‘Game of Thrones’ Alum Richard Madden Wins First Golden Globe Award

While it surely wasn’t good news for Robb Stark, it appears that the Red Wedding may have actually been the best thing to happen to Richard Madden. The Game of Thrones alum walked away with his first Golden Globe Award (Best Actor in a TV Drama) on Sunday night for his turn as David Budd in Netflix’s new drama Bodyguard. 

[row]”Thank you to the HFPA. I didn’t see this coming at all,” a beaming Madden started his speech off with. [/row]

The actor also took the time to thank his co-star Keely Hawes as well as creator Jed Mercurio and production companies BBC and Netflix.

[row]”I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the amazing crew and cast that made Bodyguard. They worked really hard over the past 5 years to make this show,” Madden continued. [/row]

Madden was up against some stiff competition alongside Ozark’s Jason Bateman, Homecoming’s Stephan James, Pose’s Billy Porter, and The Americans’ Matt Rhys who recently walked away with the Emmy Award. But despite the brilliant company, it was Madden’s shout out to his parents, who had flown all the way from Scotland to be there with him, that truly stood out.

[row]”Most importantly, thank you to my friends and my family. My mom and Dad who flew all the way from Scotland – I wouldn’t be here without you. “[/row]

Bodyguard, which currently holds a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, follows Madden as war veteran David Budd, a police sergeant with London’s Metropolitan Police Service, in the Royalty and Specialist Protection branch. He’s assigned to protect the home secretary, the Rt. Hon. Julia Montague MP, a controversial and ambitious politician who has plans to introduce invasive new surveillance powers for security forces. Finding himself increasingly at odds with Montague’s policies and personality, in addition to dealing with the physical and psychological scars from his time in Afghanistan, Budd is torn between both his beliefs and his duty to protect.

Prior to Bodyguard, Madden recently appeared in another Netflix venture when he starred alongside Gillian Jacobs in last year’s Ibiza, but television fans will most likely recognize him from his three-season stint in HBO’s Game of Thrones, where he played the ill-fated eldest Stark of Winterfell, Robb. Since his devastating death during at Game of Thrones’ Red Wedding, Madden has also starred in Disney’s 2015 live-action Cinderella, Medici: Masters of Florence, and will soon appear in the upcoming Elton John biopic Rocketman.

You can watch Madden’s full speech below!