1 day ago
23
Key events
WINNER: Saul Metzstein (Slow Horses) — directing for a drama series
Adrian Horton
A bit of a surprise win for Slow Horses! (I, once again, assumed the Pitt would sweep). Director Saul Metzstein, who has directed much of the show’s third and fourth seasons, keeps it brief and British: “everyone gets up here and says they have the best crew ever,” he intones. “Simply not true, because we have the best crew ever.”
WINNER: Katie Dippold (Widow's Bay) — writing for a comedy series
Adrian Horton
It’s shaping up to be a Widow’s Bay sweep for the comedy awards, with show creator and “twisted mind” – so says Matthew Rhys – taking the stage. Though she claims to have always planned to play it cool, she assures the audience: “no one will ever step foot in my home without seeing this thing.” In fact, she will build a system of mirrors “so that no matter where you stand in my home, this will be in your direct eyeline.” No notes.
WINNER: Matthew Rhys (Widow's Bay) – lead actor in a comedy series
Adrian Horton
Emmys history! Matthew Rhys becomes the first actor to win two awards in one night for different series, for The Beast in Me and now for Widow’s Bay, the magnetic horror-comedy that exists “because of the depraved and twisted mind of Katie Dippold”
Speaking to a very, very warm room on their feet, the ever-delightful Welshman thanks “the crew of all crews [that] carry us,” his parents “who kicked me on to stage at a very early age”, his sister and “the great and good people of Wales”, the “small but mighty nation” that raised him. And with that triumph, he signs off in Welsh (to the cheers of a very happy Keri Russell).
WINNER: Sally Field (Remarkably Bright Creatures) – lead actress in a limited or anthology series
Adrian Horton
Another surprise! I don’t think many people saw Sally Field walking away tonight with her fourth all-time Emmy win, and she looks as delighted as everyone else to witness it.
She speeds through many, many thanks, correctly noting that “the story of an old woman, a young man and an octopus doesn’t come around too much” before ending up, somehow, with Canada? “Blessed Canada, our neighbors, our friends!” and a nod to her many, many years in the arts – “62 years, or something,” she laughs:
We can’t let those voices be silenced, or compromised, or merged.
Sian Cain
The Pitt came into this year’s Emmys with 25 nominations, up from 13 last year – but with such a talented cast, many of those nominees were in competition with each other in the supporting acting categories. It appears such dominance may have split the vote, with the supporting actor nominees (Patrick Ball, Shawn Hatosy and Gerran Howell) and supporting actress nominees (Sepideh Moafi, Fiona Dourif and Katherine LaNasa) all missing out.
Adrian Horton
Well, we got a brief reprieve from the onslaught of awards via another one of those “cool, pretaped segments in support of the host” – so says noted Law & Order: SVU fan Taylor Swift, pitching in at SVU headquarters to help Detective Olivia Benson (the character) solve the pressing question of “will Taylor Swift show up to the Emmys?” alongside Detective Olivia Benson (the cat).
The answer is no, alas, but the very conspiratorial way of getting there serves as a nice, if polite, send-up of Swiftie Easter-egging.
WINNER: Tom Pelphrey (Task) – supporting actor in a drama series
Adrian Horton
Another dramatic supporting actor surprise! It’s looking like the many Pitt nominees have split the vote but I’m happy for underdog Tom Pelphrey of Task. “I thank God for my life and my sobriety,” the first-time winner says, looking slightly overwhelmed, before shouting out his costal, “the beautiful Mark Ruffalo” and very pregnant (and sobbing) partner Kaley Cuoco.
WINNER: Noah Wyle (The Pitt) – lead actor in a drama series
Adrian Horton
First of all, we’ll be returning to John Mulaney’s presenting, which was easily the best bit of the evening so far. But this win is about Noah Wyle, now back-to-back best actor on what is looking like another big night for The Pitt.
The former ER star first thanks his fellow nominee Gary Oldman – “I don’t know if there’s an actor my age who didn’t look at your work in Sid and Nancy and think that’s the benchmark I want to hit in my career” – before turning to the cast and crew of PTMC.
We’re going to be back there hittin’ it hard tomorrow morning!
And finally, this self-described “Hollywood kid” addresses the whole room:
This is all I’ve ever wanted to do and this is the only club I’ve wanted to join. Thank you for accepting me.
WINNER: The Traitors – reality competition series
Adrian Horton
The Traitors dominance continues! For the third straight year, Alan Cumming and co are victorious not only for reality competition series but for all six awards it was nominated for this year.
Cumming, accepting on behalf of the team, promises the additional wins inspires them to “do better and to go bigger” – oh boy – thanks his dog as co-host, and marvels that “a show about treachery and betrayal brings people together” before, on a more serious note, reminding Americans that US voter registration starts tomorrow.
WINNER: Stephen Root (Widow's Bay) – supporting actor in a comedy series
Adrian Horton
Widow’s Bay is two for two so far, with the first Emmys win for Stephen Root, playing the gruff heart, more or less, of the haunted would-be Martha’s Vineyard.
