HBO now has one less Emmy nomination to its name.
The Television Academy on Wednesday announced it was disqualifying “Veep” actor Peter MacNicol from the Guest Actor in a Comedy category after realizing he appeared in one too many episodes.
Per the Academy’s rules for this category, an actor must appear in less than half of a show’s season. MacNicol was in five of 10 episodes in the most recent season of “Veep.”
HBO said in a statement the information for this year’s Emmy race was submitted before Season 5 of “Veep” had concluded. At the time, MacNicol, who plays Jeff Kane on the series, met the requirements for the category, but that changed when his character made a seconds-long appearance in an episode that aired after the submission deadline.
“The information we received from the production was that Peter MacNicol was eligible as a guest star,” HBO said in a statement to CNN. “We are very sorry that Peter’s brilliant performance will not be recognized.”
The TV Academy has said it plans to name a replacement nominee.
The rules for the guest actor and actress categories were overhauled in 2015 after the Television Academy was criticized for allowing actors who had season-long arcs to enter a race meant to recognize those with minor roles.