The Emmy Awards have wrapped. “Big Little Lies” was a big winner along with Donald Glover, “Saturday Night Live” and “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Lena Waithe made history as the first black woman to win for writing in a comedy series, “Handmaid’s” was the first streaming show to win drama, and Donald Glover was the first black man to win directing in comedy. Check out our behind-the-scenes stories, fashion breakdowns and red carpet interviews.
Donald Glover at the Emmys: ‘It’s been a pretty good year. I know everyone else is having an awful one, but mine is OK’
Dressed in a smart purple suit and looking pleasantly dazed, Donald Glover entered the press room Sunday night clutching the two Emmys that helped him make history. One for best director for a comedy series, and the other for best actor in the same series, “Atlanta.”
“I feel crazy,” Glover said. “I’m all right. It’s been a pretty good year. I know everyone else is having an awful one, but mine is OK.”
Like many others who came to the backstage podium, he touched on politics.
“I don’t really have much to say other than what I said; it’s pretty obvious people in dystopian societies don’t realize they’re in dystopian societies. I just want people to be aware, I think people are aware.”
Glover credited his history of working alongside incredible directors, including Ridley Scott, with helping him become a director in his own right.
“Directors usually don’t get to work with other directors, but I’ve gotten to work with a bunch of great directors. I’ve had a lot of research, so I guess it paid off.”
Despite the excitement surrounding his Emmy wins, Glover said he has not even begun to process what it all means.
“It has not sunk in at all. I don’t know what’s happening right now, it feels like a dream,” he said. “I don’t want to make the best indie movie, I want to make the best movie. I don’t believe in labels like that. I’m glad I made history, but that’s not what I was trying to do. I was trying to make the best product. I just wanted to make a really great show.”
Here’s how ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ writer-producer and double winner Bruce Miller got ready for the Emmys
Before he became a double Emmy winner-- for both drama series and writing for a drama series-- and before he helped Hulu make streaming TV history, “The Handmaid’s Tale” producer spent Emmy morning, well, watching television.
“I sat with my daughter and watched ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’” Bruce Miller said when we asked him on the red carpet about his Emmy pre-game.
Gee, maybe there is something to be said about the power of strong female characters, Hollywood.
Praise be.
Lorne Michaels on TV in turbulent times: ‘People trust television — certainly, our president does’
To say that “Saturday Night Live” has experienced a renaissance this year with one of its most politically charged seasons would be as understated as Alec Baldwin’s pursed lips when he’s impersonating Trump.
Asked about the importance of TV in turbulent times, Lorne Michaels, the creator and executive producer of the late-night sketch comedy show, says it comes down to trust.
“I think on a certain level, people trust television — certainly, our president does,” Michaels told The Times on the Emmys red carpet.
“The hard part of this last season was things were changing so quickly,” he added. “Something that you wrote on Wednesday was no longer relevant by Friday. ...You have to keep up. And when people are following the news, and paying attention the way they were this entire election, it helps us.”
That boost translated to nine Emmy wins this year for the show, including a win for variety sketch series as well as a supporting actor in a comedy series win for Baldwin and supporting actress for Kate McKinnon, who portrayed Hillary Clinton.
For more on “Saturday Night Live’s” big night, check out Times staff writer Meredith Blake’s piece here.
Watch Stephen Colbert explain why everything’s better on TV
Stephen Colbert understands that sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name. Scratch that. Where you know everybody’s name. Because they’re on TV. And you’re watching it.
Regardless, the host of the 2017 Emmy Awards opened his show with a song-and-dance number reminding the world that when, well, the world gets to be a little too much, there’s always refuge to be found on television.
As delightful as Colbert’s performance is, the entire bit is elevated by a surprise appearance by Chance the Rapper, who implored viewers to watch TV, sure, but to also not blind themselves to the pressing social issues of our time.
Chance’s rap in full:
Yo, Stephen, what a beautiful segue
Let me take over, I can make us some headway
I love television, it’s a pleasant distraction
But just imagine taking action
I like “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” in fact I’m addicted
But where’s the cop show where one gets convicted?
I miss the classics, I still think “MASH” rocks
But if Hawkeye can be a soldier, why not Laverne Cox
“Bob’s Burgers” make you smile, but please don’t ignore
The decline of the independent, family-run store
I get them finales they got you focused
Just record the show and try to show up at the protest
Ya heard
The song can be heard in full above. And read more about Colbert’s hosting gig here.
The stars aligned for the glittery Governors Ball, the Emmys’ official after-party
After the Emmy Awards wrapped, it was off to the Governors Ball, the evening’s official post-party celebration.
Nobody who was anybody escaped the river of formally clad folks walking from the Microsoft Theater to the nearby L.A. Convention Center, where a score of stairs awaited those who’d been walking in heels all day. Jimmy Kimmel was spotted making the trip, as were Priyanka Chopra, GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis and directing nominee Lesli Linka Glatter.
Tables packed with glasses of Champagne and bottles of water greeted the guests as they reached their destination and entered a room that had been transformed for the evening.
Massive Emmy statues flanked the entry and dots of blue light looked like stars on a dark sky surrounding the festivities. Hanging from the ceiling were hundreds — maybe thousands? — of gold tubes that gave the effect of walking through the heart of a fantastical pipe organ.
In the middle of the room, a round, tiered, rotating stage rose toward the ceiling. As the celebration began, a quartet of women in shining gold dresses played the strings on instrumental renditions of tunes by Michael Jackson, Bruno Mars and Journey. The dancing wouldn’t start until much later.
Susan Sarandon arrived promptly, chatting while Seth MacFarlane fought the flow of bodies to pop back outside for a bit. Debra Messing made her way across the room, and Thandie Newton simply glowed as the hundreds of guests streamed in.
At a table in the A-list cluster of seats, presenter Anika Noni Rose of BET’s “The Quad,” chiffon skirt surrounding her like a pink cloud, tucked into the Patina Catering meal right off the bat. Alec Baldwin flew solo past her, toting his third Emmy as if he had carried one around his whole life.
Staff in tuxedos, gold bow ties and white gloves stood at the ready at half a dozen engraving stations near the back of the large ballroom, waiting to personalize the winners’ statues. Along with a trophy, each winner took home a pricey, specially packaged silver bottle of Sterling wine.
The meal started off with a salad laden with heirloom tomatoes, plums, red quinoa and balsamic jelly. Pan-roasted filet mignon with roasted grapes, purple potatoes and a horseradish puree followed, topped off by a finger-thin brownie bar with dulce de leche and roasted cherries.
Two hours into the party, the number of famous faces still in the crowd was remarkable. To name a few: Sterling K Brown and his wife, “Atlanta’s” LaKeith Stanfield, Dave Chappelle, Chris Sullivan of “This Is Us,” Jeffrey Wright of “Westworld,” Cicely Tyson and Padma Lakshmi.
Then it was off to a long line of black SUV limos and shuttles waiting to take people off to other parties thrown by HBO, Netflix, Hulu and more — with a Groundwork coffee bar strategically placed on the way out, to give the guests a boost and keep the night’s parties going.
Sterling K. Brown’s Emmys speech was cut off but Nicole Kidman’s wasn’t. Viewers noticed
Just like the “This is Us” star himself, folks in the audience were annoyed that Sterling K. Brown was played off during his acceptance speech for lead actor in a drama at Sunday night’s Emmy Awards. “Nobody got that loud music,” he said from the stage as he got the wrap-up sign and the crowd in the Microsoft Theater began booing when his microphone was cut.
The moment felt extra galling given that when Nicole Kidman gave her speech for lead actress in a limited series for “Big Little Lies,” the orchestra never began playing and she talked for far longer, 2:46 vs Brown’s 1:57.
Later, in the press room, Brown reclaimed his time to share more thanks to his real and TV families. (For another 1:25.)
And of “This is Us” creator Dan Fogelman he said, “In his own little, small, special way, he’s not trying to make America great again, he’s trying to make America the best it’s ever been.”
See his heartfelt remarks above.
The biggest Trump burns from the 2017 Emmy Awards
Hollywood came for President Trump at the 2017 Emmy Awards. Many nominees, presenters and winners took aim at the president from the Microfost Theater stage. Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin even pulled out old quotes from their 1980 classic “9 to 5” call
The stars of Sunday’s Emmy Awards had plenty to say about Donald Trump during a night when it seemed as if everyone from host Stephen Colbert to the winners took a shot at the president.
“At long last, Mr. President, here is your Emmy,” said Alec Baldwin upon winning the Emmy for supporting actor in a comedy series for his work on “Saturday Night Live.”
Week after week during the 2016-17 television season, Baldwin took to the “SNL” stage with his now famous Trump impression.
Baldwin’s dig took aim at the fact that Trump, though nominated, never won an Emmy for “Celebrity Apprentice,” which even Colbert mentioned earlier in the show.
But the night was just beginning. “9 to 5” stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin -- with a no-comment Dolly Parton in the middle of them -- referenced the premise of their own movie to call Trump a “sexist egotistical lying hypocritical bigot.”
“Atlanta’s” Donald Glover used his winner’s speech to thank “Trump, for making black people No. 1 on the most oppressed list.”
“Veep’s” Julia Louis-Dreyfus even mentioned an abandoned story line involving impeachment.
Watch some of the harshest Trump burns from the 2017 Emmys in the clip above.
Here’s what Hillary Clinton thought about Kate McKinnon’s Emmy-winning ‘SNL’ tribute
Former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was among the memorable figures frequently spoofed by two-time Emmy Award winner Kate McKinnon on “Saturday Night Live.”
During Sunday’s Primetime Emmy Awards, McKinnon picked up her second trophy for supporting actress in a comedy and during an emotional acceptance speech thanked the former presidential hopeful for her “grace and grit.”
It was an interesting choice of words, given that Clinton’s recently released memoir, “What Happened,” touched upon McKinnon’s take on the candidate following her loss to Donald Trump in the November election. The chapter was titled “Grit and Gratitude.” ABC News’ Chris Donovan tweeted a picture of the excerpt about McKinnon on Sunday night.
“On the Saturday after the election, I turned on ‘Saturday Night Live’ and watched Kate McKinnon open the show with her impression of me one more time. She sat at a grand piano and played ‘Hallelujah’.... As she sang, it seemed like she was fighting back tears. Listening, so was I,” Clinton wrote.
“At the end, Kate-as-Hillary turned to the camera and said, ‘I’m not giving up and neither should you.’”
Watch the clip below.
See Stephen Colbert take aim at President Trump, Bill Maher and more in his Emmys monologue
Stephen Colbert came locked and loaded for his monologue at last night’s Emmy Awards ceremony, and had plenty of targets in his sights.
The host of “The Late Show” was nothing if not consistent, mocking President Trump throughout his opening remarks, just as he typically does nightly on his show.
But the joke may have ultimately been on Colbert himself, with his introduction of Sean Spicer in a painfully unfunny gag about crowd size that left a bad taste in the mouths of many.
To see Colbert’s remarks in full — including a sick burn on Bill Maher — check out the video above. Read all about the highlights of Colbert’s Emmys opening salvo here.
Kate McKinnon steps out with girlfriend Jackie Abbott at the Emmys
“Saturday Night Live” star Kate McKinnon stepped out with her girlfriend on Sunday when she picked up her second trophy for supporting actress in a comedy series at the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards.
The “Rough Night” and “Office Christmas Party” actress, who memorably played presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton on the long-running NBC sketch comedy, was accompanied by Jackie Abbott, whom McKinnon hugged when Gina Rodriguez and Shemar Moore announced that she had won.
It was McKinnon’s first public appearance with Abbott, a New York-based actress, photographer and artist, according to People. The comedic actress was last spotted out with Abbott in April 2016 backstage at a performance of Broadway’s “Fun/Home,” People said.
“Being part of this season of ‘Saturday Night Live’ was the most meaningful thing that I will ever do. So I should probably stop now,” the emotional McKinnon said during her acceptance speech.
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Riding high on Trump, ‘SNL’ wins big at the Emmys
Issa Rae, RuPaul, Milo Ventimiglia and more on the last show they had an emotional response to
At the 2017 Emmy Awards we asked the people responsible for making “Peak TV”: “What is the last show you had a strong, emotional response to?”
The answers ran the gamut of the recent Emmy nomination list, with many, many nominees and presenters picking eventual drama series winner “The Handmaid’s Tale” as the show that elicited strong feelings.
John Turturro from “The Night Of” name-checked the Margaret Atwood adaptation (because “unfortunately, it seems very relevant”) as did Emmy winner RuPaul Charles and “Feud’s” Jackie Hoffman.
