Elizabeth Debicki won her first Emmy Award for her role as Diana, Princess of Wales in Netflix’s The Crown – the fictionalised drama about the royal family – at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards.
“Playing this part based on this unparalleled, incredible human being, has been my great privilege – it has been a gift,” Debicki said on stage after collecting the award for outstanding supporting actress in a drama.
Hollywood stars descended upon the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles for the second time this year to celebrate the best in television, after the September 2023 ceremony was delayed following the US writers’ and actors’ strikes.
Shogun and Hacks were awarded top series as Baby Reindeer and The Bear each took four awards
Scottish star Richard Gadd said “no matter how bad it gets, it always gets better” as he collected his first Emmy award for Netflix’s darkly quirky British series Baby Reindeer. He also won two other Emmys for producing and starring in the hit series.
His co-star Jessica Gunning also won an Emmy, making four for the series.
These Emmys awards were hosted by the father and son duo of Eugene and Dan Levy, the winning stars of the 2020 Emmys with their show Schitt’s Creek.
Hacks won the comedy series at Sunday’s Emmy Awards, topping The Bear, which took home several of the night’s honors.
Shogun won the best drama series win, collecting a whopping 18 Emmys for its first season, just one of several historic wins.
Gadd, who created and starred in the show, appeared on stage at the Peacock Theatre to collect the award for best writing for a limited or anthropology series.
“This is the stuff of dreams,” the 35-year-old, wearing a kilt, said on stage about the hit show said to be inspired by his real-life experiences. “Look, 10 years ago I was down and out. I never ever thought I’d get my life together.
“I never ever thought I’d be able to rectify myself what had happened to me and get myself back on my feet again, and then here I am, just over a decade later, picking up one of the biggest writing awards in television.
“… So if you’re struggling, keep going – keep going and I promise you things will be okay.”
His win comes after English co-star Gunning won the Emmy for best supporting actress in a limited or anthology series for playing Martha Scott, who stalks Gadd’s character Donny Dunn.
“My biggest thanks has to go to Mr Richard Gadd, I tried so many times to put into words what working on Baby Reindeer meant to me and I fail every time, so I’m going to sing,” she joked.
“Thank you for trusting me to be your Martha, I will never, ever forget her or you or this.”
The show hit the headlines after a woman claiming to be the inspiration behind Martha, filed a lawsuit against Netflix alleging the story is inaccurate.
In their opening monologue, the Levy hosting duo remarked about The Bear featuring in the comedy category following reaction that it should be categorised as a drama.
“Now, I love the show, I love the show, and I know some of you will be expecting us to make a joke about whether The Bear is really a comedy – but in the true spirit of The Bear, we will not be making any jokes,” Eugene Levy said.
The series is about a star chef (Jeremy Allen White) who returns to Chicago to run the family business after the death of his brother.
Allen White described himself as “so, so, so lucky” after picking up the Emmy for lead actor in a comedy series for his role as Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto. “This show has changed my life, it has instilled a faith that change is possible, that change is possible if you are able to reach out, you are really truly not actually alone,” he said on stage.
His win came after US actor Ebon Moss-Bachrach won best supporting actor in a comedy for his role as restaurant manager Richard “Richie” Jerimovich in The Bear. Christopher Storer picked up the directing award for a comedy series for The Bear.
The ceremony also saw Liza Colon-Zayas win an Emmy for best supporting actress for her role as Tina in The Bear, telling the audience she “revered” the women in the category including Carol Burnett and Meryl Streep.
Referencing the upcoming presidential election, she added: “To all the Latinas who are looking at me, keep believing and vote, vote for your rights.”
The FX series Shogun, about lordly politicking in feudal Japan, had already set a record for most Emmys for a single season of a series, with its 14 wins at the precursor Creative Arts Emmy Awards last weekend.
The show seized all the Emmy power in the top categories by shifting from the limited series to the drama category in May when it began developing more seasons. And it was in some ways Emmy royalty from the start. During the golden age of the miniseries, the original 1980 Shogun, based on James Clavell’s historical novel, won three including best limited series.
Veteran screen star Hiroyuki Sanada, who won the actor award, and Anna Sawai, the actress award, were the first Japanese actors to win Emmys.
Sanada had faced a challenge from Gary Oldman, who has been quietly creating one of his career defining roles on Apple TV+ as spy chief Jackson Lamb on Slow Horses.
Sawai’s competition came from Emmy luminary Jennifer Aniston of The Morning Show, who has only won once before in 10 nominations, and Imelda Staunton for playing Queen Elizabeth II on The Crown.
Sunday was a victory lap for The Bear, which took most of the big comedy Emmys home in January for its first season.
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