Matthew Rhys Makes Emmy History With Double Lead-Acting Wins

Welsh actor Matthew Rhys made Emmy Awards history on Monday night, becoming the first person to win two lead acting prizes in a single ceremony, according to the Television Academy’s 78th Emmys winners recap and BBC News.

Rhys won outstanding lead actor in a limited series for Netflix’s The Beast in Me, then outstanding lead actor in a comedy for Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay. BBC noted that while actors including Alan Alda, Sally Field, John Goodman, Elisabeth Moss and Ted Danson have been nominated for two lead acting prizes in the same year, Rhys is the first to score a double win.

On stage, Rhys dedicated his second award “to the great and good people of Wales, who were as much a nurture as anyone else,” and said “Diolch yn fawr iawn” (“thank you very much” in Welsh), according to BBC. Backstage he said he was glad for moments that “put our flag on the map.”

The night also saw Jean Smart win best comedy actress for the fifth and final season of Hacks — her eighth Emmy overall — while Allison Janney won best supporting actress in a drama for The Diplomat, also her eighth acting Emmy, tying a shared record noted by BBC. Rhea Seehorn won her first Emmy for lead actress in a drama for Apple TV’s Pluribus. The Pitt took best drama, and Noah Wyle repeated as best lead actor in a drama.

Michael J. Fox received the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award for Parkinson’s advocacy. Stephen Colbert won best variety series after The Late Show ended in May.

For more Hollywood coverage on iShook Daily, see our Hollywood section and past awards-adjacent reporting such as Bradley Cooper and Jessica Chastain at the SAG Awards.

Sources: Television Academy — 78th Emmys winners recap; BBC News — Matthew Rhys Emmy double win.

Featured image: original illustrative awards-stage artwork for iShook Daily; not a documentary photograph of the ceremony.