Matthew Rhys made television history at the 78th Emmy Awards in Los Angeles by winning two leading acting trophies in a single night.
Matthew Rhys Makes History with Dual Lead Acting Wins
Welsh actor Matthew Rhys made history as the first performer to capture two leading acting honors in different categories during the same Emmy telecast. The 51-year-old actor claimed Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Mayor Tom Loftis on Widow’s Bay, and earlier in the evening earned Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for The Beast in Me.
My apologies to the women who had to stand again. Stephen Root is right, this is purely because of the depraved and twisted mind of Katie Dippold, and her genius really does live in the recesses of her disturbed brain. It is also because of my hero, Hiro Murai, so beautifully, as did all of them.
Matthew Rhys, via Daily Mail
In the comedy field, Rhys outpaced an impressive group of nominees including Yahya Abdul-Mateen II for Wonder Man, Steve Carell for Rooster, Jason Segel for Shrinking, Martin Short for Only Murders in the Building, and his own co-star Dale Dickey. For his dramatic mini-series win, he triumphed over Riz Ahmed for Bait, Jason Bateman for Black Rabbit, Charlie Hunnam for Monster: The Ed Gein Story, and Oscar Isaac for Beef.
Jean Smart Sweeps Final Season and Allison Janney Surprises
Jean Smart cemented her legendary status by winning her fifth best actress award in a comedy for the fifth and final season of Hacks. The victory brings her career total to eight Emmy Awards. No actor has captured an Emmy every year for a television series lasting more than three seasons.
What a ride this has been.
Jean Smart, via The Globe and Mail
While Hacks entered the evening as the top nominee among comedies, its dominance faced strong competition from rookie upstart Widow’s Bay. Breakout star Kate O’Flynn took best supporting actress in a comedy for her performance as city worker Patricia Moyer on the Apple TV horror-comedy. The first-year series had already accumulated eight Emmys during pre-show ceremonies.
Meanwhile, the drama categories delivered a notable upset when Allison Janney won best supporting actress in a drama, besting four separate nominees from the heavily nominated real-time emergency room drama The Pitt, including last year’s winner Katherine LaNasa. Janney’s win ties her with Smart as an eight-time Emmy winner.
Rhea Seehorn Triumphs in Drama and Noah Wyle Wins for The Pitt
Rhea Seehorn earned a major victory in the Lead Actress in a Drama category for her work in Vince Gilligan’s ambitious project Pluribus. Seehorn defeated a formidable field that included Zendaya for the third and final season of Euphoria, Carrie Coon for The Gilded Age, Chase Infiniti for The Testaments, and Keri Russell for The Diplomat.
we are linked, not ranked.
Rhea Seehorn quoting Gloria Steinem, via Daily Mail
Noah Wyle secured recognition for his role as Dr. Michael ‘Robby’ Robinavitch on The Pitt, capturing Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Wyle outpaced Sterling K. Brown for Paradise, Gary Oldman for Slow Horses, Mark Ruffalo for Task, and Rufus Sewell for The Diplomat. The emergency room drama led all contenders with 25 total nominations for the evening.
Ceremony Milestones and Broadcast Highlights
The NBC telecast opened with a musical tribute titled I Love TV Screens
, performed by Mariska Hargitay to the tune of I Love Rock ’n’ Roll
. Hargitay noted her tenure on Law & Order: SVU, coinciding with NBC’s centennial celebration. The opening sequence also featured appearances by NBA champion Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks and actor Jennifer Coolidge.
As the television academy handed out its final trophies, veteran screen presence Harrison Ford entered the race as a favorite for best supporting actor in a comedy for portraying a therapist coping with Parkinson’s disease on Shrinking, which could yield his first competitive Hollywood award.
