“Game of Thrones” actor Gwendoline Christie submitted herself for an Emmy nomination because she likes to be in charge of her own destiny ― just like her character, Brienne of Tarth.
The actor recently told The Los Angeles Times that she submitted herself for the Emmy nomination as a “testament” to Brienne, an all-around badass who is one of the few characters to survive to the end of the series. In July, Christie was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
“I checked that it wasn’t an inappropriate thing to do, and I was told it wasn’t. People submit themselves all the time,” Christie told the paper. “I truly never expected it to manifest in a nomination and I don’t think anybody else did either. But I just had to do it for me. And I had to do it as a testament to the character and what I feel she represents.”
Although it is not uncommon for actors to submit themselves for an award, it is rare that they actually receive a nomination.
Christie added that she wanted to be nominated so that female characters like Brienne ― who is not the conventional woman portrayed on screen ― gets more recognition.
“I wanted the possibility of being recognized for everything that character represents, for what she’s meant to me and for the part I feel she’s played, in some small way, in the burgeoning landscape we have in entertainment of seeing women in a different way,” she said. “A more realistic way and a more unconventional way.”
Other “Game of Thrones” characters who submitted themselves for Emmys and received nominations include Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy), nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, and Carice van Houten (Melisandre), nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series.
Head over to The Los Angeles Times to read Christie’s full interview.
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