered pretty well even though Sansa still wasn’t that likeable. By the time Season 4 arrived, I thought that this could be Sophie’s real season to shine and I have to say that she was f**king amazing. I know some people might feel differently, but every scene she was in, you could feel her emotion so well and I was finally happy that she escaped King’s Landing. So my vote definitely goes to Sophie because she changed my mind in Season 4 and Sansa is now one of my favorite female characters on the show. All Hail Darth Sansa!

  45. I’m pretty sure it’s gonna be Sophie Turner in the end, at least according to comments, but I hope the runner-ups are shown as well. I’m really curious to see how close the second actress gets to winning. I’m guessing and hoping it will be Lena Headey.

  46. Sophie!!! So happy she had a chance to shine this season. Between that first scene with Tyrion, her despair at the wedding during the ‘entertainment’, snow winterfell, scenes with Lysa and of course the trial and ‘darth sansa’ I thought she nailed everything! Maisie and Lena were exceptional as well, Gwendoline rocked the Hound fight and Emilia was wonderful in the dragon chaining scene, but Team Sophie all the way!

  49. Sophie did an amazing job in season 4 but I have go with Maisie. The scene in the inn and her last interaction with the Hound are the reasons she gets my vote.

  53. Stacy,

    I’m sorry but the strongest from the youngest cast is Isaac…And lots of people agrees with me

    Maisie is pure shit compared to him!

  54. Diana,

    I could tell at least 3 actresses (not necessarelly from GoT) that have an acting much better tha that shit called Maisie Williams.

    And at least one young actor from GoT that is stronger at acting than her.

  57. This was the Stark girls’ season. Arya and Sansa both deserve it, but since we can only choose one, let it be Sophie Turner. She has developed into a person who no longer waits for fate to deal her another cruel blow, but actively manipulates all the much older, craftier, and deadlier characters around her.

    “I know what you want.”

  58. Kiara:
    Stacy,

    I’m sorry but the strongest from the youngest cast is Isaac…And lots of people agrees with me

    Maisie is pure shit compared to him!

    Really? I think Isaac fails to convince me like Maisie and Sophie do.

  60. Ironborn,

    Isaac >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> all the other young cast

    simple as that
    but as long as this is a female category, Sophie and Lena are muuuucch stronger than Maisie shit Williams

  61. Ironborn,

    Isaac and Jack Gleeson have the best young acting from the show (Jack is like…22 years but he is a part of the young cast, i consider. And i consider the adult cast the actongs with like, 26 years-old ahead)
    Isaac’s acting is much better than the other kids in the show (watch The Awakening and the actual movie The Boxtrolls and all the Bran’s scene and you will see)

    Maisie is awuful

    Sophie, Lena and Gwendoline are very strong
    I don’t think Emilia was thaaattt good last season…

  62. Ironborn,

    See how many people says that Isaac is the best kid on tumblr, on YouTube. and so on…And he indeed is,

    Isaac is the strongest kind in the show and one of the best acting along with Jack Gleeson.

    This isn’t a business at the moment as long as this is a actress category.
    So…Let’s say that Lena and Gwendoline are the real good ones in this miserabel poll that isn’t even a real award.

  63. So is there like one person who loves Isaac and hates Maisie posting under several different names in this thread?

  66. Sean C.:
    So is there like one person who loves Isaac and hates Maisie posting under several different names in this thread?

    Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. Some people (or one person ) had too much time on his hands

  67. The standout performance in my opinion is Sophie Turner’s ‘speech’ in front of the Vale nobility. Like the writing or not, but the acting was sublime. It’s always difficult to look past the character/story writing to the actor’s performance, but personally I don’t think Gwendoline, Maisie or Emilia could have pulled this off. Lena probably could, but I’ve voted for her in the past.

  68. Dammit.

    You ask me to choose between the season where Arya lost her last hope of getting back to any family, Cersei lost one child n is looking at losing the last another, and Sansa finally was able to shed ‘fearful little girl’. All portrayed so, so well by the women playing them. All having big moments they rose above themselves.

    Sophie got my vote. Because of speech to Vale Lords. Because of how Sansa was start of the season. Because of how Sophie portrayed her in between those moments. Of the 3 I had a hard time choosing between, what decided it was that Sansa got most development in her character. A real turning point. Both Cersei n Arya went further down a road already set foot on. Brilliantly, but, yeah. Had to find some reason to vote for one person 🙂

  69. Sophie Turner it is for me! Sansa is quite often, and quite unfairly, viewed as a disposable character, or as just an exhalted secondary character that serves little purpose other than filler … somekind of literary wallpaper.

    Sadly, it seems that that impression is extended towards the show, and some have the same opinion towards Sophie Turner and her portrayal of Sansa.

    I liked Sansa since the first book, season etc. I consider that what she had to go throuth was as tough or tougher than what other characters had to endure, especially her siblings (maybe except Bran). At least the other characters commenced their proverbial and literal journeys early on. The got away, or moved on, doing something else or being somewhere else. She didn’t. Sansa got literally stuck in a den of lions. A wolf surrounded by lions.

