Riley Keough and more 2023 Emmy nominees are speaking out after being recognized for their outstanding performances on the small screen.
Nominations were announced on Wednesday, July 12, with Succession leading the drama categories. The HBO (now known as Max) hit — which came to an end in May after four seasons — earned 27 nods in total, including Outstanding Drama Series. Costars Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong and Kieran Culkin, meanwhile, are all facing off for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
On the comedy side, Ted Lasso racked up an impressive 21 nominations, followed by The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel with 14. Fan favorites The Bear and Jury Duty pose tough competition.
While scripted series tend to dominate the Emmys, the awards show also hands out trophies for talk shows, variety programs and more. This year, Bravo’s Vanderpump Rules is up for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program in the wake of the frenzy surrounding Tom Sandoval‘s affair with costar Raquel Leviss.
Scroll down to see how 2023 Emmy nominees reacted to their honors before the ceremony on September 18:
Matthew Macfadyen
The Succession alum and costar Nicholas Braun are both up for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. “I’m just delighted, and especially delighted to be in such wonderful company! We are of course nothing without our writers — thanks as always to Jesse and the gang… ‘buckle up, f–kleheads!” Macfadyen teased.
Murray Bartlett
“Thank you to the Television Academy for this double nomination! What?! I’m absolutely over the moon!!” Bartlett said of his Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie nod. “It was total joy to be part of The Last of Us and Welcome to Chippendales, and I’m thrilled that so many of my colleagues on both of these shows have also been recognized for their brilliant work. Thank you! Thank you!”
Will Sharpe
The White Lotus star is up for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. “Well this is bananas. I’m so grateful to have been a part of this show and to have worked with so many incredible people. It’s frankly surreal to be recognized alongside such brilliant cast mates and other extraordinary performers, but I am over the moon!” he said on Wednesday.
Bella Ramsey
“I’m so happy for the entire team and immensely proud of this show and everyone involved,” the Last of Us star said. “I’m especially proud of my friend Keivonn Woodard (his first job and first nomination), my brain soul mate Craig Mazin, and my rock and the best sidekick ever… Pedro Pascal. It was the best year of my life shooting The Last of Us so to be given this recognition alongside other phenomenal performers makes my little heart feel very big, thank you.”
Simona Tabasco
“I am completely overwhelmed with gratitude at this morning’s nomination,” the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series nominee noted. “Being a part of The White Lotus and getting to work with Mike White, David Bernard, HBO and the entire cast and crew was the opportunity of a lifetime, and this year has been a dream come true. Thank you to the Television Academy for this unbelievable honor. Congratulations to all my fellow nominees whose work I have been constantly inspired by from afar. From my heart: Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!”
Rachel Brosnahan
“This is the sweetest cherry on top of this marvelous 5 season sundae. Thank you to the Academy for the love for our final season. Thank you to the village that made it possible. We’re so grateful to be invited back to the party for one last hoorah,” the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel alum said in a statement.
Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds
The Welcome to Wrexham costars celebrated their Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program nomination in a statement, noting, “The story of Wrexham has resonated with millions of people because you don’t have to be Welsh or a football fan to be moved by this town. We are so grateful for today’s 6 Emmy nominations and are continuously honored the people of Wrexham allow us to tell their tale. Diolch! Cymru am byth!”
Riley Keough
“This is truly the most amazing surprise!” Keough gushed in a statement after earning a nod for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or TV Movie. “I feel so lucky to have been a part of Daisy Jones & the Six and to work alongside my amazing cast mates and the entire crew. I am thankful to the Academy for receiving this wonderful nomination and to be recognized alongside the other hugely talented women on TV. And I am thrilled for my castmates who also got recognized! Thank you to Hello Sunshine, Amazon, and thank you to the Academy.”
Janelle James
The Abbott Elementary actress is up against costar Sheryl Lee Ralph for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. “I am so honored to be recognized along with the other talented nominees by the Television Academy,” James said. “Living out my dreams of making a living in the arts and sharing the gift of laughter is made that much sweeter working alongside my Abbott cast mates and the fantastic writers and crew on the show. Solidarity with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, both of which I am a proud member.”
Brett Goldstein
“Ahhhhhhhh fxxx yeah! This is amazing!” the Ted Lasso star gushed of his third consecutive Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series nomination. “To be nominated once is insanity, twice is nuts, but for this to be a hat trick feels silly and proof that we live in a simulation. It makes me feel incredibly lucky, especially when it’s in the company of genuine acting legends. What an incredible list to be on and, at long last, it is wonderful to see my fit friend and extraordinary talent Phil Dunster be added to that list. Thanks as always to Jason [Sudeikis], Bill [Lawrence], Brendan [Hunt] and Joe Kelly for inviting me onboard. I’m nothing without them and my fellow Greyhounds. What a ride this whole Lasso train has been, filled with magic. Thank you to the Television Academy for making life a dream. I’m moved as fxxx.”
Bob Odenkirk
The Better Call Saul actor is “thrilled and honored” to be nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor In a Drama Series. “The role of Jimmy/Saul was the role of a lifetime and all I could do was try to make the most of it every single day,” he said in a statement. “I’d have to say I feel this is an appreciation of the whole cast and crew as well because everyone around me made me better in this role. Thanks to AMC and the two masterminds Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould for writing a masterpiece for all of us. I’m thrilled that my friend Rhea Seehorn was also nominated. This is a wonderful thing to share as we close the book on these rich characters and this wonderful effort we did together.”
Taraji P. Henson
Henson is nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series after appearing on season 2 of Abbott Elementary. “As a fan of the show, working on Abbott Elementary was simple, pure joy … I had no idea that this type of recognition would even be a possibility doing something so fun!” she said on Wednesday. “Thank you to Quinta [Brunson] for inviting me to play such a delicious role. This is just an absolute honor!”
“Weird Al” Yankovic
“Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I’d be able to say, ‘Hey, Daniel Radcliffe just got an Emmy nomination for playing me in a movie!’ But here we are,” the musician teased in a statement. “I’m enormously thrilled and incredibly grateful. Our movie basically pokes fun at all those awards-bait biopics, so it was both ironic and mind-blowing to wake up this morning with eight nominations! Thanks, Television Academy!”
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is nominated for Outstanding Television Movie, Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics and Outstanding Writing For a Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie. Radcliffe earned a solo nod for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie.
Ronald Gladden
The Jury Duty star expressed his surprise via Instagram after the Freevee series earned a nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series. “This is probably the craziest sentence I’ve ever said. I’m a part of a tv show that’s nominated for an Emmy because I answered a Craigslist ad 🤯,” he wrote alongside a photo of the announcement.
Elton John
Elton John Life: Farewell From Dodger Stadium earned a nod in the Outstanding Variety Special (Live) category. “It’s an honor for my Special to be recognized by the Academy. My final Dodger Stadium performance was bittersweet and an evening that I will never forget,” the musician said, thanking all those who “went above and beyond to create a magical production, not only for me as I said goodbye to North America, but for my fans all over the world to enjoy for years to come.”
Storm Reid
Nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series after appearing on The Last of Us, Reid said, “I feel extremely blessed and truly honored to be nominated among these incredible actors. The experience of taping my episode of THE LAST OF US was nothing short of a dream. Thank you to [executive producer] Craig Mazin for believing in my talent and seeing me as Riley. Sending all my congratulations to Bella [Ramsey], Pedro [Pascal], the full cast and crew, and everyone nominated today.”
RuPaul
“In these dark political times, the Television Academy’s gracious recognition of RuPaul’s Drag Race is a bright light. Thank you for the love,” the RuPaul’s Drag Race host gushed.