“I’m thrilled and delighted,” he says, “but the reason I’m up here is Katie Dippold, Katie Dippold, Katie Dippold” – the show’s creator – along with series director Hiro Murai and co-stars Matthew Rhys and Kate O’Flynn, whose “comic stylings” are “the best thing in the 21st century” (I’ll take it!)
He also shouted out Harrison Ford, who would’ve been the oldest Emmy winner yet had he won, for “all your many years of great, great acting”.
Sian Cain
An extra historic detail about Jean Smart’s win for her performance on Hacks: this was her fifth award for lead comedy actress in five seasons, making her the first female performer ever to take home an Emmy for every season of a show. (Hacks finished this year.)
WINNER: Rhea Seehorn (Pluribus) – leading actress in a drama series
Adrian Horton
Better Call Saul fans, rejoice! The beloved and perennially under-awarded star of Pluribus, twice nominated for her work in the Breaking Bad spin-off, is finally an Emmy winner for dramatic actress.
“This is me on a beta blocker, it’s pretty bad,” she jokes through tears, before thanking the show’s cast and crew and fellow nominees – including, again, apparent Emmys star Keri Russell, who it seems sent Seehorn a pre-show card quoting the late Gloria Steinem: “We are linked, not ranked.”
“I feel that way about all you women,” says Seehorn, “so thank you for that.”
She also shouts out Pluribus/Better Call Saul creator Vince Gilligan, “for giving me not only the role of a lifetime but creating sets where we all get to collaborate and we actually all get to feel safe to take risks as artists”.
WINNER: Allison Janney (The Diplomat) – supporting actress in a drama series
Adrian Horton
Wow, it’s a good day to be cheered by Keri Russell – her co-star in The Diplomat. Allison Janney is a bit of an upset in this category, which most pundits (myself included) assumed would go to one of the women from The Pitt.
Like Rhys, Janney – who now has eight wins, the most for any actress in Emmys history! – seems truly “very surprised and very grateful to be here”. And she thanks, of course, “the coolest woman on the planet, Keri Russell”, who stands and cheers.
WINNER: Matthew Rhys (The Beast in Me) – lead actor in a limited or anthology series
Adrian Horton
Oh, wow, I thought Matthew Rhys was a lock for best comedy actor (for Widow’s Bay) but not this, which could make him a rare double winner tonight … and he seems a bit overwhelmed by the prospect? He says:
This is a real shock, not least because of the caliber and company of the actors in this category.
He shouts out the show’s “holy trinity” of writers and his “intimidating scene partner”, the one and only Claire Danes. The cutaway to Keri Russell beaming proudly is greatly appreciated!
WINNER: Jean Smart (Hacks) – outstanding lead actress in a comedy series
Jean Smart, who seems genuinely moved even after EIGHT Emmy wins (five from Hacks alone), thanks the room, then orders all the men to stay standing and let the women sit down.
Smart now ties for the most acting wins in Primetime Emmy history, tied with Cloris Leachman and Julia Louis-Dreyfus who also have eight. (Leachman also has a daytime Emmy.)
WINNER: Kate O'Flynn (Widow's Bay) – supporting actress in a comedy series
Adrian Horton
An early opening salvo for what could be a huge night for Widow’s Bay! Kate O’Flynn, arguably the best part of this delightful spooky series, seems genuinely shocked to win her first major US acting award.
“This is the role of a lifetime,” she beams, thanking the show’s creators for “trusting this Lancashire lass to play a sassy broad like a Patricia”:
She adds: “This is for all the Patricias out there” – read: social outcast weirdos with a deadpan sense of humor and a knack for the attracting the occult – “See you at sunset cocktails.”
It's showtime!
Adrian Horton
And we’re off! The stars are seated, host Mariska Hargitay has taken the stage and the 78th annual Primetime Emmy awards are under way. Everyone’s fave Captain Olivia Benson is joined by none other than New York Knicks star (and her No 1 fan) Jalen Brunson for a pre-taped segment in which the two are steaming dresses, leading to a song in which she sings the praises of loving TV screens to the tune of I Love Rock’n’ Roll (with a little help from Jeff Hiller, Jean Smart and Jennifer Coolidge, who I wish was doing this montage instead …)
Hargitay is, by her own admission, not a comedian but she fares better in the live element (perhaps it’s that Broadway training!), taking the stage at the Peacock Theater with a joke about the seemingly 100-year tenure on Law & Order: SVU and being the first woman to host the Emmys in 15 years. “Imagine that, for 15 straight years, Amy and Tina said no,” she quipped.
After another bit botching the word “finale” – “I’m sorry guys, I’ve just never had one!” – she takes a seemingly serious and sincere turn:
I am truly, deeply moved and so incredibly grateful to be in a room full of people who have dedicated their lives to telling stories.
… which evolves into a parody of the heavily meme-d Nicole Kidman AMC intro, interrupted by Kidman herself. “Zip it movie lady, it’s TV’s night!” Hargitay shouts. Onwards!
Adrian Horton
Does Nicole Kidman rest? Fresh off the promo circuit for Practical Magic 2, the Aussie star is a late but always welcome addition to the red carpet:
