Today in the Watchers on the Wall Awards, we’ll be celebrating the remarkable supporting cast of Game of Thrones, and their work in season 7. The show is uniquely blessed with a cast of actors who rise to the challenge presented by playing out an epic story filled with fantastic creatures and wild twists. Every season the stakes are raised, and the talented batch of actors nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Actress bring their best work to the table, bringing GoT to life and making every scene better with their presence.
Our finalists, as chosen by our readers, are-
For Best Supporting Actor:
Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy
Liam Cunningham as Davos Seaworth
Aidan Gillen as Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish
Iain Glen as Jorah Mormont
Rory McCann as Sandor Clegane/The Hound
For Best Supporting Actress:
Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth
Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed
Diana Rigg as Olenna Tyrell
Indira Varma as Ellaria Sand
Gemma Whelan as Yara Greyjoy
The complete results from round 1 voting in these categories can be viewed here!
Final round rules: To choose the winners, cast your vote in each category in the polls below- make sure you vote in both! In the finals, unlike the preliminaries, fans have one vote to cast in each category. At the end of 72 hours (Saturday 12/09/17 at 6PM ET), the performer in each category with the most votes will be the winner! The results of the polls will be revealed during the live Watchers on the Wall Awards ceremony, specific date to be announced in the near future!
The toughest category of all. So many deserving nominees!
But much as I love most of the others, I have to follow my heart and vote for the criminally overlooked Alfie Allen (even if it wasn’t his best season for material) and for Dame Diana Rigg’s priceless final mic drop, showing all the youngsters how it’s done.
Among the men, four of the five are dependably solid performers (the fifth is Aidan Gillen). I ultimately picked Glen over Cunningham. I thought Glen’s scenes, particularly the new interactions with Sam, hit some different notes than what had been covered in the past. Davos was more or less there to inject levity this time around.
Amongst the women, I ultimately voted for Christie, who got the most and most varied material of the bunch. The rest were limited to only a couple of scenes (and, in some cases, basically just one showcase scene).
I picked Davos because he’s awesome. Alfie Allen is probably the best actor in the group, but he wasn’t around in the season enough.
Joey,
I love Jorah too, I just went with Davos.
Aidan Gillen as Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish
Indira Varma as Ellaria Sand
Best Supporting Actor: Rory McCann
This category is usually loaded with talent and this year was no exception. Ultimately for me, it came down to Rory and Alfie – and I went for Rory. He showed so much depth as Sandor this year. I loved his performance in the farmhouse scene in Dragonstone, and the wight hunt (both beyond the Wall and in KL). He showed us a character who has evolved so much from the man we first met in season one. He has been changed by his experiences and is still trying to work through the trauma of his past.
Best Supporting Actress: Diana Rigg
Again, this was a pretty close one for me. Both Diana and Indira were phenomenal this season. Diana’s performance in Olenna’s final scene, with Jaime at Highgarden, was simply perfection. She will be missed!
Close runners-up: Alfie Allen and Indira Varma
Easy… but then, some of my original nominations were bumped “up” a category from either guest or supporting.
Supporting actress was fine, but Actor….I may as well toss a coin, holy crap. 2 of my 3 favourite actors on the show (Iain and Rory), Alfie who is always amazing, Liam, who is that guy who you always want around and has lived to a ripe old age after all, and Aidan. I really wish i could give it to Aidan, tbh, as he’s always been so darn good, but I feel his material really got shortchanged this season. Had he been able to do a LF-esque defense of himself, I imagine it would have been great. Argh.
Fuck it. Iain it is.
I’m giving it to Indira, guest or supporting, she was the best.
Allen, because he was awesome yet again. He was only in a few episodes but arguably did more with his limited time than the others. Would not mind seeing the award go to Glen (who was wonderful in his scenes with Sam) or Gillen (who I usually don’t care for but was great in his last scene). Cunningham and McCann were good but where pretty much doing what they always do, noth8ng really stood out.
All if the supporting actresses had one or two scenes at best to really shine. Carla was great in her final scene, but I have never been fond of her delivery as Ellaria. So I didn’t really love her in any of her scenes outside her final one.
Diana Rigg has had better scenes than her death scene, but not many. Happily voted for her.
