The Stars React to This Year's Emmy Award Nominations
Nominations for the 2017 Emmys were announced yesterday (June 13), with Saturday Night Live and Westworld coming out on top, scoring a massive 22 nods each in a year when heavy hitter Game of Thrones (23 noms in 2016) wasn't eligible for any awards.
A host of Anglo faves also got a nod, from Sherlock's Benedict Cumberbatch, The Crown's Claire Foy, and The Night Of's Riz Ahmed, to Westworld co-stars Sir Anthony Hopkins and Thandie Newton, not to mention our beloved James Corden.
It's not the first time our Ben has been nominated, of course — so far he's racked up four Primetime Emmy nods for Sherlock and Parade's End, and he finally won the Best Lead actor category in 2014. But that doesn't mean he's not elated to get another one:
"In a year of such great television it's a privilege to be nominated and having seen my fellow nominees work just to be in their company is winning enough," he told Us magazine. "Couldn't be happier for me and the show."
Benedict is up against fellow compatriots Riz Ahmed (The Night Of) and Ewan McGregor (Fargo), as well as award veterans Robert De Niro (The Wizard of Lies), Geoffrey Rush (Genius), and John Turturro (The Night Of), while Sherlock will go head-to-head with Black Mirror and Oprah Winfrey starrer The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks for Best Television Movie.
Meanwhile, Claire Foy told Vanity Fair she got the news she'd been nominated for Best Drama Actress while taking an evening stroll across London's Hampstead Heath. In the subsequent flurry of interviews, she told EW:
"I feel very, very honored and also a bit all-of-a-fluster. I’ve never been before and I can't wait."
Aww. Claire will be up against Oscar winner Viola Davis (How to Get Away with Murder), Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid's Tale), Keri Russell (The Americans), Evan Rachel Wood (Westworld), and Robin Wright (House of Cards).
The Crown has also been named in the Best Drama category, where it faces stiff competition from Better Call Saul, The Handmaid's Tale, This Is Us, House Of Cards, Westworld, and Stranger Things.
Riz Ahmed (or Riz MC as he's also known) was nominated not once, but twice for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series and Best Actor in a Comedy Series, for his roles in The Night Of and Girls respectively. Just two other actors had the honor of winning two nominations: Matthew Rhys, for The Americans and Girls, and Ann Dowd (The Handmaid's Tale and Leftovers).
Riz reacted last night with typical humility:
https://twitter.com/rizmc/status/885573095725178882
Westworld star Thandie Newton was also pleased with her nom for Best Supporting Actress, alongside The Handmaid's Tale's Ann Dowd and Samira Wiley, Uzo Aduba (Orange Is the New Black), Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things), and Chrissy Metz (This Is Us):
https://twitter.com/thandienewton/status/885603192163024896
While Sir Anthony was his usual reserved self:
https://twitter.com/AnthonyHopkins/status/885549879874813953
And James Corden. Well, James responded as only he can:
https://twitter.com/latelateshow/status/885540940877713409
The Emmy Awards, hosted by Stephen Colbert, will air live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 17 on CBS.
Check out Variety for a full list of nominations.
Anyone you want to nominate who didn't get a nod this year?