Sometimes, in order to get ahead, you need to be your own best advocate.
Gwendoline Christie must know that classic piece of career advice, because when HBO did not submit the “Game of Thrones” star for Emmy consideration, she decided to take matters into her own hands — and now she’s an Emmy-nominated actress.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, HBO, the network behind the massively popular fantasy series, confirmed on Wednesday that it did not submit Christie’s name to the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences to be considered for a 2019 Emmy nomination for her work on the final season of “Game of Thrones,” ended its eight-season run in May.
Instead, Christie, along with her agents and managers paid her own $225 entry fee to enter herself into the running.
What’s more, actors Alfie Allen (who played Theon Greyjoy) and Carice van Houten (who played Melisandre) also paid their own entry fees to submit themselves for Emmy consideration, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“Game of Thrones” cast members Alfie Allen, Carice van Houten, Sophie Turner, Gwendoline Christie and Liam Cunningham, with executive producer Carolyn Strauss (far left).
Vivien Killilea | Getty Images for SiriusXM
On Tuesday, Christie received an Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series category nomination, Allen received a supporting actor nomination and van Houten was nominated in the Outstanding Guest Actress category.
Christie, who played the warrior Brienne of Tarth on “Game of Thrones” and had never previously been nominated for an Emmy, voiced her surprise and pleasure at the news on social media:
Christie’s successful move to advocate for herself has drawn kudos from fans online, with BuzzFeed calling her an “icon” while one Twitter user pointed to Christie’s nomination as an example of why you should “be your own biggest cheerleader.”
The move is in line with advice from experts like bestselling management author and CNBC contributor Suzy Welch, who says it’s important to advocate for yourself in order to position yourself for a promotion or a raise at your current job, or in an interview with a potential employer.
So, why didn’t HBO enter the three actors for Emmy consideration in the first place? Well, according to The Hollywood Reporter, networks typically try to limit the number of actors they submit for fear of overcrowding the pool of potential nominees. And because “Game of Thrones” boasts a huge ensemble cast, the network likely had to decide to whittle down the list of names it submitted. While it is not that rare for actors to submit themselves for consideration, The Hollywood Reporter adds, those underdog submissions do rarely result in nominations.
In total, “Game of Thrones” received 32 Emmy nominations for the HBO show’s final season on Tuesday, which is a record total for a drama series. In addition to landing a nomination in the category for best drama series, a total of 10 of the show’s actors also received Emmy nominations, including lead actor Kit Harington (Jon Snow on “Game of Thrones”) and lead actress Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen), who HBO nominated.
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“Game of Thrones” actress Gwendoline Christie.
VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images
