Emmys 2016: Veep actor Peter MacNicol stripped of guest actor nomination for starring in too many episodes

The actor has appeared in over 50% of this year's season rendering him ineligible

Last week, actor Peter MacNicol would have been happy to learn he had been Emmy-nominated for his role in HBO series Veep.

The US actor was selected for the Outstanding Guest Role category thanks to his portrayal of Jeff Kane in the comedy show - however, the Television Academy has now withdrawn what they are deeming an illegible nomination.

It is stipulated that nominations in the category are only permitted for actors who have appeared in less than 50% of a show's current season. It turns out MacNicol appeared in five of Veep's ten episodes - something that wasn't the case when the Emmy nominations were announced last Thursday (14 July).

"Upon review of the category, we have determined that Peter MacNicol, unfortunately, exceeds the number of episodes permissible for inclusion," the Television Academy told The Hollywood Reporter.

"This decision is in no way a diminishment of Mr. MacNicol's stellar performance on this season of Veep."

For its fifth season, Veep was nominated in the five main categories including Best Comedy Series and Best Actress for lead Julia Louis-Dreyfus. However, it's Game of Thrones and The People v OJ Simpson that lead the pack with 23 and 22 nods respectively.

This year's Emmys take place on 18 September.