The Emmy First-Timers: 2017 Nominees Who Got Their First-Ever Nominations, From Alexis Bledel to Robert De Niro

It's a new class of nominees for the 69th annual award show

By Chris Harnick Jul 13, 2017 8:04 PMTags
Watch: 2017 Emmy Nominations for Comedy Actor, Actress and Series

What do Millie Bobby Brown and Michelle Pfeiffer have in common? They both received their first Emmy nominations in 2017.

Anna Chlumsky and Shemar Moore announced the 2017 Emmy nominations that included quite a few newcomers to the race. With Game of Thrones out of the way (it was not eligible for the 2017 Emmys because it premieres July 16), newcomers like Westworld, This Is Us and The Handmaid's Tale and its cast of actors were able to break into the race in a big way. The TV Academy also passed over many of last year's winners to make way for newcomers.

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2017 Emmy Nominations Snubs & Surprises

Below, take a look at performers who are up for Emmys for the first time.

Michelle Pfeiffer, Wizard of Lies

She may have an Oscar nomination, but this is Michelle Pfeiffer's first Emmy nomination. She got it for HBO's TV movie about Bernie Madoff.

Jackie Hoffman, Feud: Bette and Joan

A Broadway veteran and recurring guest star on Difficult People, Jackie Hoffman picked up her first Emmy nomination for playing Mamacita, Joan Crawford's maid opposite Jessica Lange as Crawford in Feud: Bette & Joan.

Shailene Woodley, Big Little Lies

Shailene Woodley's return to the small screen (never forget The Secret Life of the American Teenager) in Big Little Lies got her an Emmy nomination.

Bill Camp, The Night Of

The Night Of took the world by storm and gave Bill Camp his first Emmy nomination for playing Detective Dennis Box.

David Thewlis, Fargo

The Harry Potter and Wonder Woman star came to American TV as V.M. Varga in season three of FX's Fargo.

Alison Wright, The Americans

Alison Wright pulled double-duty for FX on Feud: Bette & Joan and The Americans. It was for the latter she was honored with an Emmy nomination.

Alexander Skarsgård, Big Little Lies

The True Blood star returned to HBO for Big Little Lies where he balanced a complex role as Perry, the abusive husband to Nicole Kidman's Celeste.

Shannon Purser, Stranger Things

Justice for Barb is an Emmy nomination? Shannon Purser guest starred as Barb Holland, the fan-favorite character from Stranger Things who took the internet by storm.

Gerald McRaney, This Is Us

Dr. K! This Is Us made millions of viewers cry tears of sadness and joy and industry veteran Gerald McRaney was there with the best of pep talks.

BD Wong, Mr. Robot

As the mysterious Whiterose on Mr. Robot, BD Wong, who will be a series regular in season three, captured the attention of the audience like no other.

Millie Bobby Brown, Stranger Things

What's better than Eggos? How about an Emmy nomination? Stranger Things breakout Millie Bobby Brown picked up her first one at 13 years old.

David Harbour, Stranger Things

David Harbour was on the case of the missing kids in Netflix's Stranger Things.

Becky Ann Baker, Girls

Becky Ann Baker stole pretty much every scene she was in for Girls' last season. A deserved nomination for playing mom to Lena Dunham.

Kathryn Hahn, Transparent

Kathryn Hahn picked up her first Emmy nomination for Amazon's Transparent.

Leslie Jones, Saturday Night Live

What a year Saturday Night Live standout Leslie Jones has had, from Ghostbusters to being targeted by trolls to her first Emmy nomination.

Vanessa Bayer, Saturday Night Live

Vanessa Bayer's Saturday Night Live parting gift might just be an Emmy award!

Claire Foy, The Crown

As Queen Elizabeth II, Claire Foy brought royalty to Netflix in The Crown.

Donald Glover, Atlanta

This Community veteran made a splash with his FX comedy series Atlanta.

Carrie Coon, Fargo

It finally happened! Carrie Coon, a fan-favorite from The Leftovers, picked up her first Emmy nomination...for Fargo.

Reese Witherspoon, Big Little Lies

Yes, this is Reese Witherspoon's first Emmy nomination. She could take home more than one award if she wins for acting and producing Big Little Lies.

Robert De Niro, The Wizard of Lies

Playing Bernie Madoff in HBO's The Wizard of Lies netted Robert De Niro his first Emmy nom.

Riz Ahmed, The Night Of & Girls

Riz Ahmed is a double nominee for his dramatic work in HBO's The Night Of and his comedic turn in Girls.

Chrissy Metz, This Is Us

Chrissy Metz received her first Emmy nomination for NBC's This Is Us, which is also her first major role.

Milo Ventimiglia, This Is Us

Milo Ventimiglia has played the bad boy and a superhero, but it was playing dad on This Is Us that got him his first Emmy nomination.

Brian Tyree Henry, This Is Us

Brian Tyree Henry, who also stares in Atlanta, received his nomination for NBC's acclaimed drama This Is Us.

Ron Cephas Jones, This Is Us

Hearts everywhere broke for Ron Cephas Jones' William on This Is Us.

Ann Dowd, The Handmaid's Tale & The Leftovers

Ann Dowd, a favorite among critics, finally broke through with two nominations for The Handmaid's Tale and The Leftovers.

Alexis Bledel, The Handmaid's Tale

Rory Gilmore no more! Alexis Bledel made headlines with a standout performance in Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale.

Samira Wiley, The Handmaid's Tale

Samira Wiley, who broke hearts on Orange Is the New Black, transitioned over to The Handmaid's Tale to break hearts and inspire...and get her first Emmy nomination.

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Who are you rooting for?

The 2017 Emmys air Sunday, Sept. 17 at 8 p.m. on CBS with host Stephen Colbert.