Meanwhile, Milo Ventimiglia from “This Is Us” offered a variety of titles including limited series winner “Big Little Lies,” “Stranger Things” and this surprising reveal: “At times even ‘Big Bang Theory’ gets me.”
“The Night Of” star Michael Kenneth Williams picked the last season of “Shameless,” and guest actor in a drama series winner Gerald McRaney of “This is Us” reached back to extol his affection for previous Emmy favorite “Downton Abbey.”
Of Carson, Bates, Edith and the gang, the former star of “Major Dad” said, “I loved those people.”
Jackie Hoffman had the best reaction when she lost the Emmy to Laura Dern (#soreloser)
If there’s one thing new Hollywood could learn from old Hollywood, it’s the value of a celebrity feud. Luckily, actress Jackie Hoffman is bringing vendettas back to the forefront – even in jest.
Hoffman, who portrayed Mamacita on FX’s “Feud: Bette and Joan,” which detailed the complicated rivalry between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, looked to start a competition of her own after losing the Emmy for supporting actress in a limited series or movie to Laura Dern.
Hoffman delivered an outsized reaction to the announcement of the winner Sunday night, yelling “damn it!” and hitting the seat in front of her in what appeared to be a delicious moment of reality among the facade of smiles and polite clapping.
She then turned to Twitter to share some salacious rumors she had heard about six-time nominee Dern, including tales of exploitation and art looting.
Hoffman’s outlandish tweets harkened to the catty backstabbing depicted in “Feud,” where Crawford and Davis actively worked to undermine the other’s chance at an Oscar for “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?”
Still, Hoffman didn’t let the ruse go on too long, tweeting later in the ceremony, “I hear the media actually taking my reaction seriously? Are you kidding me?”
Inside the Governors Ball with Elisabeth Moss, Donald Glover and more stars of the 2017 Emmy Awards
As the last of the winners wrap up their remarks, the Emmy Awards telecast comes to an end. But that does not mean the night is completely over.
For some, including “The Handmaid’s Tale’s” Elisabeth Moss, “Atlanta’s” Donald Glover and “Master of None’s” Lena Waithe, the celebration continues at the glitzy after-party held just across the street.
The theme of this year’s Governors Ball was “Golden Grandeur.” The ceiling at the Los Angeles Convention Center was decorated with more than 5,000 gold-colored, paper tubes to set the mood.
Here’s a peek inside the official 2017 Emmys after-party.
Creators of Emmy-winning ‘Veep’ on the differences between their show’s insane politics and the real world
Sunday was a good night for HBO’s “Veep.” The political satire, a two-time Emmy-winning comedy series about the first female POTUS, not only received 17 Emmy nominations in all but took home the Emmy for best comedy series.
With a mix of cast and series creators behind them, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and executive producer David Mandel addressed the crowd.
“In our show, when Selina does something horrible or lies, she gets caught and actually pays a price for it,” Mandel said, alluding to President Trump.
On whether the evening’s wins for women indicate a permanent shift in Hollywood, Louis-Dreyfus jumped in: “God, I hope so; let’s hope this is the beginning of something even better in our country -- and in the world -- because I think the world would be a better place if more women were in charge,” she said.
Then she turned to Mandel: “Right, David?!”
“You ARE in charge,” Mandel replied. “You’re my boss!”
Aziz Ansari and Lena Waithe asked to step aside for the cast of ‘Big Little Lies’
There was an awkward moment in the press room when Lena Waithe and Aziz Ansari of “Master of None” were asked to step aside at the Emmys on Sunday night to make way for the cast and crew of “Big Little Lies,” fresh off their win for limited series.
Although it had been announced that the group from “Big Little Lies” was coming up next, Waithe and Ansari walked in holding their Emmys. Waithe had just made history as the first black woman to win for comedy writing and the two stood by awkwardly while the “Big Little Lies” cast failed to emerge.
Instead of being ushered to the podium to take questions since they were there, Waithe and Ansari were escorted to the side where they waited patiently through a long question-and-answer session once the “Big Little Lies” team arrived. (The situation would’ve been uncomfortable regardless of which shows were involved, but the optics weren’t great.)
After a while, Ansari took Waithe’s picture at the side of the podium. They later gamely took to the stage after being introduced, not by their names as many winners were, but simply as the winners of writing in a comedy series.
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ cast celebrates a night of wins with dystopian-themed cocktails
It was just before 10 p.m., and the cast of “The Handmaid’s Tale” hadn’t yet arrived at Hulu’s Emmy party at downtown L.A.’s Otium — the curse of being winners and making the media rounds at the Microsoft Theater. Their presence was felt in other ways, though — like with specialty cocktails: “Blessed be the Fruit,” “Praise Be” and “Under His Eye.”
By 11 p.m., the cast began making their way into the Hulu party.
Samira Wiley was among the first to arrive.
How are she and her fellow handmaidens processing their big showing at the Emmys?
“We’re all freaking out, are you kidding me?” Wiley said as she walked into the party. “We just keep looking at each other screaming. This has been an amazing night.”
When “The Handmaid’s Tale” author Margaret Atwood walked in, party attendees cheered. “No one thought it was just a show,” Atwood said of the series adapted from her 1985 novel. “When people woke up on Nov. 9, no one felt it was just a show.”
Star Elisabeth Moss appeared shortly after, holding two Emmys, one for her win as actress in a drama and one as a producer on the series.
“This is a pretty great workout,” Moss said, curling the trophies like hand weights. “I’m going to be sore tomorrow.”
Writer-producer Bruce Miller, who also took home a pair of Emmys for the series, said, “I’m feeling a little overwhelmed right now. But I’m so happy and proud of everybody. They all deserve it so much and they work so hard.”
It wasn’t just Sean Spicer: How Donald Glover, Lena Waithe and, yes, Julia Louis-Dreyfus made Emmys history
This year’s Emmys were memorable for a number of reasons, and not just for Anna Chlumsky’s shocked reaction when Sean Spicer rolled that lectern onstage.
Donald Glover, the multi-hyphenate behind FX’s groundbreaking comedy “Atlanta,” became the first black director to win an Emmy for comedy direction. Glover won for “B.A.N.,” an experimental stand-alone episode set in “Atlanta’s” alternate-universe Black Entertainment Television. It was one of the first-year series’ best episodes, blistering in its honest and funny look at race, outrage culture and black masculinity.
Glover also won the Emmy for lead actor in a comedy, becoming just the second black man to take that award. Robert Guillaume won for “Benson” in 1985.
Lena Waithe, the first black woman ever nominated for comedy writing, took that Emmy for the “Master of None” episode “Thanksgiving,” which she co-wrote with series creator Aziz Ansari. The episode’s story, inspired by Waithe’s own life, followed her character, Denise, discovering her sexuality over the course of her life and finally revealing it to her mother.
“I had survived that thing that I was so afraid of,” Waithe told The Times of her coming-out experience.
Watch Stephen Colbert wake up naked in a ‘Westworld’ diagnostic facility
It turns out Stephen Colbert may be more than the typical Emmy “host.”
Or so viewers were led to believe during a skit that transported the Emmy emcee to the world of “Westworld.”
When Colbert started spouting gibberish on stage, two people clad in hazmat suits appeared to drag him away. When Colbert came to, he was face to face with Jeffrey Wright, a.k.a. Bernard from HBO’s “Westworld.”
In “Westworld,” the androids that populate the immersive theme park are known as “hosts.” What follows is Wright running a diagnostic on Colbert.
“Have you ever questioned the nature of your reality?” asks Wright.
“Every day since November 8th,” answers Colbert.
Watch the full segment above.
Margaret Atwood talks about her Emmy win: ‘You can say the handmaids have escaped’
With “Game of Thrones” debuting too late to be eligible for this year’s Emmys, plenty of fresh names were in the running for best drama series. But ultimately, Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” — based on Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel about a futuristic, totalitarian patriarchal theocracy that prizes fertile women above all else — scored the top honor.
Creator Bruce Miller had no trouble answering what he hopes audiences will take away from the show: “a desire to watch the second season,” he replied quickly. “No, if we’ve done our job well, it’ll be different for everyone who watches it.”
On Hulu being the first streaming service to win one of the Emmy’s top two prizes,” Miller added: “The way Hulu handled our show, they were bold and behind us and committed to making something different. If streaming services continue to do that, I don’t see a limit to what they [can do].”
The entire evening, said Elisabeth Moss — who won the Emmy for lead actress for her role as Offred — was a “roller coaster of emotions.”
Perhaps that’s what prompted the F-bombs during her acceptance speech.
“That was the best version you could have gotten of that — that was the clean version,” she joked. “You do have an out-of-body experience [accepting the award]. It’s a surprise. It should be a surprise; otherwise, you’re an A-hole.”
On a more serious note, Moss added that the many wins for women Sunday night — and for such strong roles — could be considered a positive turn for Hollywood: “We’ve made incredible progress, but there’s still a lot of work to be done,” she said. “But obviously incredible progress is being made. It’s not just women in front of the camera but behind the camera. ... we need to see more of that.”
“As a young actor, you don’t pay attention to the limitations placed upon you,” said Ann Dowd, who won the Emmy for supporting actress. “Now there are so many more opportunities. It’s a beautiful thing.
“There’s a war going on every day, a battle for women’s rights,” producer Warren Littlefield added. “And the fact that we can remind people that the resistance is alive — there are days in America that feels like it’s a prequel to [the show’s fictitious Republic of] Gilead, so maybe we can help with the fight.”
Atwood finally stepped forward to offer what she hopes people will take away from the book and the TV series.
“Well, one take-away would be ‘never believe it can never happen here,’” she said. “Which was one of the premises I used for the book. Nothing went into the book that people hadn’t done at some point in time, in some place.”
Then she mentioned several pop cultural offshoots of “Handmaid’s Tale” that the show’s popularity has sparked. There’s a graphic novel, she said, and a man’s version of “The Handmaid’s Tale” on YouTube, apparently. And she receives fan pictures of viewers’ pets — dogs, cats — dressed in Handmaids’ garb.
“In a way, you can say the handmaids have escaped,” Atwood said. “They’re out there, and they’re coming to you again in Season 2!”
Emmy-winning TV movie ‘San Junipero’ from ‘Black Mirror’ originally starred a hetero couple
The “Black Mirror” episode “San Junipero” won big at the Emmys Sunday night. Creator Charlie Brooker won writing for a limited series or movie, and later the episode picked up a second win for TV movie.
In a backstage reveal at the Emmys, Brooker explained that the episode — starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Mackenzie Davis — about technologically star-crossed lovers, was originally written for a heterosexual couple. It wasn’t until Brooker decided to make them a queer couple that things started to fall into place.
“It became more fun, more interesting,” he said. “It was sort of easiest to write in a way. We felt we captured something special, and the reaction has been quite overwhelming — the way people have taken it to heart. I’m genuinely a cynic, as you can tell from the series, so the fact that this happened blows up my worldview.”
He also addressed the fact that the winning episode is markedly different from most of the “Black Mirror” offerings in that it presents a world of hope rather than the usual ultra-dark fare the series offers.
“It was out of place deliberately. It was the first episode I wrote for this season because I wanted to blow up my preconceptions for the show,” Brooker said.
That subversion of tone became particularly resonant this year, a point the “Black Mirror” showrunner underlined in his acceptance speech.
“I’ve heard 2017 described as being trapped — like being trapped in one long, unending ‘Black Mirror’ episode,” Brooker said, “But I like to think if I had written it, it wouldn’t be quite so on the nose with all the sort of Nazis and hate.”
The 2017 Emmy Awards was a big win for the LGBTQ community
Among the biggest winners at the 2017 Emmy Awards: LGBTQ stories and storytellers.
Kate McKinnon was one of the early winners of the evening Sunday, beating a field that included some of her “Saturday Night Live” colleagues to take home the award for supporting actress in a comedy series. The first openly lesbian cast member of the sketch comedy show, McKinnon made her mark this season with portrayals of Hillary Clinton, Jeff Sessions, Kellyanne Conway, Betsy DeVos and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Lena Waithe of “Master of None” made history as the first black woman to win the Emmy for writing in a comedy series. Waithe, who also plays Denise on the Netflix series, co-wrote the “Thanksgiving” episode with the show’s co-creator, Aziz Ansari. The intensely personal story was based on Waithe’s own coming out story.
In her speech Sunday, Waithe gave a shout-out to fellow members of the LGBTQ community, calling them superheroes and saying that “the world would not be as beautiful as it is if you weren’t in it.”
“Black Mirror” won for its “San Junipero” episode, which tells the story of two women falling in love at a beach resort town (which — spoiler alert — is actually a simulated reality). The show won for best TV movie and writing for a limited series, movie or dramatic special.