I didn’t expect Jacob Anderson to be nominated but I am a little sad and surprised that Nathalie was not. When you consider how strong she was in that scene in “Stormborn,” and how little the rest of her competitors were in the season, I’m a little surprised she did not at least edge out Whelan to get in the top 5. (No knock on Whelan but she was in it significantly less and didn’t have any showcase scene I could think of). Oh well, the nominees that are represented are still very strong.
Alfie Allen. Diana Rigg.
Aidan Gillen – loved what he did with his eyes.
Gemma Whelan – This was easy when I remembered her walk of shame.
Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy.
Diana Rigg as Olenna Tyrell.
These were difficult especially best supporting actor. Any one of them I would be happy to see take it, but went with Alfie. He is always so good no matter what material he is given every season.
Best actress this season was down to Indira and Dame Dianna. I went with Indira since it was the best written for her character and she acted the heck out of her dungeon scene. Dame Dianna is superb so if it goes to her, wouldn’t mind a bit.
Diana Rigg had one great scene – not enough to be supporting in my book. Thinking Gwendolyn this time
For the actors, its a toss between Alvin and Rory. Decided to go with Alvin because he never seems to get any recognition for his amazing work.
Supporting Actor: Rory McCann. This category is stacked with beloved veterans who all gave excellent performances in Season 7, but Sandor’s “gravedigger” scene with the Brotherhood in “Dragonstone” gives Rory the edge. That sequence has become one of the more quietly indelible moments in the entire show for me. The Hound has come a long way, and Rory has imbued every step of his gradual but significant evolution with the kind of brusque but deeply rooted humanity that we’ve come to cherish in that character.
Close Second: Alfie Allen. As one of the very best actors on the show, he could win this every year. But two moments in Season 7 – his post-traumatic regression during Euron’s attack and Theon’s conversation with Jon in the finale – stand comfortably among the finest work he’s ever delivered.
Supporting Actress: Indira Varma. I’ve been waxing rhapsodic about the brilliance of Indira’s wordless performance in “The Queen’s Justice” since the night that episode aired, and time has only rendered me more ardent admirer. I’ve loved Indira’s portrayal of Ellaria for the past four seasons, but this silent display of mounting fear, stifled fury, and open anguish was the crowning achievement of her time on Game of Thrones. As amazing as all of the other women in this category are, this was an easy call.
Close Second: Diana Rigg. For Olenna’s death scene alone. We couldn’t have asked for a better exit for such a beloved figure.
I wish I had more time to pay specific tribute to Liam, Aidan, Iain, Gwendoline, Ellie, and Gemma as well. For now, suffice it to say that they’re all wonderful and worthy.
Alba Stark,
I’m with you. Rory McCann as Sandor was far and away the best actor on the show in Season 7. I would have voted for him in the Leading Actor category, since he’s really been the focal point of his own story line since returning in S6e7. And anyone looking for a true “redemption arc” need look no further than Sandor Clegane. “You can still help alot more than you’ve harmed, Clegane. It’s not too late for you.”. Just because he’s still the same foul-mouthed, sarcastic Hound doesn’t obscure the drastic evolution of his character. Rory McCann plays him perfectly. (Tell me: can you imagine any other actor in that role? I can’t.)
He is the Lord’s Chosen. He’s my choice too.
I understand there’s a lot of love out there for Alfie Allen. Please don’t bash me for saying that I just don’t understand it. Can someone enlighten me? All I saw were sporadic appearances by an actor either in crystal-meth-jittery mode, or post-withdrawal depression mode. Maybe I don’t comprehend what his story is supposed to be about; it’s as if it’s a spinoff from GoT. I do not understand what getting kicked in the balls or rescuing Yara have to do with redeeming himself for his transgressions against the Starks, or helping the Alliance prepare for the battle royale against Team WW. Honestly, I am not being critical of Alfie Allen boosters. I really want to know what he did to win your votes.
My vote: Rory McCann
For me, Supporting Actress came down to Gwendoline Christie and Diana Rigg, but it was really no contest: The Queen of Thorns went out like she lived: with equal measures of dignity and snark.
