Alexis Bledel withdraws from Emmy consideration for ‘The Handmaid's Tale' due to rule change
Alexis Bledel, who returned to The Handmaid's Tale for last week's series finale, only had a few minutes of screen time, so she understandably submitted in the Best Drama Guest Actress category for the upcoming Emmys. However, a 2025 addendum to the Emmys rulebook stipulates that if a performer was previously nominated in supporting or lead, they cannot switch to guest for that same show at any future date, regardless of how much screen time they have — or, in Bledel's case, don't have.
More from GoldDerby
That shocking 'The Last of Us' death, final seasons for 'The Boys' and 'Cobra Kai,' and more from Sony TV actors and showrunners
'I know this dude!': David Alan Grier explains why he leapt at the chance to play a 'burned-out' doctor on 'St. Denis Medical'
'I Am: Celine Dion' will now compete for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking at Emmys - so what's the difference?
As originally reported by Variety and confirmed by Gold Derby, the Television Academy notified Bledel that she would be moved from Best Drama Guest Actress to Best Drama Supporting Actress, the same category where she was nominated in 2018 (losing to Thandiwe Newton for Westworld). As a result, Bledel opted to withdraw her name from consideration completely, which means she won't be on the ballot alongside her fellow The Handmaid's Tale supporting actresses, Yvonne Strahovski, Ann Dowd, Samira Wiley, Madeline Brewer, Amanda Brugel, and Ever Carradine, all of whom had considerably larger roles.
The fact that Bledel was previously nominated as a guest star for playing Emily in 2017, 2020, and 2021 (winning in 2017) had no bearing on this decision. It was that sole 2018 supporting nomination and loss that determined she could no longer compete as a guest star for The Handmaid's Tale.
Here is the specific Emmy rule that's causing so much confusion:
If a performer has been nominated or has won in a Lead or Supporting Performer category, the performer will not be eligible to submit in a Guest Performer category in a subsequent Emmy year for playing the same role in the same series. They may, however, continue to enter in a Lead or Supporting category.
Note that the "50 percent" rule is still in effect, so guest stars can only campaign in that category if they appear in fewer than half of the eligible episodes. Bledel appeared in just one of the 10 episodes from Season 6, so she could have entered the guest race had the rule not been changed in January.
SEEWhat 'The Handmaid's Tale' star Elisabeth Moss 'stressed about' for a year and a half while filming the final season SEEWhat 'The Handmaid's Tale' star Elisabeth Moss 'stressed about' for a year and a half while filming the final season
Prior to The Handmaid's Tale series finale, Bledel's last appearance as Emily was in the Season 4 finale, which aired in June 2021. Emily was seen racing after Fred Waterford (Joseph Fiennes) with the other escaped handmaids, which resulted in his brutal murder. When Season 5 started, Emily was reported as "missing," and not much was mentioned about her again, until the Season 6 finale, when she showed up alongside June (Elisabeth Moss) to reflect on their past decade together.
Another high-profile performer affected by the new guest star rule is Meryl Streep for Only Murders in the Building. She was nominated in Best Comedy Supporting Actress in 2024, and now must campaign in that category again at the 2025 Emmys, despite having a smaller presence in Season 4 and only appearing in four of the 10 episodes.
This isn't the first time the guest star rules have resulted in unexpected drama. In 2016, Peter MacNicol's Emmy nomination for Veep was rescinded when it was determined he had appeared in too many episodes to compete in guest. Peter Scolari for Girls replaced him on the list of nominees, and he ended up winning.
SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions
Best of GoldDerby
Jacob Elordi reveals personal reason for joining 'The Narrow Road to the Deep North': 'It was something important to me'
Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez on how the 'Agatha All Along' cast 'became a coven' when recording 'The Ballad of the Witches' Road'
Jason Schwartzman on the breakneck 'Mountainhead' production: 'I've never done anything like it in my life'
Click here to read the full article.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Patricia Arquette talks season 3 of ‘Severance'
Patricia Arquette talks season 3 of 'Severance' Emmy-nominated actress Patricia Arquette chats with CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister about what she knows about season three of 'Severance.' 01:40 - Source: CNN Vertical Trending Now 16 videos Patricia Arquette talks season 3 of 'Severance' Emmy-nominated actress Patricia Arquette chats with CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister about what she knows about season three of 'Severance.' 01:40 - Source: CNN Panic in Milan airport as man sets fire to check-in desk A 28-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday after setting fire to a check in counter at Milan's Malpensa Airport, causing significant damage and injuring at least one person, police say. The man was tackled by airport police, and is facing charges of aggravated damage to public property. 00:43 - Source: CNN Fugitive father and kids living in wilderness Fugitive Thomas Callam Phillips vanished into the remote forests of New Zealand's North Island in 2021 with his three children—now 12-, 10-, and 9-years-old— sparking a four-year search that has gripped the country. Now, after years of silence, his family is making a heartfelt public appeal: they miss him and their grandchildren—and they're urging him to come home. 01:26 - Source: CNN 'The Nicest Judge in the World' dies at 88 Judge Frank Caprio has died at the age of 88 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, according to a post on his Instagram page. Caprio is known for starring on the reality TV series "Caught in Providence" and for spreading kindness on social media. 00:36 - Source: CNN What happened to Target? Target CEO Brian Cornell is stepping down after 11 years, as the company faces slumping sales and backlash to its DEI rollback. Here's what happened to Target. 