During the telecast, host Stephen Colbert sat down for an interview with the Emmy statue herself, a golden-winged woman played by RuPaul, TV’s most famous drag queen.
RuPaul was a winner this year too, nabbing the award for host of a reality or reality-competition series for the second consecutive year at the Creative Arts Emmys last weekend.
And no fewer than three gay icons came together during the ceremony’s “9 to 5” reunion. The Emmys brought Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda onstage to present the award for supporting actor in a limited series or TV movie (won by Alexander Skarsgard for “Big Little Lies”).
Add a big night for “The Handmaid’s Tale,” which had its own lesbian story line, and that’s a lot of love for LGBTQ television -- even in a year when “Transparent” went winless.
Emmys 2017: A view from the treacherous march from the Emmys to the Governors Ball
Governors Ball 2017 Emmy Awards performance
Making it from the Emmys broadcast home at the Microsoft Theater to the convention center across the street, where the Governors Ball is held, is no easy feat for those in heels. But even with screaming toes and ankles betraying our age, the select few with ball tickets make the trek.
“We’re all teetering at this point of the night,” actress Yvette Nicole Brown said. “But I’m not above taking these off... I don’t care if it’s downtown. They can talk.”
Her friend, actress Anika Noni Rose, laughed and mused about what could make the walk easier in the future.
“Golf carts. Moving walkways. I’ve thought about all of this,” she said.
Walking up to the Governors Ball, guests were met with a red carpet lined with bottles of water and pre-poured white wine. A string version of Michael Jackson’s “Bad” -- played by an all-female quartet on the inside -- was in the air.
Once inside, the convention center was transformed into a faux starry night sky. Gold pipes hung from the ceiling in waves.
Then the quartet kicked into a rendition of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing.” And no one who made that long walk did.
Why Stephen Colbert was the right Emmys host in the year of Trump
For its 69th festival of self-benediction, broadcast Sunday on CBS, the Television Academy brought on Stephen Colbert as its master of ceremonies. Already on the CBS payroll, already schooled in hosting — it is two years almost to the day that, having abandoned his ironic “Colbert Report” persona, he took over “The Late Show” — he was an obvious choice for this job. It was a choice made even easier, to be sure, as his numbers improved and the narrative surrounding “The Late Show” turned from disappointment to delight.
As a comedian, it’s Colbert’s job to take things apart, but he is temperamentally a thoughtful, philosophical, gracious, happy sort of humorist. Like “The Late Show,” where Colbert shows himself more interested in philosophy than celebrity self-promotion, Colbert’s Emmys show was, not surprisingly, genial, pointed, exuberant, just a little bit outrageous and marked by a kind of bemused patience with the vanities of Hollywood that did not exempt the host. When he led the audience in “the traditional Hollywood prayer: Lord, thank you for giving us talent and beauty and the gaping hole inside of each of us that craves love and will never be filled,” that was not meant just in fun. . . .
. . .The monologue began as a mix of good and bad jokes, like any late-night monologue, mostly on lightweight topics. There was the usual engaging with selected stars in the front row seats. But it was the Donald Trump jokes — the current administration being the source of much of “The Late Show’s” invigorated focus — that one awaited.
Why didn’t you give him an Emmy? If he had won an Emmy, I bet he wouldn’t have run for president. This is all your fault.
— Stephen Colbert
“If we’re honest with ourselves,” Colbert said finally, “we know that the biggest TV star of the last year is Donald Trump,” whom he grouped with television’s other “morally compromised anti-heroes” as “Walter Much-Whiter.” He read, in Trump’s voice, an old Trump tweet about Seth Meyers hosting the Emmys: “He is very awkward, with almost no talent. Marbles in his mouth.” Meyers, in the audience, opened his mouth, and marbles poured out.
“Unlike the presidency,” said Colbert, “Emmys go to the winner of the popular vote.” And then an aside, “Where do I find the courage to tell that joke in this room?” . . .
. . .What did shock the room came next, as Colbert, noting Trump’s obsession with ratings, and wondering whether there were a way to know how well the broadcast was doing at that moment, brought former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on to say, “This will be the largest audience to witness any Emmys, period, both in person and around the world.”
Just a big ol’ gallery of Emmy winners kissing their trophies
Here it is, the obligatory roundup of Emmy favs kissing on their Atom lady. But what sparks this trophy love between recipient and award? Is this genuine joy from an ecstatic winner, or was it prompted by the red carpet photographers angling for a quality photo-op?
Truly this is the chicken and the egg conundrum of award season. We may never know the answer, but also who cares Lena Waithe looks great holding gold.
Riz Ahmed talks about diversity onscreen after his Emmy win for ‘The Night Of’
Riz Ahmed, Emmy winner for best actor in a limited series for playing the role of “Naz” in the bleak HBO drama “The Night Of” fielded questions about the importance of diversity onscreen.
“I don’t know if any one person’s win of an award, or one person’s snagging one role, or one person doing really well, changes anything when it comes to a systemic lack of inclusion,” he said. “I think what we’re starting to see is more awareness around how beneficial it can be to tell a diverse range of stories in a way that is authentic.”
Still, he was very pleased to be standing right where he was.
“When I heard my name announced, I thought, ‘Whose idea is that?’ I just felt really lucky to be mentioned bedside those actors,” he said of winning in a category that included Robert DeNiro, Geoffrey Rush and his “Night Of” co-star John Turturro. “I learned so much from John in particular, I feel like I share this with him.”
Emmy-winning ‘Big Little Lies’ on those Season 2 possibilities: ‘I don’t think you should trust anything we say’
When “Big Little Lies” director Jean-Marc Vallee and the star-studded cast of HBO’s “Big Little Lies” appeared backstage after winning the Emmy for best limited series, everyone wanted to know one thing: Just how “limited” did the show’s creators intend to keep it? Would there be a Season 2?
“I’m just like the audience, and like these girls and everyone else,” Vallee said, gesturing to two of his leading ladies, Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman, who stood smiling beside him. “It would be great to reunite the team. Are we gonna be able to do it? I wish. We’ll see what the future holds.”
Witherspoon giddily interjected, “You already know we’re liars, I don’t think you should trust anything we say.”
Kidman also fanned the flames of fan hope for the popular show, which was based on the best-selling novel by Liane Moriarty.
“We loved playing these roles. The story lines are so interesting, and it would be fantastic if we could continue.”
However, the only person who really has the authority to decide the future was Moriarty, who said coyly, “I’m thinking about it, it’s a beautiful possibility.”
The show, Witherspoon said, stands on its own whether a Season 2 comes to pass, thanks to its thoughtful treatment of its Emmy-nominated female leads.
“If you talk about changing things in society, about the way you see women in film and women at the center of a story ... this is a real watershed moment for me,” she said. “All of these women are the heroes of their own stories, and they are complicated. They aren’t good or bad. The performances are very diverse.”
Hollywood was not having Sean Spicer’s Emmy cameo
Sean Spicer’s cameo during the Emmy Awards generated a mixture of emotions.
There was surprise, of course, when Spicer made an appearance during Stephen Colbert’s opening monologue. But inside the Microsoft Theater on Sunday evening there also appeared to be a bit of consternation. Cameras, for instance, caught Melissa McCarthy, who impersonated the embattled former White House press secretary on “Saturday Night Live,” appearing less than amused.
Colbert wheeled out Spicer at the end of his monologue for a gag that recalled Spicer’s presser about President Trump’s inauguration attendance.
“This will be the largest audience to witness the Emmys, period. Both in person and around the world,” said Spicer, who’s been making several public appearances since his departure from the White House in July.
But the former communications director’s reception on Twitter was far more scathing. In this divisive political era, critics berated the Emmys for making light of Spicer’s behavior. As press secretary, Spicer was known for his combative behavior, as he often reprimanded reporters, and he came to symbolize the administration’s use of so-called “alternative facts.”
Here’s a sampling:
Sterling K. Brown finishes his acceptance speech backstage at the Emmys
NBC’s “This Is Us,” which follows the story of a family at different stages in their lives, is nothing if not a tearjerker. So it was appropriate that when Sterling K. Brown took the podium in the press room on Sunday, his eyes were seemingly bloodshot, as if he had been crying.
When asked if he had more to say after his acceptance speech was cut off, he quickly brightened.
“I wouldn’t mind finishing, thank you for the invitation. I want to thank our writers,” said Brown, who won the Emmy for lead actor in a drama series. “You guys are our life supply.” He then went on to thank the show’s producers and directors and his family members.
“I want to represent; I don’t want to be a flash in the pan,” Brown said. “I love what I do so much. I feel like I have 1,000 people living inside of me, and I’m just looking for an opportunity to let them all out. It feels big.”
“This Is Us,” he said, has resonance, even internationally, because “it’s about real people dealing with real life and trying to figure out what’s next. Everyone can relate to that.”
It’s still not safe to exhale: Full skirts, nipped waists make a run for popularity at the Emmys
If you took a tally, body-conscious evening gowns still outnumbered any other silhouette on the Emmys red carpet, insuring the continued profitability of the Spanx brand.
Yet the women who chose differently proved that there’s something so lavish, exuberant and freeing about an evening gown with a vast, full skirt. (A big plus: No figure-control garments required.)
The standouts? Emmy winner Nicole Kidman’s lipstick-red gown from Calvin Klein by Appointment; Elisabeth Moss in structured baby pink satin by Prabal Gurung; Emmy Rossum in Zac Posen; and Millie Bobby Brown in a ballet-inspired Calvin Klein that makes us want to dance -- and breathe a sigh of relief.
Our picks for best- and worst-dressed on the 2017 Emmy Awards red carpet »
Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her Emmy wins: ‘I think the world would be a better place if more women were in charge’
Sunday was a good night for HBO’s “Veep.” The political satire and two-time Emmy-winning comedy series about the first female POTUS not only received 17 Emmy nominations, but took home one of the evening’s top prizes, the Emmy for best comedy series.
With a mix of cast and show creatives behind them, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who won the Emmy for lead actress in a comedy series, and executive producer David Mandel addressed the crowd.
“In our show, when Selina does something horrible or lies, she gets caught and actually pays a price for it,” Mandel said right off the bat, alluding, with a verbal wink, to President Trump.
On whether the evening’s many wins for women indicate a permanent shift in Hollywood, Louis-Dreyfus jumped in.
“God, I hope so,” she said. “Let’s hope this is the beginning of something even better in our country -- and in the world -- because I think the world would be a better place if more women were in charge.”
Then she turned to Mandel: “Right, David?!”
“You ARE in charge,” Mandel said to her. “You’re my boss!”
Here’s what got bleeped out from Elisabeth Moss’ acceptance speech
The 2017 Emmy Awards did not use its tape-delay much but it definitely had a moment during Elisabeth Moss’ acceptance speech for lead actress in a drama series.
After going through a laundry list of people who have supported her over her years in the industry – Moss has been acting since she was 8 – she made a point to single out her mother.
“The Handmaid’s Tale” actress then credited her mother with teaching her that, “You can be kind and a [F-word] badass.”
Though audiences at home didn’t hear the message due to censors, it’s a sentiment worth sharing.
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ wins Emmy for drama series
Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” wins the Emmy Award for drama series.
The other nominees were:
“Better Call Saul”
“The Crown”
“House of Cards”
“Stranger Things”
“This Is Us”
“Westworld”
Elisabeth Moss wins Emmy for lead actress in a drama
Elisabeth Moss of “The Handmaid’s Tale” wins the Emmy Award for lead actress in a drama.
The other nominees were:
Viola Davis, “How to Get Away With Murder”
Claire Foy, “The Crown”
Keri Russell, “The Americans”
Evan Rachel Wood, “Westworld”
Robin Wright, “House of Cards”
Emmys fashion bests: How the ‘Stranger Things’ kids won the Emmys red carpet, plus mermaid tails and dripping silver
Silver seemed to be the precious metal of choice for those seeking Emmy gold at the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday night. Among the most head-turning takes on the metallic trend were Sarah Paulson’s fresh off the New York Fashion Week runway Carolina Herrera dress for spring and summer 2018 and Tracee Ellis Ross’ Chanel haute couture number that was a sea of silver crystals up top and white feathers down below.
Other notable silver stunners included Laverne Cox in Naeem Khan, Regina King in a fall 2017 Galia Lahav haute couture gown and Anna Chlumsky in a form-fitting liquid silver gown custom made for her by Sachin & Babi.
“I asked them for something in the precious-metal-that-could-be-mined-from-the-earth vein,” she said on the red carpet, and the label delivered to great effect.