My vote: Diana Rigg
Rory is my man also, but I went with dear Jorah this time. It was not easy. Of my favourite Houndy scenes this year were obviously burying Rabbit Stew Sally and the wight-wrangling in the Dragonpit. Oh and bonking the wight in the noggin with a rock. And going face to face with FrankenGregor. But I think my favourite, was this:
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/dc/3d/5b/dc3d5b801ce34e7c98bfc9005bec00d1.jpg
Oh, whoops. I meant this whole bit:
https://youtu.be/PnzerNF_al8
Especially the little smiles.
Regarding Alfie…I am a Theon convert, couldn’t stand him in Season 1. Now I want him to succeed. It was his rescuing of Sansa that was the major redeeming point with the Starks, not his Greyjoy adventures. However he is now leading the Greyjoys in getting Yara back, which in itself helps the rebel alliance as a whole should he succeed. And even if he doesn’t, well…he’s leading. As frustrated as it got sometimes with “Come on, break the Reek cycle!!”, I think people can identify with the broken, the damaged, the ones who survive and struggle to grasp their humanity and sanity once more. For me, that’s what did it.
After all, the cripples, bastards, and broken things may be the ones who survive this mess after all.
Ten Bears,
Rory is my man also, but I went with dear Jorah this time. It was not easy. Of my favourite Houndy scenes this year were obviously burying Rabbit Stew Sally and the wight-wrangling in the Dragonpit. Oh and bonking the wight in the noggin with a rock. And going face to face with FrankenGregor. But I think my favourite, was this:
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/dc/3d/5b/dc3d5b801ce34e7c98bfc9005bec00d1.jpg
Oh, whoops. I meant this whole bit:
https://youtu.be/PnzerNF_al8
Especially the little smiles.
Regarding Alfie…I am a Theon convert, couldn’t stand him in Season 1. Now I want him to succeed. It was his rescuing of Sansa that was the major redeeming point with the Starks, not his Greyjoy adventures. However he is now leading the Greyjoys in getting Yara back, which in itself helps the rebel alliance as a whole should he succeed. And even if he doesn’t, well…he’s leading. As frustrated as it got sometimes with “Come on, break the Reek cycle!!”, I think people can identify with the broken, the damaged, the ones who survive and struggle to grasp their humanity and sanity once more. For me, that’s what did it.
After all, the cripples, bastards, and broken things may be the ones who survive this mess after all.
Hardest category yet. Liam, Rory and Iain are spectacular and I love all of them, but Alfie has been so great throughout the entire series and has not been recognized for it, so I had to go with Alfie.
Dame Diana, hands down.
Ten Bears,
Me also – Rory McCann and Diana Rigg.
I don’t need to elaborate further as your comments say it all 😛
The Brotherhood w/o Banners have suspiciously disappeared but the few we care about found an enjoyable focus in the show. Since the brilliance of Dormer and Kaye weren’t nominated, I had to go with McCann. Can’t wait until the Hound’s unavoidable run-ins with Arya, Sansa and Brienne in S8.
For supporting actress, I initially wanted to go with Kendrick (Meera) but I went with “Be a dragon!” Rigg (QoT) instead. I still feel rather slighted by Meera’s dismissal in S7. Oh well. Both actresses/characters fought the good fight.
Ditto this!
Diana Rigg and Aidan Gillen
They both did a fantastic job in their final season.
Iain Glen AKA Azor Ahaï Jorah Mormont
I had a hard time choosing the best male supporting actor. I went with Alfie in the end, but all other actors were very close.
For the female supporting actor, there was only one contender for me: Diana Rigg.
He sometimes doesn’t get the recognition he deserves, but hopefully he will here. I loved his performance (hence the vote!) and agree that it is incredibly difficult to imagine anyone else in this role. I can’t wait to see him again in season eight – hopefully reuniting with Arya and Sansa!
Alfie Allen
Dame Diana Rigg
+1 Exactly the same thought process here
Best Supporting Actor was easy: Alfie Allen
I went back and forth between Indira Varma and Lady Diana Rigg and in the end went with: Diana Rigg
I voted for Rory McCann as Sandor Clegane/The Hound and Indira Varma as Ellaria Sand
But it was a very difficult choice because I like them all. That’s what I love about Game of Thrones, almost all the actors are so very good in their own way.
