Emmy Awards are almost here and Game of Thrones star Alfie Allen is excited about his nomination. Recently, the actor who plays Theon Greyjoy talked with Deadline and Gold Derby about his nomination and his character’s arc.

In his interview with Deadline, Allen talked about his first emmy nomination. “To be nominated alongside people I’ve spent eight, nine, ten years working with; it’s a dream.” Allen said.

He also talked about how his character’s reputation affected him. He said:

Theon was kind of hated. Reviled, in fact, might be the word. I was pouring my all into this character, and I would feel it at times, when I would enter rooms and people would give me a certain look. It was like I was wearing a really bad outfit or something. That was testing, at times, without a shadow of a doubt. Even up to the point of getting an Emmy nomination, this character did make me get inside my own head a lot, and there were dark, dark moments. To have fans give the character a pat on the back after all of it, and end it on a note of positivity for Theon, that feels nice.”

Allen revealed that Theon’s journey opened him up to his friends about his problems. He said:

“Gwendoline and Kit were the two people (everybody a little bit, but them most so) who were always willing to talk to me about that stuff. There’s a lot to be said about men’s mental health within Theon’s journey to Reek and back again.”

Allen also spoke with Gold Derby editor Rob Licuria about his nomination and Theon’s arc. He said:

“I was just – I still am in shock. I wasn’t expecting it because all that had just kind of faded into ridiculousness that that would even happen . I’m not going to lie. When I first started Thrones there was a part of me that was like, ‘Maybe one day I’ll get an opportunity to be up for an award or something’ but all that faded into … [it] just definitely wasn’t going to happen … It wasn’t that I didn’t have any hope. It just wasn’t realistic. And so for it to happen, it’s just insane”

Which Theon scene was your favorite from Game of Thrones? Tell us in the comments below.