Alfie Allen scored his first Emmy nomination Tuesday morning, for his tortured final season performance as Theon Greyjoy on HBO’s Game of Thrones.
The actor — who has been characteristically silent about his performance in recent months — spoke to EW about landing the nomination and some of his final season moments.
“I wasn’t expecting [the nomination], it’s incredible. There are a lot of actors I admire in that category, just to be there is amazing, just came home now with my dog and letting it sink in,” Allen said. “It’s just an honor, man, it’s just amazing.”
Allen is nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series along with his GoT costars Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and former winner Peter Dinklage, plus Jonathan Banks and Giancarlo Esposito (Better Call Saul), Michael Kelly (House of Cards), and Chris Sullivan (This Is Us).
When asked if it’s vindicating at all for a final season that was so controversial to receive a record 32 Emmy nominations, Allen said, “I don’t really see the controversy. It was a great rounding-up of familiar relationships at the core of it.”
We also asked Allen about his final moments on the show, in which Theon sacrifices himself to buy Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) a bit more time as the Night King closes in.
“It was great as I got to do it with Isaac, who I did my first scene ever with on Thrones, really,” Allen said. “I remember coming around Bran’s bed in the first season — we shot episode 3 before the first — then I ended it with him. [Theon] has gone through that whole journey and come around, so the redemption was great. And to do it in the Godswood as well, it’s such a symbolic place for Game of Thrones. I loved it.”
As for fans who wondered if Theon might have had a future with Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) given their cozy pre-battle soup-sipping scene, Allen laughed.
“I didn’t even know that was being spoken about!” he said. “It was probably just the soup. The soup was great, we were probably just into the soup.”
Related content:
All of Game of Thrones’ final season Emmy nominations
Game of Thrones star defends writers after final season backlash
George R.R. Martin: Game of Thrones fan reactions won’t change my books
HBO’s epic fantasy drama based on George R.R. Martin’s novel series A Song of Ice and Fire.
Episode Recaps
Previous
S44 E17 Recap
SNL recap: Kit Harington is Game for anything, Jason Sudeikis returns as Biden
By Dan Snierson
S8 E6 Recap
Game of Thrones series finale recap: This is the end
By James Hibberd
S8 E5 Recap
Game of Thrones recap for season 8, episode 5: Queens of the ashes
By James Hibberd
S8 E3 Recap
Game of Thrones recap of Winterfell battle: A dark, epic bloodbath
By James Hibberd
S8 E2 Recap
Game of Thrones recap: Daenerys finds out
By James Hibberd
S8 E1 Recap
Game of Thrones season 8 premiere recap: Jon finds out
By James Hibberd
S7 E7 Recap
Game of Thrones finale recap: ‘The Dragon and the Wolf’
By James Hibberd
S7 E6 Recap
Game of Thrones recap: ‘Beyond the Wall’
By James Hibberd
S7 E5 Recap
Game of Thrones recap: ‘Eastwatch’
By James Hibberd
S7 E4 Recap
Game of Thrones recap: ‘The Spoils of War’
By James Hibberd
S7 E3 Recap
Game of Thrones recap: ‘The Queen’s Justice’
By James Hibberd
S7 E2 Recap
Game of Thrones recap: ‘Stormborn’
By James Hibberd
S7 E1 Recap
Game of Thrones premiere recap: ‘Dragonstone’
By James Hibberd
S6 E10 Recap
Game of Thrones season 6 finale recap: The Winds of Winter
By James Hibberd
S6 E9 Recap
Game of Thrones recap: Battle of the Bastards
By James Hibberd
S6 E8 Recap
Game of Thrones recap: No One
By James Hibberd
S6 E7 Recap
Game of Thrones recap: The Broken Man
By James Hibberd
S6 E6 Recap
Game of Thrones recap: Blood of My Blood
By James Hibberd
S6 E5 Recap
Game of Thrones recap: The Door
By James Hibberd
S6 E4 Recap
Game of Thrones recap: Book of the Stranger
By James Hibberd
S6 E3 Recap
Game of Thrones recap: Oathbreaker
By James Hibberd
S6 E2 Recap
Game of Thrones recap: Home
By James Hibberd
S6 E1 Recap
Game of Thrones premiere recap: The Red Woman
By James Hibberd
Next