Davos also had some good and funny lines. Alfie Allen (Theon) has been acting so good and I love every word Jorah says (I would even listen to him reciting a phone book). And Littlefinger is so great to hate…
But, since his road trip with Arya, I really love Sandor Clegane.
And for the women too. Ellie (Meera) didn’t have much material but she did a good job with the material she had. Brienne sparring with Arya, talking with the hound, discussing with Jaime was also very good. Gemma Whelan (Yara) didn’t have much material, but just like Ellie she made the best of it. She really is Yara Greyjoy. Dame Diana Rigg was great as always, I would love to have a grandma like her (but I also love my real grandma). In the end I chose for the one very good scene Indira (Ellaria had).
Maybe if you would ask me tomorrow or next week, I would choose someone else. But today I choose Rory and Indira.
Best supporting actor: Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy (incredible portraying of the most complicated character in the show)
Best supporting actress: Diana Rigg
Pigeon,
Rory is my man also, but I went with dear Jorah this time. It was not easy. Of my favourite Houndy scenes this year were obviously burying Rabbit Stew Sally and the wight-wrangling in the Dragonpit. Oh and bonking the wight in the noggin with a rock. And going face to face with FrankenGregor. But I think my favourite, was this:
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/dc/3d/5b/dc3d5b801ce34e7c98bfc9005bec00d1.jpg
Oh, whoops. I meant this whole bit:
https://youtu.be/PnzerNF_al8
Especially the little smiles.”
***
……………….
Interesting. You extolled Rory McCann’s performance, citing five specific examples, and yet….without explanation you went with Iain Glen.
It’s The Voice, isn’t it? I understand. I’m mesmerized by it too. 🗣😍
Very hard calls here. Ultimately went with Liam Cunningham for best supporting actor, who I felt was a bit the workhorse of the season – he got tons of great scenes with lots of different screen partners and absolutely delivered in all of them. He would’ve been a worthy best lead actor as well had he been nominated there.
For best supporting actress, I voted for Indira Varma for very different reasons – she had few scenes, but the torture scene was easily the best scene of the season for me and she was a major reason for it, that was just outstanding work.
Rory McCann really stood out to me this year. But I was torn between Diana Rigg and Gwendoline Christie. Both were great this season but I ended up going with Diana Rigg.
Aidan Gillen as Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish and Diana Rigg as Olenna Tyrell.
Ten Bears,
And once again, I completely agree with both of you
I went with GC and AG. I like IG a lot too (usually vote for him in this category). RM was great with what little he had too – hard call! Ultimately I figured I should give it to LF for his final season. He really did embody the smarmy sleaziness of the character so, so well for so many seasons.
GC remains perfect Brienne. Hard not to vote for her. DR and GW close second and third respectively. The others were basically guest stars with only a couple scenes each and I’d have liked to vote for them in the GS category! Would have liked to see Gilly’s actress in this category since she is a series regular.
Alfie Allen and Indira Varma. Their work was stunning this season!
Liam Cunnigham as Ser Davos
Diana Rigg as Olenna Tyrell
Alfie Allen
Diana Rigg
I actually had quite a tough time with these. I was going to vote for the Hound because of the scene in episode 1 when he buries the farmer and his daughter, but he was kind of on auto-pilot for the rest of the season. After episode 1 it was just cunt this and cunt that, so I went with Alfie because he is the best actor and his few scenes in season 7 required a lot of acting range.
For supporting actress, it came down to either Rigg or Christie. I wanted to vote for Christie because she’s my favorite character out of the 5 nominees, but she really didn’t have much to do this season. Varma did well when she didn’t talk, but her character is just too corny for me when she speaks. I voted for Rigg because her scenes, like Alfie’s, required a bit more range. Could’ve voted for any of them though.
Best Supporting Actor: Rory McCann (This was an incredibly close call. I almost always vote for Alfie in this category, but this season I’m going with Rory.)
Best Supporting Actress: Dame Diana Rigg
I have a feeling Best Supporting Actor is going to be so close it’ll trigger a mandatory recount. Look how close the top 3 finishers were in Preliminary Round voting.
