The final season of Game of Thrones saw Brienne of Tarth achieve a lifelong dream when she was knighted by Jaime Lannister, earning the title of 'Ser'. And it looks like Gwendoline Christie, who played Brienne for eight years, could soon be winning a highly coveted accolade of her own: an Emmy Award.
When it became clear that HBO would only be submitting Lena Headey, Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams in the Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series category, Christie decided to self-submit. She ended up getting the nomination, because who would have the gall to say no to Brienne of Tarth? The show might be over, but the "Big Woman" continues to be an absolute boss.
Christie thanked the universe in an effusive Instagram post after she got the news, but this only happened because she put herself forward — an important reminder to believe in yourself and say "why not me?" It's an approach that seems to be working well for Christie's Game of Thrones co-stars: Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy) and Carice Van Houten (Melisandre) also got nominated after submitting themselves.
Season eight has been widely criticized for inconsistent writing, and some fans hated that Brienne consummated her long-running sexual tension with Jaime Lannister, a move which ultimately left the formidable warrior woman weeping in a nightgown when Jaime went running back to Cersei. But it's fair to say Christie nailed the performance even when given less-than-ideal material. And her shining eyes in the knighting scene make up for a lot (not to mention the incredible Brienne's Burn Book meme).
Giving it your all despite the script was a running theme on season eight, and the sheer talent both on-screen and behind the scenes is being justifiably recognized; Game of Thrones broke records this year with 32 Emmy nominations: the highest number of nominations ever for a single show.
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