Perennial best-dressed lister Priyanka Chopra wore a curve-hugging white Balmain gown with silver embroidered embellishments and a mermaid-tail hem, making her a trend two-fer because that dress silhouette seemed to be having a moment. Of course, Sofia Vergara —wearing Mark Zunino — hardly hits a red carpet in anything but a mermaid hem. But others in the swim this year included Felicity Huffman, Padma Lakshmi, Ruby Modine and Samantha Bee in a custom emerald Rubin Singer gown with a plunging neckline....
The other was the serious style being rocked by the younger attendees. It was almost a given that “Stranger Things’” Millie Bobby Brown would hit a red-carpet home run in Calvin Klein — she was seen front row at the label’s recent New York Fashion Week show. She wore an ivory silk crepe and tulle dress with ivory bandanna tie that made her look every inch a princess.
But it was her co-stars who really rose to the occasion. Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo and Caleb McLaughlin hit the red carpet as a fashion tour de force: Wolfhard in a black Prada tuxedo; Schnapp in a blue velvet double-breasted shawl collar tuxedo jacket with gold braid detail; Matarazzo in a three-piece suit, purple tie and pocket-square flair; and McLaughlin in a purple floral jacquard shawl collar tuxedo jacket. Of course, this made the kids of “Stranger Things” some of our favorite fashionable things from this year’s Emmy Awards red carpet.
Seven-time Emmy winner Don Roy King on a big year for ‘SNL’: ‘This year it felt different’
Don Roy King took a single, salient question in the press room after winning the Emmy for directing in a variety series for his work on “Saturday Night Live,” his seventh win since 2010.
Why is comedy so important in the current fraught political climate? (This, by the way, is perhaps the single most-asked question of the entire night at the Emmys thus far.)
In response, King said, “I have been proud of the show … which I think is designed to make people laugh. But this year it felt different, more important, like we were holding people accountable, doing some healing.
“It felt like we were soothing some frayed nerves, and for that reason it felt even more important … more cutting-edge and valuable.”
Sterling K. Brown wins Emmy for lead actor in a drama
Sterling K. Brown of NBC’s “This Is Us” wins the Emmy Award for lead actor in a drama series.
The other nominees were:
Anthony Hopkins, “Westworld”
Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”
Matthew Rhys, “The Americans”
Liev Schreiber, “Ray Donovan”
Kevin Spacey, “House of Cards”
Milo Ventimiglia, “This Is Us”
Kate McKinnon sidesteps politics in the Emmys press room
On a night when the Primetime Emmys and the stars in attendance relentlessly skewered President Trump and his administration, Kate McKinnon, who nabbed the Emmy for supporting actress in a comedy series for her work on “Saturday Night Live,” was notably subdued in the press room after her win.
She never spoke more than a sentence or two at a time and shied away from saying anything overtly political, other than repeating the fact that she was a fan of Hillary Clinton, whom she famously portrayed during the run-up to the 2016 presidential election.
What did she think of Sean Spicer appearing onstage that night?
“I enjoyed seeing him again,” she said, not tipping her hand.
Did she have a favorite skit or episode from this season?
“I can’t pick a favorite. Every week had this special electricity running through it,” she said. “It was a banner year to be part of the show. I was so proud to be a fly on the wall for this particular season.”
What are her feelings about Clinton?
“I’m certainly a great admirer of hers, and I hope that it’s mutual. I think that it is.”
How does she feel about playing the former first lady, and the first ever woman to be the frontrunner for president?
“It’s just been the greatest honor of my life, and the greatest role I’ve gotten to play. Again, I’m just a huge admirer of hers.”
What was it like having dinner with Clinton?
“It was very surreal and wonderful, and she was warm and gracious as always, and I ate too much.”
Why does humor matter so much in this day and age?
“I could write a book. Satire is so important whenever there is anything floating around in the national consciousness, and the salience of our show this year just proves that.”
Was it a nonstop battle to keep up with the constantly shifting political landscape when it came to writing the show each week?
“There were a few times when we had to rewrite some major stuff the night before. It was kind of like a sport sometimes, racing to the finish line. It was wild, I loved it.”
The president has tweeted his displeasure with McKinnon’s “SNL” co-star, Alec Baldwin. Has McKinnon heard anything from Trump?
“I have not heard from the president.”
If he were to write to her, what does she think he would say?
“I do not know.”
Pause, pause. And then she left the stage, leaving her interlocutors wishing for a joke.
‘Big Little Lies’ wins Emmy for limited series
“Big Little Lies” wins the Emmy Award for limited series.
The other nominees were:
“Fargo”
“Feud: Bette and Joan”
“Genius”
“The Night Of”
‘Black Mirror: San Junipero’ wins Emmy for TV movie
“Black Mirror: San Junipero” wins the Emmy Award for TV movie.
The other nominees were:
“Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love”
“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”
“Sherlock: The Lying Detective”
“The Wizard of Lies”
Men in not-so-much black: Menswear gets colorful for television’s biggest night
Black is safe. Black is classy. And the black tuxedo for men is more than a century old. Yet some fashion-forward men gave the look a welcome update.
Emmy host Stephen Colbert wore a midnight blue two-button shawl collar wool and cashmere tuxedo as well as a classic black tux from Giorgio Armani, while nominees such as Bob Odenkirk and Geoffrey Rush wore midnight blue tuxedoes also from Giorgio Armani.
Chris Sullivan of “This Is Us” stepped out in a top hat and blue plaid dinner jacket from Brooks Brothers. Donald Glover made his amethyst jacket and trousers look like a modern classic.
In a shimmering, lemonade-yellow dinner jacket Tituss Burgess of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” borrowed the signature color from the series’ title character -- and perhaps gave a nod to Beyoncé.
Nicole Kidman wins Emmy for lead actress in a limited series/TV movie
Nicole Kidman of “Big Little Lies” wins the Emmy Award for lead actress in a limited series or TV movie.
The other nominees were:
Carrie Coon, “Fargo”
Felicity Huffman, “American Crime”
Jessica Lange, “Feud: Bette and Joan”
Susan Sarandon, “Feud: Bette and Joan”
Reese Witherspoon, “Big Little Lies”
Riz Ahmed of ‘The Night Of’ wins Emmy for lead actor in a limited series or TV movie
Riz Ahmed of “The Night Of” wins the Emmy Award for lead actor in a limited series or TV movie.
The other nominees were:
Benedict Cumberbatch, “Sherlock: The Lying Detective”
Robert De Niro, “The Wizard of Lies”
Ewan McGregor, “Fargo”
Geoffrey Rush, “Genius”
John Turturro, “The Night Of”
Olivia de Havilland’s feud with ‘Feud’
Ryan Murphy’s deliciously catty FX series “Feud: Bette and Joan” earned 15 nominations and two wins at the Creative Arts Emmys.
However, the limited series, which chronicles the storied rivalry between actresses Joan Crawford (portrayed by Jessica Lange) and Bette Davis (Susan Sarandon), has embroiled Murphy and FX in a legal battle with two-time Oscar winner Olivia de Havilland, the still-living actress played by Catherine Zeta-Jones in the anthology series.
In June, a day before her 101st birthday, De Havilland sued Murphy and FX, alleging that her depiction in the eight-episode drama was unauthorized. The “Gone With the Wind” star makes four major legal claims in her lawsuit, saying the series violated her common law and statutory rights of publicity, her right to privacy and unjust enrichment. She took particular issue with Zeta-Jones’ gossipy narrative in the episode about the 1963 Oscars.
The trial has been expedited due to De Havilland’s unusually advanced age and will begin on Nov. 29, assuming FX and Murphy’s anti-SLAPP motion to strike the lawsuit in its entirety is denied at a Sept. 29 hearing.
On Friday, De Havilland filed an opposition to the defendants’ motion to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that FX and Murphy’s production company Pacific 2.1 “knowingly violated standards in the industry in producing ‘Feud’” without her consent.
When is a necklace not a necklace?
You had to look hard to find a single necklace on the Emmy red carpet, with one dazzling exception.
Ever the rebel, Jane Fonda wore a necklace, but draped it down her back, making it a glittering, $1.75 million counterpoint to her swingy ponytail.
According to jeweler Gismondi, the bold piece was made of more than 152 carats of emeralds and diamonds, and paired with a coordinating 10-carat emerald ring and chandelier earrings containing 40-plus carats of diamonds and emeralds.
Full gallery of the hits and misses from the 2017 Emmy Awards’ red carpet >>
‘Veep’ wins Emmy for comedy series
“Veep” wins the Emmy Award for comedy series.
The other nominees were:
“Atlanta”
“black-ish”
“Master of None”
“Modern Family”
“Silicon Valley”
“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>
What Alec Baldwin says he has in common with Sean Spicer: disreputable jobs
Accepting his Emmy on Sunday night, Alec Baldwin was no less amusing than he has been on “Saturday Night Live” skewering President Trump.
“At long last Mr. President, here is your Emmy,” he joked onstage. After remarking that he and his wife hadn’t had a baby this year, he said of his “SNL” costume, “You put on that orange wig, it’s birth control.”
But backstage after his win, Baldwin was far more subdued, even as he was applauded by the press as he took the stage.
When asked how enjoyable his “SNL” role was — and whether he felt he was performing an important societal role in executing it — he said: “I wouldn’t go as far as to say ‘important in society,’ but I do think people are overwhelmed [with the current political situation].”
“I find myself a conduit for them,” he added.
About Sean Spicer’s appearance at the Emmys, Baldwin said, “I think people in the business are grateful for him to have a sense of humor.”
The actor noted one similarity between him and the former press secretary.
“I’ve done some jobs you shouldn’t respect or admire me for — he and I have that in common,” Baldwin said.
And then he sauntered off, Emmy in hand.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus wins Emmy for lead actress in a comedy
Julia Louis-Dreyfus of “Veep” wins the Emmy Award for lead actress in a comedy.
The other nominees were:
Pamela Adlon, “Better Things”
Allison Janney, “Mom”
Jane Fonda, “Grace and Frankie”
Ellie Kemper, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
Tracee Ellis Ross, “black-ish”
Lily Tomlin, “Grace and Frankie”
Emmy winner Laura Dern on a changing Hollywood: ‘Thank God we’re seeing more and more women’
For Laura Dern, the sixth time was the charm. Dern has been nominated for an Emmy five times previously; on Sunday, she finally won for her role as Renata Klein in “Big Little Lies,” HBO’s murder mystery and social satire set among the rich mamas of Monterey, Calif.
Taking the stage, Dern was all smiles. And all about female empowerment.
On Hollywood becoming more gender balanced, she said: “Thank God we’re seeing more and more women. When I started, even my makeup artist was a man. It’s changing dramatically.”
“It’s a beautiful time to be female and to be raising a 12-year-old girl,” she added.
Does she have any words of wisdom for young women? For this, she nodded to the creators of “Big Little Lies.”
The show was “delicious to watch,” she said, but also, “it spoke to [having a] voice and standing up for yourself. I feel very proud [being part of] of a group of women getting to tell that story right now.”
SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>
Donald Glover wins Emmy for lead actor in a comedy
Donald Glover of “Atlanta” wins the Emmy Award for lead actor in a comedy.
The other nominees were:
Anthony Anderson, “black-ish”
Aziz Ansari, “Master of None”
Zach Galifianakis, “Baskets”
William H. Macy, “Shameless”
Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent”
Lena Waithe celebrates her ‘LGBQTIA family’ in her winner’s speech
Lena Waithe and Aziz Ansari won the writing for a comedy series Emmy for their work on the “Thanksgiving” episode of “Master of None.”
An intensely personal episode inspired by her own coming out story, among those Waithe thanked in her speech were her mother, her girlfriend, her chosen family and the LGBTQ community.
Last, but certainly not least, my LGBQTIA family. I see each and every one of you. The things that make us different, those are superpowers. Everyday when you walk out the door put on your imaginary cape and go out there and conquer the world. Because the world would not be as beautiful as it is if you weren’t in it.
— Lena Waithe
‘Last Week Tonight With John Oliver’ wins Emmy for variety talk series
“Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” wins the Emmy Award for variety talk series.
The other nominees were:
“Full Frontal With Samantha Bee”
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert”
“The Late Late Show With James Corden”
“Real Time With Bill Maher”
Don Roy King of ‘Saturday Night Live’ wins Emmy for directing a variety series
Don Roy King of “Saturday Night Live” wins the Emmy Award for directing a variety series.
The other nominees were:
Derek Waters & Jeremy Konner, “Drunk History”
Andy Fisher, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
Paul Pennolino, “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”
Jim Hoskinson, “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”
Every color under the sun: Zoë Kravitz’s multicolored gown stands out in the Emmy crowd
While solid-color gowns in standard shades of black, red and metallics dominated the Emmy red carpet, “Big Little Lies” star Zoë Kravitz wore every color from sunrise to sunset.