Results of Preliminary Round, Best Supporting Actor (# Votes, % of Total)
Rory McCann. 1,017 15.68%
Alfie Allen 934 14.4%
Liam Cunningham 920 14.18%
(6,487 total votes)
Ten Bears,
Not necessarily. Remember that everyone could nominate up to 5 actors in the preliminary round, so interpretation of the preliminary results is a bit non-trivial. That the top 3 received very similar number of votes each simply means that a large majority of voters included these 3 actors in their nominations (and well deserved IMO)
I’m amazed by the number of y’all who voted exactly like me.
The last chance for Aidan Gillen and Diana Rigg. So I voted for them.
Rex,
True. However, there are many commenters who vote for only one nominee in the Preliminary Round: the one they’re ultimately going to vote for in the final round.
I went with Gillen and Rigg because in their final moments, they were awesome.
Iain Glen AKA Jorah Mormont 😍😍😍 AKA Azor Ahai and Diana Rigg AKA “Tell Cersei…It Was Me” Olenna Tyrell
ramses,
Did she even have any speaking lines this season? I honestly dont remember her with any but it’s been awhile since I’ve seen it.
Hodor Targaryen,
I think Whelan only had that scene in one episode on the boat with Euron attacking. She said a few line to Ellaria when they were getting cozy but that’s all I remember of her
Ten Bears,
It’s true, I can’t picture any other actor in the role of the Hound! And Alfie Allen can of course act, and very well, but just seems like a one trick pony now. Not that it’s the actor fault just his script I guess.
ygritte,
She had a fairly cornball line about a foreign invasion when she was flirting with Yara, and another scene arguing with Tyrion about strategy, but that was about it as far as I can recall. She did very well in the dungeon scene with Cersei and Tyene though.
I know I shouldn’t feed the bear and the maiden fair but here I go: Allen’s portrayal of Theon, an ever changing character has been nothing but nuanced, layered and outstanding.
Alfie Allen as best supporting actor, and Indira Varme as best supporting actress.
Well, picking the best supporting actress is easy enough for me. While Dianna Rigg will most likely win, Indira Varma finally got to act to her full ability and thus redeemed the character. Indira gets my vote.
But picking the best supporting actor is bloody tough… Rory is always amazing in his performance. Alfie deserves all the recognition he can get. And Liam brings to life possibly my favourite character.
But of those three, I believe Liam may have had the most to do and offer and gets my vote. (Rory actually also had a very different facet of the Hound to portray… argh, I need two votes! Alfie had the least to do, he’s my third pick – but he’s still fabulous as Theon, consistently for 7 years now.)
Hodor Targaryen,
“Carla”???
That’s right up there with my inability to remember Sergio Romo’s real name, because for some mysterious reason I can’t think of him as anything other than “Felix”…
Jared,
Ditto.
These were my votes, and I can’t explain them better than you did. 🙂
Chilli,
Ditto. Those were my votes. 🙂
Wolfish,
My phone auto corrected “Varma” to “Carla.” Should have checked before publishing, especially since I was using my phone. Embarrassing. I also accidentally threw an 8 in a word instead of an i because of my fat fingers.
Hodor Targaryen,
LOL!!! I’ve had a few auto-correct mishaps myself…
Pigeon,
Interesting. Your gave a cogent, well-supported explanation why Rory McCann was the Best Supporting Actor… and then you voted for Iain Glen. Do I detect a little fangirl crush?
Just kidding, of course. That guy’s blue eyes and honeyed voice can melt granite. And his Longclaw scene with Jon was really good.
Perhaps in a way it’s due to the fact that my dear Rory now seems to be finally getting much more of the recognition he deserves (of course there have been a few of us who have been Sandor Ahai followers from the get go! Loved that guy since The Book Group)…I’ve voted for him marginally over Iain as many times in the past. They are my top 2 actors AND in my top 5 characters in this show, and so I often find my loyalties wavering. 😂
Iain is a gorgeous Scottish lad with those soulful blue eyes and amazing voice, who can act and emote without a word.
Rory is a gorgeous Scottish lad with those soulful brown eyes and amazing voice, who can also act And emote without a word.
Wait, what was the question? 🤤