Alexis Bledel Withdraws from Emmy Consideration After New Rule Change Disqualifies Her Guest Category Submission

In a surprising twist ahead of the 2025 Emmy Awards, Alexis Bledel has withdrawn her name from consideration after the Television Academy enforced a controversial new rule governing guest actor eligibility. The decision comes after Bledel made a brief return in the series finale of The Handmaid’s Tale—but her limited screen time wasn’t enough to keep her in the category she submitted for.

Why Alexis Bledel Was Disqualified from the Guest Actress Category

Despite appearing in only one episode of Season 6 (the finale), Bledel submitted her name under the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series category. However, due to a 2025 amendment to the Emmy rulebook, her submission was moved to the Supporting Actress category.

The rule states:

“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.”

This rule overrode Bledel’s previous guest nominations in 2017, 2020, and 2021 (she won in 2017) because of a single Supporting Actress nomination in 2018, which she lost to Thandiwe Newton (Westworld). That one nomination now permanently disqualifies her from competing as a guest performer for the same role—regardless of her minimal screen time.

Bledel Opts Out Completely

Faced with the prospect of competing in the Supporting Actress category against co-stars who had significantly more screen time—Yvonne Strahovski, Ann Dowd, Samira Wiley, Madeline Brewer, Amanda Brugel, and Ever Carradine—Bledel decided to withdraw from Emmy consideration entirely.

Her final appearance as Emily Malek came after a two-season absence. She reappeared in the Handmaid’s Tale finale alongside June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss) for a poignant reflection on their shared trauma and sisterhood.

Meryl Streep Also Affected by Rule Change

Bledel isn’t the only high-profile actor impacted. Meryl Streep, who played Loretta Durkin in Only Murders in the Building, is also affected. After a Supporting Actress nomination in 2024, she must now remain in that category for 2025, despite appearing in only 4 out of 10 episodes of Season 4.

This rule complements the existing “50% rule,” which limits guest category eligibility to actors who appear in less than half of a season’s episodes. Bledel did meet that requirement but was still barred due to her prior nomination history.

A Pattern of Emmy Controversies Over Guest Roles

This isn’t the first time the Emmys have faced backlash over guest actor rules. In 2016, Peter MacNicol had his Veep nomination rescinded after it was found he exceeded the episode threshold. He was replaced by Peter Scolari (Girls), who went on to win the award.

As the Television Academy tightens its eligibility guidelines, industry insiders and fans alike continue to debate whether the rule changes promote fairness—or punish actors with strong, sporadic performances across multiple seasons.