House of the Dragon 's Emma D'Arcy Says Golden Globes 2023 Nod Came After They 'Stopped Pretending'

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Emma D'Arcy is embracing their truest self with their first major awards show.

The House of the Dragon star, 30, who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, told E!'s Loni Love on the red carpet of Tuesday's 80th Golden Globe Awards that the moment is "beautifully ironic" after earning their first nomination for best actress in a drama series.

"It's kind of a surreal thing because when I was starting out, I really felt that I had to pretend, to present as a woman in order to find success in this industry," they said. "Anyway, it wasn't sustainable, and I stopped pretending, and weirdly, it's at that point that I got nominated for best actress at the Golden Globes, which is beautifully ironic."

RELATED: See the Full List of 2023 Golden Globe Nominations

"I think the most important thing is that it implies that the space for trans people and gender-nonconforming people is getting bigger all the time. So, I feel very privileged," D'Arcy added.

They explained that their look was also an expression of their gender identity, noting that their red carpet vibe was "child piano prodigy, and maybe the recital's not going well."

"I'm also doing trans because I'm wearing some trousers and a skirt at the same time. And nothing says non-binary like wearing both a skirt and trousers."

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D'Arcy made their breakout performance in the Game of Thrones prequel series as Rhaenyra Targaryen, an ancestor of Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke).

RELATED VIDEO: House of the Dragon Teaser Shows First Footage of New Series Set 200 Years Before Game of Thrones

They're nominated alongside Laura Linney for Ozark, Imelda Staunton for The Crown, Hilary Swank for Alaska Daily and Zendaya for Euphoria.

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In addition to their star-making role, D'Arcy also stole hearts and created a sexy new drink trend when they popularized the "Negroni Sbagliato with prosecco in it" back in October.

The 80th Golden Globe Awards ceremony is airing live on Tuesday, Jan. 10, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.