Topped with a black bodice, her feathered Dior gown’s full-length skirt blazed in a mélange that flowed from red, yellow and orange to daytime hues of yellow, green and blue. That’s the Hollywood definition of day-to-night dressing.
Charlie Brooker of ‘Black Mirror: San Junipero’ wins Emmy for writing for a limited series movie or dramatic special
Charlie Brooker of “Black Mirror: San Junipero” wins the Emmy Award for writing for a limited series movie or dramatic special.
The other nominees were:
David E. Kelley, “Big Little Lies”
Noah Hawley, “Fargo”
Ryan Murphy, “Feud: Bette and Joan”
Jaffe Cohen, Michael Zam & Ryan Murphy, “Feud: Bette and Joan”
Richard Price & Steven Zaillian, “The Night Of”
Shailene Woodley drops the single most tone-deaf quote of the Emmys
Picture the single most out-of-sync anecdote a person could drop on the red carpet for television’s biggest night. Got it?
You don’t. What Shailene Woodley said was worse.
The nominee for supporting actress in a limited series stumbled into an epic faux pas when taking part of E’s “Live From the Red Carpet,” when she admitted she really doesn’t have time to watch television.
All my friends watch TV. I just ask them when they have time to. When do people have time to? I’m a reader. So I always read a book instead of turning on my TV.
— Shailene Woodley, “Big Little Lies”
Sure. I mean, you’re literally at an event celebrating the medium, but it’s cool you don’t really bother keeping up with.
Moreover, Woodley clarified, she doesn’t even own a television.
“I actually haven’t had a TV since I moved out of my parents’ house at 18,” Woodley said.
Well. Bully for you, Shailene.
Meet the people behind the scenes of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’
Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” garnered critical praise and cultural relevance with its April debut and was roundly recognized by the Emmy Awards with 13 nominations for its efforts.
The series nabbed a handful of nominations for its sterling performances as well as Hulu’s first nomination for drama series, but the bulk of the show’s accolades came for work done behind the scenes.
At last week’s Creative Arts Emmys, “The Handmaid’s Tale” took home awards for cinematography and production design, while the show has also earned nominations for costumes, writing and direction.
Learn more about the team behind the scenes of one of this year’s Emmy darlings below.
Reed Morano of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ wins Emmy for directing a drama
Reed Morano of “The Handmaid’s Tale” wins the Emmy Award for directing a drama series.
The other nominees were:
Vince Gilligan, “Better Call Saul”
Stephen Daldry, “The Crown”
Kate Dennis, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Lesli Linka Glatter, “Homeland”
The Duffer Brothers, “Stranger Things”
Jonathan Nolan, “Westworld”
How Emmy winner Lena Waithe’s coming-out story inspired the ‘Master of None’ Thanksgiving episode
It was a moment Lena Waithe had little interest in sharing. Sure, as a writer, Waithe wanted to tell queer narratives. But a “coming out” story? Well, she wasn’t eager to revisit that chapter of her life. And she also felt like it had become a trope for every LGBTQ character.
But then she had a meeting with “Master of None” co-creators Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang as they were beginning to think about Season 2 of the Netflix comedy, in which she plays Denise, a friend of Ansari’s character, Dev. A discussion about her current relationship led to questions about how Waithe had come out to her family.
“It became clear we had a lot of material for an episode,” Ansari recalls in an email. “It was all interesting, hilarious and not quite like anything I’d seen on TV/film before.”
The result is the Emmy-winning “Thanksgiving” episode, which tells the story of Denise discovering her sexuality and revealing it to her friends and family over the course of five Thanksgivings spread over 22 years. Veteran actress Angela Bassett guest starred as Denise’s conservative single mother.
Emmy winner Bruce Miller on ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ in 2017: ‘It all comes from the book’
Bruce Miller, writer and showrunner for Hulu’s apocalyptic drama “The Handmaid’s Tale,” took home the Emmy for writer in a drama series.
Backstage in the press room, he faced the inevitable barrage of questions about the show’s current resonance, which he both embraced and played down in equal measures.
“I think it all comes from the book, which had the same following,” he said of Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel. “The same fascination holds. The story has been magnetic. Nowadays, people worry they are living in a society where big things are happening and you look at a character like Offred [played by Elisabeth Moss] living under such horrible oppression who still finds ways to rebel, and to live.”
As to whether or not he and the other writers used today’s fraught political climate as fodder for the show, Miller gave another slightly oblique answer: “As an influence, it’s on an unconscious level. We don’t look at the politics of the day and try to bend the story, but we’re a very plugged-in group of writers. I don’t think you can help having it affect you,” he said, adding, “when Margaret wrote the novel, everything that happens in that world, has happened somewhere against women.”
That was the reason that the show was set in the present, despite that the novel was written based on events from more than three decades ago.
“It didn’t make sense to have a show like that take place as period piece,” Miller said. “Anything real and tangible just makes it scarier, and that comes from it being as relatable as possible.”
Lena Waithe is the first black woman to win the Emmy for writing in a comedy series
“Master of None’s” Lena Waithe made history at the 69th Emmy Awards on Sunday, becoming the first black woman ever to win in the category of writing for a comedy series.
Waithe, who plays Denise in the Netflix series, co-wrote the “Thanksgiving” episode with “Master of None” co-creator Aziz Ansari. Her nomination also marked the first time a black woman was nominated for a comedy writing Emmy.
In fact, the only other woman of color ever nominated in the category is Mindy Kaling. Kaling was nominated in 2010 along with co-writer Greg Daniels for their work on “The Office” episode “Niagara” (and the award that year went to the writers of the “Modern Family” pilot).
The Emmy-winning “Thanksgiving” episode follows Denise as she discovers her sexuality and comes out to her friends and family over the course of five Thanksgivings spanning 22 years. While Waithe was hesitant about telling a “coming-out story” in 2017, Ansari and Alan Yang convinced her it was a story best told by her.
“It’s very black. It’s very female. It’s really gay,” said Waithe of the story at a GLAAD panel in August. “[And] the cool thing about that is so many people loved it.”
“When a straight, white guy is, like, ‘ ‘Thanksgiving’ was my favorite episode,’ that’s when art is doing its job, when he can look at my character and go, ‘I can see myself in her,’” said Waithe.
‘The Voice’ wins Emmy for reality competition
“The Voice” wins the Emmy Award for reality competition program.
The other nominees were:
“RuPaul’s Drag Race”
“The Amazing Race”
“Top Chef”
“American Ninja Warrior”
“Project Runway”
Aziz Ansari and Lena Waithe win Emmy for writing for a comedy series
Aziz Ansari and Lena Waithe of “Master of None” win the Emmy Award for writing for a comedy series.
The other nominees were:
Donald Glover, “Atlanta”
Stephen Glover, “Atlanta”
Alec Berg, “Silicon Valley”
Billy Kimball, “Veep”
David Mandel, “Veep”
Women still a dramatic minority in Emmys’ writing and directing categories
With separate categories for actors and actresses, male and female performers are equally represented among 2017’s Emmy nominees, but take a short hop over to the directing and writing categories and the awards are primarily a boys club.
Among the 114 writers nominated this year for drama series, comedy series, variety series and limited series, movie or dramatic special, only 21 are women. That’s a hair over 18%.
Women are best represented when they’re writing for a variety series: Of the 90 people named from the staffs of “Full Frontal With Samantha Bee,” “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver,” “Late Night With Seth Meyers,” “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” and “Saturday Night Live,” 21 writers — 23.3% — are female.
The four directing categories to be honored Sunday night are even less encouraging for women: There are only three women among the 25 directors nominated for drama series, comedy series, variety series, and limited series, movie, or dramatic special
Adding to that, all three female directors — five-time nominee Leslie Linka Glatter (“Homeland”) and Emmy newbies Kate Dennis and Reed Morano (both up for “The Handmaid’s Tale”) — are competing in the same category, directing for a drama series.
Morano was the lone woman nominated for cinematography for a single-camera series (half-hour), for “Divorce”; that award went to David Miller for “Veep.”
Ann Dowd of ’The Handmaid’s Tale’ wins supporting actress in a drama
Ann Dowd of “The Handmaid’s Tale” wins the Emmy Award for supporting actress in a drama series.
The other nominees were:
Uzo Aduba, “Orange Is the New Black”
Millie Bobby Brown, “Stranger Things”
Chrissy Metz, “This Is Us”
Thandie Newton, “Westworld”
Samira Wiley, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
One person who probably wasn’t excited about Sean Spicer’s Emmys cameo: Melissa McCarthy
Sean Spicer made a surprise appearance during Stephen Colbert’s opening monologue at the 2017 Emmy Awards much to the disbelief of those in attendance at the ceremony.
As the camera cut to various celebrities’ shocked faces, as the former White House press secretary took the stage, perhaps the most surprised person in the room was Melissa McCarthy.
McCarthy, who won the Emmy for guest actress in a comedy series, made a lasting mark this year for her Spicer impersonation on “Saturday Night Live.”
Spicer’s appearance flies in the face of McCarthy’s insistence that the former White House press secretary does not get to be a part of the jokes.
That’s not your joke to make.
— Melissa McCarthy on Sean Spicer
In a previous interview McCarthy told The Times that she did not appreciate Spicer referencing her “SNL” sketches by using a moving podium during actual press conferences.
“That’s the part I didn’t like,” McCarthy said. “I was like, ‘No! It’s not us’ [gesturing to two people] making that joke, it’s we’re making that joke.
“I had a moment of fear about that when he was like, ‘Don’t make me move the podium.’ I thought, ‘No, that’s not your joke to make,’” she explained.
‘Last Week Tonight With John Oliver’ wins Emmy for writing for a variety series
“Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” wins the Emmy Award for writing for a variety series.
The other nominees were:
“Full Frontal With Samantha Bee”
“Late Night With Seth Meyers”
“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert”
“Saturday Night Live”
Popcorn and wine at an Emmys’ commercial break, just like at home
It’s the kind of sight that would please Olivia Pope of “Scandal”: Stars munching on popcorn and sipping wine.
When the Emmys broadcast cuts to a commercial break, the concession area inside the Microsoft Theater is overrun with people — like “The Crown’s” Matt Smith — buying popcorn, pretzels, hot dogs and a variety of libations.
Alexander Skarsgård wins Emmy for supporting actor in a limited series or movie
Alexander Skarsgård of “Big Little Lies” wins the Emmy Award for supporting actor in a limited series or movie.
The other nominees were:
David Thewlis, “Fargo”
Alfred Molina, “Feud: Bette and Joan”
Stanley Tucci,”Feud: Bette and Joan”
Bill Camp, “The Night Of”
Michael Kenneth Williams, “The Night Of”
Why was Chance the Rapper at the Emmys?
The politically active Chicago MC made a surprise appearance during Stephen Colbert’s opening number, dropping a verse about how he hopes television can be more than a “pleasant distraction.”
But how did one of music’s biggest young stars end up on TV’s biggest night? Because he was a nominee.
Chance was up for the Emmy for original music and lyrics for “Last Christmas,” from a “Saturday Night Live” sketch paying tribute to Run-DMC’s holiday classic “Christmas in Hollis.” (The award went to Common’s song “Letter to the Free,” from Ava DuVernay’s “13th.”)
Jean-Marc Vallée of ‘Big Little Lies’ wins Emmy for directing a limited series, movie or dramatic special
Jean-Marc Vallée of “Big Little Lies” wins the Emmy Award for directing a limited series, movie or dramatic special.
The other nominees were:
Noah Hawley, “Fargo”
Ryan Murphy, “Feud: Bette & Joan”
Ron Howard, “Genius”
James Marsh, “The Night Of”
Steve Zaillian, “The Night Of”
Alec Baldwin gives a shout-out to President Trump in his Emmys acceptance speech
At long last, Mr. President, here is your Emmy.
— Alec Baldwin, accepting his Emmy for supporting actor in a comedy for his portrayal of Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live”
Who’s that announcing the presenters and winners? It’s Jermaine Fowler of ‘Superior Donuts’
Jermaine Fowler of CBS’ “Superior Donuts” is grabbing some of the Emmys spotlight with his announcing. His voice-over is more improvisational than awards show viewers usually hear.
Deadline reported Saturday that that was part of the plan: “It was Fowler’s extensive experience performing in front of a live audience as a standup comedian (in addition to being one of CBS’ leading men) that made him the network’s choice for the job.”
On Twitter, reviews were mixed.
Fowler plays Franco Wicks on “Superior Donuts,” whose second season begins next month. He has also worked on “Bojack Horseman,” “Family Guy” and “Robot Chicken.”
