Widow's Bay, the Apple TV horror comedy, swept the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday night, winning all six categories it was nominated in, including Outstanding Comedy Series, as star Matthew Rhys became the first actor to win two leading acting Emmys in different categories on the same night.
On the drama side, HBO Max's The Pitt was once again the big winner, taking home Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Noah Wyle, the same honors it won at last year's ceremony.
Widow's Bay beat Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Hacks, Margo's Got Money Troubles, Nobody Wants This, Only Murders in the Building and Shrinking for the top comedy prize. The series is set in the fictional New England island town of Widow's Bay, afflicted by a centuries-old curse that brings supernatural evils upon its residents. Besides Rhys, top acting honors went to Kate O'Flynn and Stephen Root for supporting actress and actor in a comedy series.
Matthew Rhys makes history
Rhys, 51, won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Widow's Bay, beating Yahya Abdul-Mateen II for Wonder Man, Steve Carell for Rooster, Jason Segel for Shrinking, Martin Short for Only Murders in the Building and co-star Dale Dickey. He had already won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for The Beast in Me earlier in the night, beating Riz Ahmed for Bait, Jason Bateman for Black Rabbit, Charlie Hunnam for Monster: The Ed Gein Story and Oscar Isaac for Beef.
Accepting his second award of the night, Rhys joked: "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."
In Widow's Bay, the Welsh actor plays Tom Loftis, the mayor of the town, a mainlander who is initially skeptical of local superstitions about the island's curse. His character is a widower and father to a son, Evan, from his marriage to his deceased wife, Lauren. In The Beast in Me, Rhys plays Nile Jarvis, the son of a real estate magnate who moves next door to Aggie Wiggs, played by Claire Danes, in Oyster Bay, New York, after allegedly killing his first wife.
Widow's Bay's supporting wins
Kate O'Flynn, 40, earned the night's first award, winning Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Widow's Bay, beating Hannah Einbinder and Megan Stalter of Hacks, Janelle James of Abbott Elementary, Michelle Pfeiffer of Margo's Got Money Troubles and Jessica Williams of Shrinking. She plays Patricia Moyer, Loftis's eccentric assistant, considered a social outcast among former classmates who believe she lied about being targeted by a serial killer known as the Boogeyman in high school.
Stephen Root, 74, won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, beating Colman Domingo for The Four Seasons, Paul W. Downs for Hacks, Harrison Ford for Shrinking, Nick Offerman for Margo's Got Money Troubles, Michael Urie for Shrinking and Tyler James Williams for Abbott Elementary. He plays Wyck Crawford, an outspoken believer in the town's supernatural history who clashes with Loftis over his refusal to believe in the curse.
The Pitt dominates the drama categories
The Pitt led the night with 25 nominations, the most of any series, before winning Outstanding Drama Series over The Diplomat, The Gilded Age, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Paradise, Pluribus, Slow Horses and Your Friends and Neighbors. Creator R. Scott Gemmill accepted the award and used his speech to reflect on storytelling in the age of artificial intelligence. "It is so hard to tell what is real and what we can believe anymore, which makes telling honest stories about real human struggles so much more important than ever," he said. "People need to know the truth, and we need to continue to tell them that in whatever way we can, in whatever form we can."
The Pitt follows healthcare workers at a Pittsburgh hospital as they navigate personal crises, workplace politics and the emotional toll of treating critically ill patients. Noah Wyle, 55, won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for playing Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch, who deals with trauma and unresolved post-COVID stress. He beat Sterling K. Brown for Paradise, Gary Oldman for Slow Horses, Mark Ruffalo for Task and Rufus Sewell for The Diplomat.
Rhea Seehorn, 54, pulled off one of the night's biggest upsets, beating Zendaya to win Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Pluribus, created by Breaking Bad's Vince Gilligan. She also beat Carrie Coon for The Gilded Age, Chase Infiniti for The Testaments and Keri Russell for The Diplomat. Seehorn thanked her fellow nominees, singling out Russell, "who sent us a lovely gift and a card, quoting, sadly we didn't know we would lose her so soon, but quoting Gloria Steinem saying, 'we are linked, not ranked.' And I feel that way about all you women." Steinem, the American journalist and activist, died earlier this month at 92. In Pluribus, Seehorn plays Carol Sturka, one of the few people immune to a mysterious wave of forced happiness who must uncover what is really happening in order to save humanity from artificial bliss.
Jean Smart sets a record
Jean Smart, 75, won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Hacks for the fifth year in a row, marking her eighth Emmy overall from her 15th nomination. The win came as Hacks wrapped its fifth and final season. Zendaya presented her with the award, and an emotional Smart thanked her children, Connor and Forrest, before dedicating the win to the show's creators: "But this one I am dedicating to Jen Statsky, Lucia Aniello, and Paul W. Downs. It all begins and ends with them. I love you guys so much. Thank you. Thank you all so much."
Sally Field's surprise win
Sally Field, 79, won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Remarkably Bright Creatures, beating Claire Danes for The Beast in Me, Carey Mulligan for Beef, Sarah Pidgeon for Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette and Sarah Snook for All Her Fault. She plays Tova Sullivan, an elderly cleaning lady at a Washington State aquarium who forms a bond with a younger drifter, Cameron, played by Lewis Pullman, during night shifts.
Michael J. Fox honored for advocacy
Michael J. Fox, 65, received the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award, moving guests including his Shrinking co-star Harrison Ford and Nicole Kidman to tears as he discussed being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at age 29 in 1991. He was brought onstage in a wheelchair by presenter and former The Good Wife co-star Julianna Margulies before receiving a standing ovation.
Fox recalled keeping his diagnosis secret at first: "I worried it would affect my work and relationships with audiences. Would they laugh if they knew I was sick?" He said the support of fans kept him going: "I was stunned by the support from all of you, so uplifted and I hadn't lost what I do. They couldn't take it away from me. And it's because you stood up for me." He said accepting Parkinson's "didn't mean I had to surrender to it," and described funding research through the Michael J. Fox Foundation before thanking his wife of 38 years, Tracy Pollan, and their four children "for their sacrifices, for their patience, and for their love."
A star-studded ceremony
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards took place at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles on Monday night. Law & Order: SVU star and executive producer Mariska Hargitay hosted the ceremony, the first woman to do so in 15 years, opening with a prerecorded segment featuring New York Knicks NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson. On the red carpet, Zendaya and Selena Gomez led the glamour in metallic gowns, while Nicole Kidman wore white Chanel. Zendaya's husband, Tom Holland, later joined her inside the ceremony. A total of 555 programs were submitted for nominations across 14 categories this year, down 7.5% from 600 the previous year, including 110 dramas, 71 comedies, 31 limited or anthology series, 34 movies, 18 variety series and 45 reality competition shows.
