Denis O'Hare calls for Emmy votes in protest at Netflix cancellation

• Denis O'Hare has called on Emmy voters to support The Boroughs in protest
• Geena Davis said she was baffled by the cancellation of the still top-10 series
• A Season 2 writers room had already opened before Netflix made its cancellation decision

Actor Denis O'Hare has urged Emmy voters to support cancelled Netflix series The Boroughs as a protest against the streamer's decision to axe the show, calling it "sweet revenge" in a widely shared Instagram post. O'Hare, who played Wally in the Duffer Brothers sci-fi series, made the appeal after Deadline broke the news of the cancellation, describing himself as "bummed" and insisting the show "was such a great show." His castmate Geena Davis also voiced her confusion over the decision, telling Deadline's sister publication The Hollywood Reporter that she had no explanation for what went wrong.

O'Hare's Emmy campaign call

In his Instagram video, O'Hare named several of his co-stars directly in his push for Emmy recognition. "I think we still have a couple of days before the end of Emmy voting that everyone should just vote for The Boroughs," he said. "You can vote for me if you like. But also like Bill Pullman and Alfre Woodard and Alfie [Alfred] Molina and Geena Davis and Clarke Peters, Seth Numrich, Alice Kremelberg and vote for The Boroughs for Best Series and, you know, stick it to Netflix and let them know that they made a mistake, you know, because I think it would be sweet revenge."

O'Hare also reflected on the warm reception the show had received from audiences before its cancellation. "I've been astounded how many people have come up to me and talked about how much they like the show — and not just like, you know, old people but I'm talking about anybody, people who are, you know, in their 30s or 40s with kids," he said. "Everyone seemed to find something to relate to."

Geena Davis 'doesn't know what happened'

Davis told The Hollywood Reporter earlier this week that the cancellation left her at a loss. "Honestly, I don't know what happened," she said. "I think it's probably rare for a show to not get picked up and to have it announced that it's not being picked up while it's still in the top 10."

Cancellation came as a surprise

The decision to cancel The Boroughs caught many within the production off guard, Deadline reported. Conversations about a renewal had been ongoing, and a Season 2 writers room had already been opened — a standard step for many high-profile series. Among the ideas being discussed was the possibility of filming Seasons 2 and 3 back-to-back.

Those plans were shelved after the series, created by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews and starring Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, O'Hare, Clarke Peters and Bill Pullman, debuted to strong critical reviews but soft viewing figures last month.