Alec Baldwin wins Emmy for supporting actor in a comedy
Alec Baldwin of “Saturday Night Live” wins the Emmy Award for supporting actor in a comedy.
The other nominees were:
Louie Anderson, “Baskets”
Ty Burrell, “Modern Family”
Tituss Burgess, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
Tony Hale, “Veep”
Matt Walsh, “Veep”
The five funniest bits from Stephen Colbert’s Emmy opener
Stephen Colbert kicked off the 69th Primetime Emmys with a Billy Crystal-esque opening number paying homage to some of the top nominees — singing and dancing with casts from “This Is Us” and “The Americans” — and then followed up with a politically charged monologue that could only have come from the host of “The Late Show.”
On Donald Trump’s much-stated desire to win an Emmy:
“But he never did. Unlike the presidency, Emmys go to the winner of the popular vote.” (And as a follow-up: “Where do I find the courage to tell that joke in this room?”)
Responding to Sean Spicer’s surprise appearance to assure him about the size of the crowd:
Spicer told Colbert that this was the “largest audience to view the Emmys in person and around the world.”
“I can see why you would want one of these guys around,” said Colbert. “Melissa McCarthy, everybody. Give it up!”
On the diversity of the awards:
After listing many of the African American nominees, Colbert added, “And, of course, Bill Maher. I assume he’s black since he’s so comfortable using the N-word.”
On the infiltration of streaming services:
“Everyone loves streaming video, just ask Ted Cruz.... But knock first, you don’t want to walk in.”
On the relevance of certain nominated shows:
In the opening song, surrounded by women dressed in costumes from “The Handmaid’s Tale”: “Look on the bright side, handmaids; at least your healthcare’s free.”
Donald Glover just made history as the first black person to win an Emmy for directing for a comedy
Donald Glover is also the first director to win for a show he acted in since Alan Alda won for “MASH” in 1977. Glover is also up for three other Emmys tonight -- lead actor in a comedy, comedy writing and as a producer of “Atlanta.”
Bruce Miller of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ wins Emmy for writing for a drama series
Bruce Miller of “The Handmaid’s Tale” wins the Emmy Award for writing for a drama series.
The other nominees were:
Joe Weisberg & Joel Fields, “The Americans”
Gordon Smith, “Better Call Saul”
Peter Morgan, “The Crown”
The Duffer Brothers, “Stranger Things”
Lisa Joy & Jonathan Nolan, “Westworld”
Watch President Trump sing ‘Green Acres’ at the 2006 Emmy Awards
President Trump joined “Will & Grace’s” Megan Mullally at the 2006 Emmy Awards to sing the “Green Acres” theme. For those unaware of the CBS sitcom that ran from 1965 to 1971, the series starred Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a wealthy to-do couple who moved from New York City to the country looking for a new life.
So.. that happened!
‘Saturday Night Live’ wins the Emmy for variety sketch series
“Saturday Night Live” wins the Emmy Award for variety sketch series.
The other nominees were:
“Billy on the Street”
“Documentary Now!”
“Drunk History”
“Portlandia”
“Tracey Ullman’s Show”
The new look in Emmys hairdos harkens back to Old Hollywood glam
In a nod to golden age Hollywood glamour, women strutting the Emmys red carpet embraced lightly controlled, wavy hair with a modern update.
Nearly universally, women tucked one side of their flowing locks behind an ear, a seductive look that just happened to reveal of-the-moment dangling earrings.
Sarah Hyland made it casually youthful; Elisabeth Moss wore it sleek; and Jessica Biel let it flow long across a shoulder.
Donald Glover wins Emmy for directing a comedy series
Donald Glover of “Atlanta” wins the Emmy Award for directing a comedy series.
The other nominees were:
Jamie Babbit, “Silicon Valley”
Mike Judge, “Silicon Valley”
Morgan Sackett, “Veep”
David Mandel, “Veep”
Dale Stern, “Veep”
Watch ‘Saturday Night Live’s’ Emmy-nominated sketches
The 2016-17 season was a strong one for “Saturday Night Live,” which saw a surge in ratings and has already won five Emmys going into Sunday’s Primetime Emmy Awards show.
The presidential campaign, election and its aftermath provided the variety sketch show plenty of material to incorporate into the season, but it wasn’t only the political sketches that were memorable this year. Here’s a look at some highlights from “SNL’s” Emmy-nominated episodes.
Nominees Alec Baldwin and Kate McKinnon kicked off “SNL’s” 42nd season re-enacting Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton’s first presidential debate. Baldwin, of course, played the eventual president throughout the season, while McKinnon’s political impersonations expanded to include Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway.
The musical “Kellyanne Conway” sketch featuring McKinnon was even nominated for picture editing for variety programming (although it lost to a segment from “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver”).
Guest actress and guest actor in a comedy series winners Melissa McCarthy and Dave Chappelle both won for their turns hosting “SNL.” McCarthy reprised her performance as then White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer in her episode, while one of the most memorable and poignant moments of Chappelle’s episode was the “Election Night” sketch (though it would be remiss to overlook Chappelle’s “Walking Dead” parody, which you can watch here. Beware of adult language).
This year’s Emmy-winning “SNL” episodes also include the one hosted by Jimmy Fallon (which won for technical direction, camerawork, video control for a series) and the one hosted by Alec Baldwin (which won for makeup for a multi-camera series or special [non prosthetic] and production design for variety, non-fiction, reality or reality competition programming).
In the Baldwin episode, fans learned that there was in fact another person vying to play the president on “SNL”: supporting actress in a comedy series nominee Leslie Jones.
Of course, not all of “SNL’s” memorable moments this season were tied to presidential politics.
Totino’s pizza rolls were the foundation of a passionate affair in a sketch that featured supporting actress in a comedy series nominee Vanessa Bayer and Kristen Stewart (and people will probably never look at the frozen pizza snack the same ever again).
Additionally, guest actor in a comedy series nominee Lin-Manuel Miranda took a turn as one of the “Stranger Things” kids and guest actress in a comedy series Kristin Wiig played Furonica in a sketch that revisited the pet rescue efforts of Whiskers R We.
Plus, who could forget guest actor in a comedy series nominee Tom Hanks debuting David S. Pumpkins and his dance moves?
Any questions?
Laura Dern wins Emmy for supporting actress in a limited series or movie
Laura Dern of “Big Little Lies” wins the Emmy Award for supporting actress in a limited series or movie.
The other nominees were:
Regina King, “American Crime”
Shailene Woodley, “Big Little Lies”
Judy Davis, “Feud: Bette and Joan”
Jackie Hoffman, “Feud: Bette and Joan”
Michelle Pfeiffer, “The Wizard of Lies”
Kate McKinnon wins Emmy for supporting actress in a comedy
Kate McKinnon of “Saturday Night Live” wins her second consecutive Emmy Award for supporting actress in a comedy series.
The other nominees were:
Vanessa Bayer, “Saturday Night Live”
Leslie Jones, “Saturday Night Live”
Kathryn Hahn, “Transparent”
Judith Light, “Transparent”
Anna Chlumsky, “Veep”
Tweets from inside the Emmys
Los Angeles Times entertainment reporters Yvonne Villarreal and Tre’vell Anderson are inside the Microsoft Theater during the 69th Emmy Awards tonight. Follow them on Twitter @villarrealy and @TrevellAnderson for a peek at what goes on behind the scenes.
John Lithgow wins Emmy for supporting actor in a drama
John Lithgow of “The Crown” wins the Emmy award for supporting actor in a drama.
The other nominees were:
Jonathan Banks, “Better Call Saul”
Mandy Patinkin, “Homeland”
Michael Kelly, “House of Cards”
David Harbour, “Stranger Things”
Ron Cephas Jones, “This Is Us”
Jeffrey Wright, “Westworld”
TV Academy president Hayma Washington is ‘really confident’ Emmys won’t repeat Oscars’ gaffe
Television Academy President Hayma Washington was confident there wouldn’t be a “Moonlight”/”La La Land” moment at the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards.
“Our accounting firm is Ernst & Young,” he said on the red carpet Sunday. “We’ve reviewed our policies and procedures. Really confident that it’s something that we won’t have happen.”
At the Oscars earlier this year, of course, “La La Land” was mistakenly announced as best picture — “Moonlight” was the actual winner — after accountants from PwC handed off the wrong envelope to the presenters and didn’t act on the error in time.
Washington wasn’t gloating about the gaffe though. Not by a long shot.
“I feel for the producers of that show. They’re all professionals,” he said. “That had to be something very hard for them to swallow. They handled it very professionally.”
‘Insecure’s Issa Rae tells us the last show that moved her: ‘BoJack Horseman’
Issa Rae from “Insecure,” who was snubbed for a nomination this year, talked to The Times on the Emmys red carpet Sunday afternoon.
Interview has been edited and condensed.
Q: Last show that prompted an emotional response from you?
A: Watching “BoJack Horseman,” and it’s supposed to be a cartoon, but it draws you in. It’s dark and so good.
Q: Best advice?
A: Boss up. Stop being soft.
Q: Best female character on TV?
A: Elaine from “Seinfeld.” Tie between her and Selina Meyer from “Veep.”
Q: What shows does your character watch?
A: She watches “Love & Hip Hop,” “Real Housewives of Atlanta,” “Arrested Development,” trashy shows.
Best and worst looks from the Emmys red carpet
The best and worst looks from the Emmy Awards red carpet includes Anna Chlumsky as “most improved” from last year’s look in a silver dress, a dapper Chris Sullivan and a look we didn’t love from Rachel Bloom.
Keep checking on our gallery. We’re not done with fashion analysis.
Blue ribbons meet red carpet as stars support ACLU
Hollywood has never shied away from politics and the 2017 Emmy Awards red carpet is no exception.
Celebrities of all kinds sported blue ribbons in support of the American Civil Liberties Union tonight, a move to pressure Congress to pass a clean Dream Act, to allow individuals who immigrated to the United States as children to have a clear path forward toward citizenship.
The ACLU is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization with a mission statement aiming “to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.”
Remember when Jeb Bush threw Jimmy Kimmel out of his limo?
For the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards, Jimmy Kimmel kicked off the evening with a skit that culminated with the stranded host making his way to the Microsoft Theater by way of dragon, hitching a ride with Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke). But Jeb Bush was the surprise cameo.
The ex-2016 presidential hopeful poked fun at himself and took a jab at American voters when he appeared as an Uber driver in Kimmel’s opening number.
Explaining that he was “in between jobs,” Bush invited Kimmel into the front seat of the limo he was driving. Thus began a seemingly friendly exchange where Bush learned that Kimmel was headed to the Emmy Awards.
“Are you nominated?” asked Bush. “What’s that like?”
After Kimmel brushed off his chances at winning, Bush countered with some words of wisdom.
“Here’s what I know,” said Bush. “If you run a positive campaign, the voters ultimately will make the right choice.”
Ouch.
Bush learned the hard way that that’s not necessarily true. The former Florida governor suspended his campaign seeking the Republican presidential nomination in February of that year.
Watch the full segment above.
Glitz goes to the lobes at the Emmys: Dangly, drop earrings are a red-carpet must
Those big expanses of décolletage revealed by low-cut gowns are going largely undecorated on the 2017 Emmy red carpet, which could be bad news for some jewelry designers.
Those diamond dealers know that any major bit of bling that’s photographed on a celebrity can instantly jump in value and start big trends.
Yet, where cleavage goes bare, ear lobes do not. Large drop earrings added the essential sparkle. Sporting the look: Tracee Ellis Ross, Laverne Cox, Ellie Kemper, Leslie Jones and Sofia Vergara.
Rachel Bloom has officially made it: She paid for her Gucci gown
You may not need to wait for the knockoff version of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” star Rachel Bloom’s sexy black Gucci dress if she makes good on a promise to sell the real thing.
Giving a plug to the designer consignment site TheRealReal.com, Bloom said she’d consign the low-cut, black lace gown after strutting it along the Emmys’ red carpet.
After all, she doesn’t have to return it to a designer showroom. In a move rare for Hollywood, she bought it. “I’m in the place where I can afford it,” she said on the red carpet.
Is this the Emmys or the Oscars? See which Emmy nominees already have Academy Awards
For those who aren’t annually immersed in the exhaustive awards cycle that dominates much of the entertainment industry, here’s a helpful SAT-style analogy:
Oscars: film :: Emmys: television
(Grammys are for music and Tonys are for theater and don’t even get us started on the Golden Globes, which are a veritable “all of the above” awards show.)
But things can get a bit confusing when TV’s main event is peppered with a generous pinch of Oscar winners and even more Oscar-nominated talent. Especially when those Oscar winners are nominated for Emmys for playing other Oscar winners. (We’re looking at you, Lange and Sarandon). For years, the premium cable networks and streaming services have attracted big-screen stars to the once-lowly ranks of the small screen, which further blurred the fading line between cinema and television.