    She was naive, and her naivete might have even extended into air headedness or ignorance. But her learning experience was a lesson taught by fire and pain. And learn she did, and grow and well…we will just have to see!

    For this and more, my vote goes to Sophie Turner aka Sansa Stark, the often forgotten Rose of the North!

  71. Tyrion Pimpslap,

    What’s up? Simply because she is one of the worst actresses ever! She is ridiculous!
    She has the face expression of a shit, she talks in a shit annoying way, and much more.

    In this category, Sophie and Lena was the bests.
    Maisie didn’t even deserved to be nominated.
    She is ridiculous!

    My vote was for Lena, even tought i like Sophie.

  72. Wow, someone has a serious case of troll and/or dumb hater.

    In the meantime, Lena. “Take him… take him…. TAKE HIM!”

    Sophie was also very good but I did not like the change to dark!Sansa being so sudden, jarring

  74. Greatjon of Slumber,

    I agree 100%! Brilliant!

    I chose Sophie as I said above, but I wasn’t expecting so many to agree given that her role has been controversial with fans. Perhaps her changes this season have united everyone behind her for a change, it’s true she’s been given much better material (finally!) as others have said.

    I also agree with someone else’s comment that Emilia is strongest when speaking other languages. I’d imagine it takes skill to convey your meaning in nonsense words, bravo to Emilia! I agree at times she is underwhelming but that is one of her strong points.

  75. TheBerylfly: I did not like the change to dark!Sansa being so sudden, jarring

    I also did not like that final “Dark Sansa descends the stairs” scene, but that’s just the writing, that has nothing to do with acting…

  76. I am of one who enjoys Maisie’s take on the character more than the book version. However, I also agree with those who do not think she is one of the best actresses on the show. Her character is one of the more intriguing and is arguably the most likeable, the underdog that you always root for. I can see why people enjoy her performance and think highly of acting skills and I have no issues with fans gloating over her. I feel that Maisie’s acting really shines when she is paired with someone who DOES have tremendous acting talent and skill. S2 with Dance and this past season with Rory are two examples. I also really enjoyed her bedroom scene with Sean Bean in S1 where he finds Needle.

  77. I really do love all the actresses on the show, but my favorite for this season has got to be Sophie. She’s really learned to say one thing and mean another, and to speak volumes with just her face. If someone had simply told me about the events of 4.08, I would have been furious at the changes – but watching her in action was marvelous, and I’m so glad this season gave her the opportunity to show off her skills.

    Lena is always strong, but I have to say that I was underwhelmed by her reaction to the Purple Wedding. It didn’t feel true to the moment for some reason. Other than that, she had some really great scenes, but I felt like her character was treading water for most of the season.

    Which, actually, might be how I feel about all the other characters/actresses on this list except for Sansa. Maisie and Emilia had some standout scenes, but otherwise their material mainly consisted of being stoic. Gwendoline had some lovely scenes with Nikolaj in the beginning, and Brienne’s pain at having lost Arya’s trust so soon after finding her was great, but she was just traveling aimlessly for the middle of the season.

    Besides, all the specific scenes in which the other four actresses shined don’t rival the steady stream of internal conflict, rage and overall growth that Sophie’s had to portray this season with so few words; culminating beautifully in season 4 Sansa’s own performance of her stupid-girl-stupid-dreams former self. IMO, of course.

  79. Sean C.,

    I think so. The immature insults in all of “their” posts seem to be very similar in tone.

    Don’t get me wrong, I adore Isaac and feel that he is a great talent. One of the best on the show right next to Maisie and the vets. But name calling is just uncalled for, especially when they’re directed at Isaac’s co-stars and friends.

  82. Hmm, both Maisie and Sophie were amazing this season. I wish I could vote for both of them but I have to go with Sophie. I mean come on! the fake testimony was amazingly acted!

    Please stop with the hate! Maisie is an amazing actress and she’s playing Arya perfectly. If I could have another vote I would totally vote for Maisie!!

  84. Unfortunately I don’t have time this week to type out my usual long and detailed celebration of the great work that all five of these actresses did during Season 4 (which is a shame, as this was one of the categories that I was most looking forward to). So I just want to note that I voted for Sophie Turner. I thought that she was absolutely exceptional this year. She’s been a strong and highly underrated performer since the beginning of the show, but I was so impressed with how she handled Sansa’s burgeoning transformation from oppressed captive to a savvy and formidable player. She’s an amazing young actress, and I only anticipate that she’s going to have even more opportunities to impress as Sansa continues her journey on the show and as Turner continues to take on other projects in the offseason.

  86. Being an actress I can really say Sophie and Lena were AMAZING this year. I love both their characters but Sansa has always been my favourite since the beginning and I was so glad of what they did this season for her because I always hated what people said about her, I´m kind of protective of her as you see! Sophie was just incredible, she is an amazing actress and I know she´ll have an outstanding career. Lena was also soooo good, I was sad she didm´t win the Emmy. Even though I could´t vote my vote goes for SOPHIE!

  87. how can people even think that Maisie is good at acting? its one thing to like her character….

    Sophie and Isaac are reaaaaaallyyyyy good. very impressed.

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