Now that the sixth season of Game of Thrones has wrapped, and award season is barely creeping up over the horizon, it's time to ask ourselves some important questions, like will Lena Headey win an Emmy in 2016? As I'm sure we've all noticed in our six seasons together, Headey plays the now-queen Cersei Lannister on the HBO show, and, though she's gotten close before, she hasn't yet walked away with that coveted golden statue. In 2014, Headey was nominated for her first-ever Emmy, in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, but lost to Anna Gunn for Breaking Bad's final season. The next year, it was the same thing, as 2015 yielded a nomination in the same category, but no win; this time that honor went to Uzo Aduba for Orange Is The New Black, which sneaked into the Drama Category that year even after cleaning up as a Comedy the year before.
So, as you can see, as much as Lena Headey has deserved the honor for the past two seasons — I mean, do we remember Cersei in that walk of shame episode, or what? — there have been some extenuating circumstances standing in her way. Though we won't know the Emmy nominees until Jul. 14, I have a feeling that this is Headey's year. For one thing, no big-name shows are in their final season, so she won't have that complication to contend with. (Although who knows where OITNB will land this year.) And, for another, GoT beat the record for most wins at a single ceremony, so the show's star is shining as bright as can be right now.
Most importantly of all, Headey completely crushed it in Season 6. I feel like, after years of dancing around it, we finally got to see Cersei in her true form, with all her weakness and empathy and compassion burned away. She's lost all three of her children, which was horrifying to watch as a viewer, and now officially has nothing to lose, which you could read all over her face starting midway through the season. Where once she had some softness to her, Cersei is now burnished steel, and that transition has been powerful.
All I'm saying is girl deserves an Emmy, because she's been acting her face off since Day One. However, Cersei's storyline has earned one especially now that she's both lost and gained everything in a single season. Tune in on Jul. 14 to see if she gets the nod, and on Sep. 18 to see if she pulls away with the win.
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