Here’s a rundown of some of the familiar faces -- several of whom are no strangers to the Emmys -- who already have Oscar gold on their mantels.
Common The rapper won a Creative Arts Emmy last weekend for his song “Letter to the Free” from Ava DuVernay’s “13th.” He won the Academy Award for original song for another DuVernay collaboration film, 2014’s “Selma.”
Viola Davis Davis is again nominated for a lead actress Emmy for “How to Get Away With Murder.” (She won for her role as law professor Annalise Keating back in 2015). Davis notched her Oscar earlier this year for her supporting role in “Fences.”
Robert De Niro The film veteran is up for his first Emmy this year for playing Ponzi-schemer Bernie Madoff in HBO’s “The Wizard of Lies,” which he also executive produced. He famously won a supporting actor Oscar for 1974’s “The Godfather: Part II” and a lead actor Oscar for 1980’s “Raging Bull.”
Jane Fonda The two-time Oscar winner is again up for lead actress in a comedy with Netflix’s “Grace and Frankie.” She already won Emmy gold for the 1984 TV movie “The Dollmaker.” Fonda won her first lead actress Oscar for 1971’s “Klute” and the second for 1978’s “Coming Home.”
Anthony Hopkins The “Westworld” star has two Primetime Emmys to his name: one for 1976’s “The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case” and another for 1981’s “The Bunker.” His Oscar accompanied his iconic lead role in 1991’s “Silence of the Lambs.”
Ron Howard The “Happy Days” alum-turned-filmmaker is up for three awards this year: producing and directing NatGeo’s Einstein docudrama “Genius” and producing Hulu’s Beatles documentary “Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years.” (He lost to “13th” in the doc category). Howard’s executive producer credits on “From Earth to the Moon” and “Arrested Development” have earned him two Primetime Emmys, and he’s won two Oscars for directing and producing the 2001 drama “A Beautiful Mind.”
Tom Hanks The beloved actor was up for guest actor in a comedy this year for his hosting duties on “Saturday Night Live,” but he lost to Dave Chappelle at last week’s Creative Arts Emmys. He has previously won seven Primetime Emmy awards as a producer on various HBO projects including “Band of Brothers” and “John Adams.” The two-time Oscar winner was celebrated by the film academy for his work in the ‘90s films “Philadelphia” and “Forrest Gump.”
Nicole Kidman The “Big Little Lies” co-producer and lead actress is up for two Emmys this year. She won a lead actress Oscar for 2002’s “The Hours.”
Jessica Lange A frequent collaborator with producer Ryan Murphy, Lange has won two Emmys while working on his “American Horror Story” anthology. She also won a lead actress Emmy for 2009’s “Grey Gardens.” This year she’s up for a lead actress award for her role as film star Joan Crawford in Murphy’s limited series “Feud: Bette and Joan.” Lange won a supporting actress Oscar for 1982’s “Tootsie” and lead actress Oscar for 1994’s “Blue Sky.”
Geoffrey Rush The British actor’s portrayal of famed scientist Albert Einstein in “Genius” earned him a nod this year. But he’s already earned an Emmy for his take on the Pink Panther in the 2004 TV movie “The Life and Death of Peter Sellers.” If those two biopics weren’t enough, his 1996 film “Shine” notched a lead actor Oscar.
Susan Sarandon Like her “Feud’ costar, Sarandon is up for two Emmys this year: the first for her portrayal of actress Bette Davis, the second for serving as an executive producer on the series. She’s been nominated four other times, but we’re pretty sure her Oscar for 1995’s “Dead Man Walking” has made up for those losses.
Kevin Spacey The 12-time Emmy Award nominee has no wins yet, but the “House of Cards” star and executive producer does have two Oscars: One for 1995’s “The Usual Suspects” and another for 1999’s “American Beauty.”
Reese Witherspoon The first-time Emmy nominee, who produced “Big Little Lies” and played alliteration-friendly stay-at-home mom Madeline Martha Mackenzie, is up for two awards this year. She won a lead actress Oscar for playing the no-nonsense June Carter in 2005’s “Walk the Line.”
Steven Zaillian The Oscar winner for best adapted screenplay for “Schindler’s List” is up for three Emmys this year for writing, directing and producing HBO’s crime drama “The Night Of.”
Tituss Burgess is channeling Beyoncé on the red carpet
One look at Tituss Burgess’ Emmys outfit and just one thing comes to mind. The color is very much a la Beyoncé in “Lemonade.” (Did you see his “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” character’s ode?)
“I can’t even pretend,” he said with a laugh from the red carpet Sunday afternoon. But perhaps his stylist did, he noted.
‘Modern Family’s’ Jeremy Maguire has already won the red carpet
Go home, everybody. Jeremy Maguire from “Modern Family” has already won the 2017 Emmys.
Maguire, who plays young Joe Pritchett on the ABC sitcom, flaunted a bright blue cape as he made his way down the red carpet Sunday. Talk about red carpet ready.
The young actor joined the “Modern Family” cast in 2015, taking over the role from Pierce Wallace, who played Joe during the show’s fifth and sixth seasons.
Your move, “Stranger Things” kids.
See more photos from the 2017 Emmys red carpet here.
Winter is canceled: Why ‘Game of Thrones’ is absent from this year’s Emmys
Fans and dragons are bound to be pretty disappointed no matter what ends up being the big winner at Sunday night’s Emmy ceremony.
“Game of Thrones” was not nominated for any trophies at the 2017 awards shows for one simple reason: It wasn’t eligible.
To qualify for the 2017 Emmys, a program had to air episodes between June 1, 2016, and May 31, 2017. Even though the HBO fantasy behemoth did air four episodes of Season 6, it was already eligible for the 2016 Emmys.
In fact, the show had quite a haul at last year’s festivities, taking home 12 awards from 23 nominations.
The lack of “Game of Thrones” eligibility means that a different series will take home the Emmy for drama series, a category the George R.R. Martin adaptation had dominated for two years running.
On Emmys red carpet GLAAD president urges more inclusion, excited for return of ‘Will & Grace’
For Sarah Kate Ellis, LGBTQ representation on television is very important. After all, she’s the president of GLAAD.
Ahead of the Emmy Awards, where shows featuring LGBTQ characters such as “Transparent” and “Master of None” are nominated, she highlighted a show she’s looking forward to.
“I’m really excited about ‘Will & Grace’ coming back,” she said, noting the rebooted NBC comedy has mentioned its interest in more diverse storylines and casting.
But while such an increase in nuanced representation is great, the real goal should be full-on inclusion.
“My dream is that it’s integrated into all shows (not just LGBTQ-centered ones),” she said. “We need TV and film right now especially.”
Sterling K. Brown, Julianne Hough and more on the 2017 Emmy red carpet
It’s less than 90 minutes until the ceremony begins, and the 2017 Emmys red carpet is heating up. Check out Sterling K. Brown, Julianne Hough and Rico Rodriguez below, and stick around for more red carpet pics to come.
Flashback: Remember when ‘Grease: Live’ drank Beyoncé’s ‘Lemonade’?
Awards shows are notorious for not recognizing greatness in its midst, which is why HBO’s “The Wire” has no Emmys and “Citizen Kane” didn’t win the best picture Oscar.
So it’s not a complete surprise that the 2016 Emmy Awards featured an upset that makes sense on the outside, but may prove ridiculous in years to come.
In April 2016, Beyoncé released the visual album “Lemonade” with an accompanying 60-minute film that aired on HBO. The film was greeted with a wave of think pieces and accolades and would nab four Emmy nominations, including a nomination for directing.
But “Lemonade” wouldn’t win any Emmys and Beyoncé – herself nominated for direction of the film, along with Kahlil Joseph – would ultimately be defeated by a far more populist choice.
In January 2016, Fox aired “Grease: Live,” a peppy remake of the 1978 musical that drew more than 12 million viewers and favorable reviews, compared with the 787,000 people who watched “Lemonade” on HBO.
It’s possible Emmy voters wanted to reward “Grease: Live” for its widespread appeal. It’s possible that they saw the live directorial efforts of Thomas Kail and Alex Rudzinski as a superior feat. It’s possible they just liked “Grease” better than “Lemonade.”
But for all those possibilities it seems likely that history will not look kindly upon the Emmys denying Queen Bey an Emmy and neglecting to recognize one of the landmark displays of creative expression of the decade.
Statement jackets are the new statement necklaces
They may be young, but the confident stars of “Stranger Things” put personality into their ensembles, bringing the statement jacket to the Emmy’s red carpet.
Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas) steps out in a purple brocade jacket, while co-star Noah Schapp (Will) goes for baroque gold bullion along his jacket’s lapels and cuffs. Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin) looks every bit the budding businessman in a three-piece suit and berry tie. Finn Wolfhard (Mike) kept to classic evening wear.
Not to be outdone? Celebrity stylist and host Brad Goreski in a silver lame jacket that can’t be missed in the crowd.
Major Dad finally has an Emmy
It took a soft touch for a tough guy to finally win an Emmy.
Veteran actor Gerald McRaney took home the award for guest actor in a drama series at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards for his portrayal of Dr. Nathan Katowski on NBC’s family drama “This Is Us.”
The series gives audiences a look at a softer side of McRaney, whose storied career included multiple roles as military men, such as Marine Corps veteran Rick Simon on “Simon & Simon” and Major John D. MacGillis on “Major Dad,” as well as a downright terrifying turn as George Hearst on HBO’s “Deadwood.”
Hear more about McRaney’s stint on “This Is Us” in his interview with The Times here.
‘Modern Family’ and ‘House of Cards’ — the shows the Emmys can’t quit
The nominations for the 69th Emmys have plenty of fresh blood in marquee categories, including FX’s “Atlanta,” Hulu’s buzz-worthy “The Handmaid’s Tale” and Netflix’s “The Crown.”
But the new class will have plenty of old-school company as it competes against what might be called the unkillables — the awards-show equivalent of Godzilla and “Friday the 13th’s” Jason Voorhees. “Modern Family,” “House of Cards,” “Veep” and “Real Time With Bill Maher” have demonstrated again that they can count on love from Emmy voters despite their age and familiarity.
Some had predicted that this year might mark the end of the line for “Modern Family” and “House of Cards.” Even though the drama and comedy series categories list seven nominees, the tsunami of new shows, particularly on streaming services and cable, indicated these two veterans might be squeezed out.
So much for that line of thinking.
Watch Tracee Ellis Ross sing her Emmy prep song; shaving has never sounded so glamorous
Tracee Ellis Ross can make even the most mundane tasks seem fabulous. Inspired by Tituss Burgess’ similar Instagram song (which we, unfortunately, can’t embed here due to a few NSFW words at the end but, trust us, it’s hilarious.) Ross used her lovely pipes to keep fans updated on her Emmy road like some sort of wonderful animated Disney princess.
Fingers crossed these two spark a pampering trend. See how other celebs got ready for the big night including the one and only Oprah.
See how the celebrities are getting ready for the 2017 Emmy Awards here. >>>
Guess tonight’s winners with our interactive play-at-home ballot
Will your favorites go home Emmy winners? Make your picks here for 2017 Emmy winners, then save and share on Facebook and Twitter. Once the winners are announced, check back and see how you did.
‘Full Frontal’s Emmy-nominated showrunner Jo Miller on why Trump isn’t good for comedy
Jo Miller, showrunner and executive producer of “Full Frontal With Samantha Bee,” is nominated for four Emmys (and has already won one for the talk show’s “Not the White House Correspondents’ Dinner” special).
The Ph.D. candidate in medieval Jewish history, who studied at Yale and Cambridge and who switched careers after landing a writing gig “The Daily Show” with Jon Stewart, has covered just about everything.
However during the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va.,”Full Frontal” was off the air.
Was it hard to be off the air the week of Charlottesville?
My whole life had been leading up to this point. I spent I don’t know how many decades studying anti-Semitism and I had my own show where I can say whatever I want and a Nazi rally happens, and it’s off that week? I nearly died. These weekend Tiki warriors, inherently ridiculous with their khakis. You could tell these guys were venturing out of their cave for the first time. They were taking this tentative glee in being able to utter the racial epithets they’d been typing for so long.
Do you buy into the idea that Trump is a gift to comedians?
No, that’s ... ridiculous. Chaos and meaninglessness are not good for comedy. Comedy shines an off-angle light at a thing to make it comprehensible and to make you see the absurdity of it. You shine an off-angle light at pure chaos and meaninglessness, it’s just another angle of meaninglessness. Satire is really at a loss to deal with madness.