01:59 - Source: CNN Viral Labubus boost company's profits by nearly 400% CNN's Anna Cooban reports on the viral Labubu dolls that have helped boost Pop Mart's profits by almost 400%. 00:56 - Source: CNN MAGA merch stocked in room near Oval Office President Donald Trump was seen in a social media video and photo showing off "Trump 2028" hats and a wall stocked with merch to the leaders of foreign countries at the White House. 01:13 - Source: CNN Young girl receives heart transplant after 200 day wait Born with multiple heart defects, 11-year-old Ava has undergone four open heart surgeries by the age of 5. Video captured the moment she told her father she had been matched with a donor for a full transplant, and her return home from surgery. 01:10 - Source: CNN 'The Last of Us' actor reflects on loss of her mom Emmy-nominated actress Kaitlyn Dever, who stars on HBO's 'The Last of Us,' reflects on her mother's memory after she lost a 14-year battle to breast cancer. 01:34 - Source: CNN Vikings face backlash after two male cheerleaders join team Napoleon Jinnies, one the NFL's first male cheerleaders, joined CNN's Boris Sanchez to discuss the backlash the Minnesota Vikings are facing after the team announced this year's cheer squad which included two male cheerleaders. Since the announcement, the two cheerleaders have been receiving hateful comments online. 01:49 - Source: CNN Gas line explosion sends debris flying Three firefighters were injured Tuesday following an explosion caused by a ruptured gas line in Wilmington, North Carolina, fire officials told CNN. 00:58 - Source: CNN Zines not hashtags: Gen-Z's new protest playbook Gen-Z activists are rethinking protest tools. Opting to go offline over concerns of misinformation and surveillance, zines offer another way to organize. For the latest "The Assignment" podcast episode, CNN's Audie Cornish speaks with artist and organizer Kennedy McDaniel about what's prompting the shift from hashtag activism. 01:51 - Source: CNN Spike Lee's Reaction to Trump's Smithsonian Orders 'To roll back the clock' says Director Spike Lee to CNN's Victor Blackwell in response to President Donald Trump's Smithsonian orders. 01:14 - Source: CNN London's toxic trash 'volcano' Arnolds Field landfill on Launders Lane in east London is better known to locals as the 'Rainham volcano.' The site was used as an illegal dump for years and now, every summer, it bursts into flames, sending plumes of acrid smoke over nearby homes, parks and schools. CNN's Laura Paddison speaks to residents who feel abandoned and trapped. 02:05 - Source: CNN Hong Kong twin pandas turn one Giant panda twins Jia Jia and De De celebrated their first birthdays in Hong Kong on Friday. The cubs were born last August to Ying Ying, who became the oldest giant panda on record to give birth. 00:43 - Source: CNN Football player's emotional press conference sparks conversation University of Nebraska freshman punter, Archie Wilson, left his home in Australia to play for the Cornhuskers. During a press conference, a reporter asked Wilson how he was doing being so far away from his family and his emotional reaction sparked a conversation around masculinity. Writer and philosopher Ryan Holiday joined CNN's Boris Sanchez to discuss. 01:29 - Source: CNN
UPI
3 hours ago
- UPI
Bruce Springsteen biopic to open AFI Fest
1 of 5 | Jeremy Allen White, shown winning the 2024 Emmy for "The Bear" in Los Angeles, stars as Bruce Springsteen in "Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere." File Photo by Chris Chew | License Photo Aug. 21 (UPI) -- AFI Fest announced its opening night film Thursday. Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere screens on Oct. 22. AFI Fest runs from Oct. 22 to 26 in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. Springsteen stars Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen. The film follows him from 1981 to 1982 recording the album Nebraska. The film, based on Warren Zanes' book, also was announced to screen at the New York Film Festival on Sept. 28. The trailer was released in June. Scott Cooper wrote and directed. Cooper's films Out of the Furnace and Hostiles also played AFI Fest. Springsteen also stars Paul Walter Hauser, Stephen Graham, Marc Maron, Gaby Hoffman, David Krumholtz, Grace Gummer, Jeremy Strong, Odessa Young and more. The full AFI Fest lineup will be announced Sept. 30.
Cosmopolitan
3 hours ago
- Cosmopolitan
No, Sofía Vergara Did Not Post a NSFW Pic on Instagram
Sofía Vergara's striking beauty could make anyone do a double-take. However, fans caught themselves doing it while scrolling past her most recent Instagram post for a very NSFW reason. At a glance, it looks like the America's Got Talent judge accidentally posted a nip slip on her IG grid for all to see. (Consider this a new nightmare that's been unlocked.) 'The show is about to start live!!! @agt❤️⭐️⭐️⭐️,' she captioned a close-up selfie, which showed off her natural, bronzey glam. Naturally, her followers flooded the comments section of her post in pure shock, writing, 'I thought, you thought, we thought,' and 'We all zoomed 😂.' Some couldn't help themselves from hyping up the Modern Family alum in the process, adding, 'Stunning as always. I thought the lapel mic was a nip!!!' That's right—it's not what you might have thought it was. After looking at her selfie long enough, you'll see that the fake-out nip slip is a skin-colored mini microphone hooked onto her white lace dress. It all came down to the lighting and angle of her pic, of course, because it looks totally normal in other photos she posted with fellow judges, Simon Cowell, Mel B, and Howie Mandel. And, in her pic with Howie, the lapel mic was completely hidden, as it blended into her shadow from the overhead lighting. Nothing to see here! Unfortunately, this wouldn't be the first time the star has suffered a wardrobe malfunction. Way back during the 2012 Emmys—and just 20 minutes before Modern Family nabbed the award for Outstanding Comedy Series—Sofía accidentally busted open the back zipper of her Zuhair Murad cut-out gown while dancing. Thankfully, her team was able to stitch her back together before she hit the stage. 'Yes!!!! This happend 20 min before we won!!!!' Sofía tweeted at the time. 'Jajajajja. I luv my life!!!!' She was also sure to share what are definitely some NSFW pics (and Daily Mail has the receipts). Pls enjoy Sofía's retelling of the incident:
