Damian Lewis Addresses 'Homeland's' 3 Golden Globe Noms and SAG Snub

11:31 AM PST 12/15/2011 by Lesley Goldberg

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"It doesn't feel like a snub in any way; it feels like an honest reflection of what everyone's watched," he tells THR. "It's thrilling to be nominated by anybody."

Damian Lewis, who picked up drama actor Golden Globe nomination for his role as complex former POW Nicholas Brody on Showtime's Homeland, said the Hollywood Foreign Press Association saw something in the terrorism thriller that the Screen Actors Guild Awards didn’t -- namely the show.

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"You need to have watched everything and have caught up, Homeland is brand new and I don't feel any regret that SAG didn't nominate us," Lewis said from London, where he learned of his nomination while he was on a lunch break from recording a BBC radio special. "I'm sure a lot of them haven't even seen it yet. The HFPA are a smaller group of journalists and they're more specifically concentrated on watching stuff for their awards ceremonies.

"It doesn't feel like a snub in any way; it feels like an honest reflection of what everyone's watched," he continued. "Although that's not to say, if they had seen Homeland they'd have nominated us. I think it's great and we'll take what we can get. It's thrilling to be nominated by anybody."

For Lewis, the Globe marks his second nomination -- he picked up a mention in 2002 for HBO's epic World War II miniseries Band of Brothers -- and comes at a point in his career where he's better prepared for the accolades.

"When Band of Brothers happened, I wasn't really expecting it or ready for it," he said. "Now I'm far more aware of what it means to be nominated by the HFPA. In some ways it is more thrilling."

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As for plans to celebrate, Lewis was returning to the studio -- to finish recording the four-part BBC radio special, a satirical take on politics in which he plays the prime minister -- and planned to have a drink at dinner with his wife after touching base with his co-star and fellow nominee Claire Danes as well as Homeland executive producers Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa.

Pressed for details on Sunday's Homeland season finale, Lewis was tight-lipped, warning only that it would be "emotionally and psychologically devastating; there will be more emotional violence than the viewers may expect."