Man, to think back when we were making fun of Ted Cruz. That was fun.
Nicole Kidman shares her Emmy-morning routine and red-carpet strategy for tonight’s awards
The day before the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards, nominee Nicole Kidman sat in the shade during a Neutrogena beauty event at Eric Buterbaugh Florals on Beverly Boulevard, protecting her porcelain skin from another sunny Los Angeles afternoon.
The soft-spoken Oscar winner, who wore a mint-colored Max Mara dress, appeared just as happy to talk about beauty and fashion as she was discussing her role on HBO’s Emmy-nominated “Big Little Lies,” which she co-starred in and served as co-executive producer along with fellow Emmy nominee Reese Witherspoon. (Both Academy Award winners are nominated for lead actress in a limited series or movie, and the show itself is nominated in the limited-series category.)
Here’s an excerpt from our conversation on Saturday:
How are you feeling going into the Emmy Awards?
As a group, we feel very connected and unbelievably recognized in terms of the amount of nominations that the series [received]. ... The whole show is being recognized on such a big level. I’m so much more aware of how rare this is. I’m in that place of going, “Wow” — and really savoring it.
What does it mean to you to know “Big Little Lies” resonated with people?
We didn’t realize that it would have this sort of impact and become part of the zeitgeist in the way it did. ... It shows you that stories by women about women can be for everyone.
What will Emmy morning entail?
It’ll be a normal morning with our kids. We’ll read the paper, have some coffee. I’ll probably go for a run or we’ll go for a swim in the pool, and then at around 12, we’ll get ready. ... I’m so glad [my husband] Keith [Urban] is coming. My daughter had a fever last night, so I was like, “Oh gosh.” But we all got on a plane today and now we’re all here. And if we go home empty-handed, the joy will still be there.
You’re the face of Neutrogena’s Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream. With that in mind, what are your thoughts on aging? And particularly aging gracefully in Hollywood?
I was so lucky that I got to play Celeste [on “Big Little Lies”] and Julia [on “Top of the Lake”] and then I got to do “Lion” and then I got to do “The Beguiled” and then I got to do “The Killing of a Sacred Deer.” I’ve played many different women in many different age ranges, and that’s my way of going: “OK, we’re blurring the lines here. Let’s keep trying to blur the lines as women and let’s be committed to it.” And men support us with that as well by letting us play [those roles]. You look at so many of the actresses in my category at the Emmys. I don’t know how old Carrie [Coon] is, but they’re all definitely over 35. That’s fantastic.
Who is Hollywood pulling for? Stars make their Emmy predictions at nominees party
A long list of Hollywood A-listers hightailed it over to Gracias Madre in West Hollywood to bestow kisses and well wishes on Emmy contenders during the Variety and Women in Film party honoring this year’s nominees.
Those who turned up for this festive annual cocktail bash included Claire Foy and Matt Smith of “The Crown,” Viola Davis and Cicely Tyson of “How to Get Away with Murder,” Sterling K. Brown and Ryan Michelle Bathé of “This Is Us,” Judith Light and Kathryn Hahn of “Transparent,” Angela Sarafyan and Leonardo Nam of “Westworld,” Tracee Ellis Ross of “black-ish,” Felicity Huffman of “American Crime,” Alexander Skarsgård of “Big Little Lies,” Sarah Hyland of “Modern Family” and Yvonne Strahovski of “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
And despite all the star power blazing inside this vegan-friendly Mexican restaurant, all eyes turned to Dolly Parton the second the country superstar stepped onto the patio.
A steady stream of admirers stopped by Parton’s banquette to extend congratulations for her Emmy-nominated holiday special, “Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love.”
The bash, sponsored by Mercedes-Benz, offered an abundance for anyone with a sweet tooth: a buffet of chocolates, gummy bears and other sweet treats next to an ice cream bar from event presenter Halo Top Creamery replete with red velvet, peanut butter cup and birthday cake flavors.
Here’s what a few stars had to say about hopes and predictions for the 69th Primetime Emmys:
TRACEE ELLIS ROSS
“A win is always nice, but [the awards show] is just a really fun situation overall — whether you take home a statue or not,” said Ellis Ross, who’s nominated for lead actress in a comedy series. “Who do you root for? I’m in a category of such heavy hitters that I can’t even believe I’m in there with those women.”
LEA MICHELE
“It’s so hard to predict, but I loved ‘Big Little Lies.’ I loved ‘Handmaid’s Tale,’” said Lea Michele, who is now gearing up for her new show, “The Mayor.” “I’m super-excited this year because I’m presenting – and I’m presenting with Kumail Nanjiani of ‘The Big Sick’ and ‘Silicon Valley.’”
ABIGAIL SPENCER
“Elisabeth Moss deserves all the awards — and not just for ‘The Handmaid’s Tale,’” said Abigail Spencer of “Timeless.” “She has such a deep body of work, and everything she does is so pointed.”
Get a peek inside the Emmys’ lavish after-party, the Governors Ball
More than 5,000 gold-colored, paper tubes (ranging in length from 2 to 20 feet) have been suspended from the ceiling at the Los Angeles Convention Center to channel the look of “Golden Grandeur.”
That is the theme the creators of the annual post-Emmy Awards extravaganza the Governors Ball are hoping to evoke as they host guests of the show, nominees, presenters and plenty of winners posing for pictures of themselves planting a kiss on their trophy.
Last year’s Governors Ball transformed the space into a magical forest wonderland (with the occasional sponsored car parked between the whimsical branches). This year it’s all about the gold.
Event producer Cheryl Cecchetto explained to The Times that the “epic look” of the venue “is going to make everyone feel so important.”
Fifty bartenders, 250 cooks, 27 executive restaurant chefs and 600 servers will converge to offer the celebrants heirloom tomatoes, filet mignon and brownie bars.
However, the splendor has a green bent: All the decor elements from the party is either recyclable, repurposed or biodegradable.
Take a look inside the 2017 Emmy Awards Governors Ball here. >>>
Yes, the ‘Stranger Things’ kids were at the EW pre-Emmy party, plus ‘This Is Us’ cast and countless stars
So many stars popped into the pre-Emmy party thrown by Entertainment Weekly at the Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood that they had to stand in line if they wished to walk the red carpet.
Inside the party space on Friday, guests carved out a spot to dance, while others spent every moment mingling with past and present Emmy nominees, industry insiders and all the other VIPs present.
This shindig, which was sponsored by L’Oreal Paris, featured — in addition to cheeseburgers, fries and a chance to catch up with TV stars — servers carrying trays of mascara.
Just beside the patio, Seth Meyers, host of “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” and his brother, actor Josh Meyers, chatted with friends.
Did the talk show host have any predictions for the Emmys? “I predicted Hillary was going to win,” he said. “So, what do I know?”
Sharon Lawrence of “Me, Myself and I” didn’t offer predictions either but said she was already happy with the 69th Primetime Emmys. That’s because last week, as the first awards were handed out at the Creative Arts Emmys, Gerald McRaney — also known as Dr. Nathan Katowski on “This Is Us” — took home an Emmy for guest actor in a drama series.
‘Saturday Night Live’ and ‘Westworld’ are tied with the most nods. Who will come out on top?
NBC’s long-running sketch comedy “Saturday Night Live” and HBO’s futuristic robot drama “Westworld” started the Emmy race tied as the nominations leaders with 22 apiece.
At last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys, where many of the technical awards and guest acting prizes were handed out -- categories in which both triumphed -- the shows remained tied in the lead with five each.
At the outset, “Westworld” had better odds simply because “SNL” has multiple actors in the same categories, e.g. Leslie Jones, Vanessa Bayer and Kate McKinnon all vying for supporting actress in a comedy.
But, even with the intra-show competition factor, and “Westworld” boasting an edge mathematically with a larger number of categories left to win, it could still be a horse race.
“Saturday Night Live” can win five trophies on Sunday: supporting actress and actor in a comedy (Alec Baldwin), directing and writing for a variety series and variety sketch series. If they sweep those -- which is possible given the surge this season experienced -- the show’s total haul will be 10. (Don’t get us started on why, if the show competes in the variety sketch categories, the actors are nominated in the comedy categories.)
By contrast, if “Westworld” were to sweep the remaining seven categories in which it is competing -- drama series, actor and actress, supporting actor and actress, writing and directing -- it would end up with 12. Yet, if smart money is elsewhere in several of those races, the shows could end up tying, yet again, as the night’s overall winners.
Given how Baldwin, McKinnon and guest actress winner Melissa McCarthy enlivened the show -- and interests in -- with their impressions of President Trump, Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions (among others) and former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, respectively, we’re guessing “SNL” emerges victorious in the head-to-head battle.
The 2016 Emmy Awards was a celebration of nerd TV
Remember when the Emmys recognized clones, a hacktivist with an “imaginary friend” and Sherlock all in the same year? 2016 was a big year for geekdom at the Emmy Awards, with many of the top prizes going to fan-favorite genre TV shows.
Tatiana Maslany was finally recognized for her performances in “Orphan Black,” winning lead actress in a drama series for tackling not one, but several roles as clones Sarah, Alison, Cosima, Helena, Rachel, M.K. and Krystal. Each woman is a distinct character with a unique personality and history, all sharing the same face, and sometimes even the same space. The Clone Club was unable to contain its excitement and exploded with memes to celebrate the occasion.
Meanwhile, lead actor in a drama went to Rami Malek of “Mr. Robot” for his portrayal of Elliot Alderson, a cybersecurity engineer who moonlights as a cybervigilante. What separates Elliot from your average hacktivist working to eliminate income inequality is that the man responsible for recruiting him into the underground organization (spoiler alert!) turned out to be a figment of his imagination.
And of course, we can’t forget that “Game of Thrones” made history during these 68th Emmy Awards when it won best drama series for the second straight year. Combined with the show’s wins for writing and directing that night, the total Emmy haul for “Game of Thrones” was pushed to 38 awards, more than any other drama or comedy series ever. (Alas, the series will not be adding to its overall total in 2017).
In addition to these nods in the drama categories, “Sherlock: The Abominable Bride” was crowned the best TV movie, Kate McKinnon won for supporting actress in a comedy series (though for her work on “Saturday Night Live” rather than “Ghostbusters”) and “Key & Peele,” with its numerous genre spoofs, won in the variety sketch show category.
Predicting the 2017 Emmy Award wins: ‘This Is Us’ versus ‘Stranger Things’ -- can the kids beat your tears?
“Game of Thrones’ ” latest season debuted too late for the show to be eligible for this year’s Emmys. Good news, right? Because if “Thrones” had won a third consecutive drama series Emmy for that disappointing run of episodes, it would have made my face scrunch up in a look of disapproval rivaling anything Maggie Smith ever threw down on “Downton Abbey.”
“Thrones” shouldn’t even be nominated next year, much less win.
But I’ll worry about that when the time comes. Meanwhile, we’ve got a drama series category dominated by first-year shows — “Stranger Things,” “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “The Crown,” “Westworld” and “This Is Us” — making it one of the most competitive races in years.
So, yes, we’ve got a big night ahead of us, and the producers have promised to shake things up. Forget about the prizes being given out in groupings of genre. First-time producers Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner say they’re going to save the closest races and biggest stars until the end of the show, meaning we’re going to have to wait a while to see if Nicole Kidman wins her first Emmy.
Who else will be hoisting those enormous gold trophies? And how many GIFs will Winona Ryder launch if “Stranger Things” wins? Here’s my final forecast for the main categories.
Drama Series
Winner: “Stranger Things”
Spoiler: “This Is Us”
I know, I know. “Handmaid’s Tale” has the political currency. “The Crown” possesses all the prestige trappings. What does “Stranger Things” have going for it? Popularity. Netflix’s ode to ’80s fantasy and horror has already won honors from the Producers and Screen Actors guilds, and last weekend it took five honors at the Creative Arts Emmys, including the bellwether casting award. It’s no sure thing. This might be the evening’s most competitive category. But it has a bit of history on its side.
Drama lead actor
Winner: Sterling K. Brown, “This Is Us”
Spoiler: Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”
Brown won an Emmy last year for playing prosecutor Christopher Darden in “The People v. O.J. Simpson,” and he’s just as good as the dorky, generous Randall in “This Is Us.” Voters’ love for the character — and the show — gives him the edge.
Emmy awards by the numbers: Which series won the most trophies in its first season? (It’s not ‘Game of Thrones’)
With so many nominees in so many categories over 69 years, Emmys statistics can be sliced any number of ways. Here, for those who might need a quick factoid to toss out during a commercial break, are nine that might come in handy.
27: Categories to be recognized during Sunday night’s show.
111: Nominations for HBO, the network that got the most.
22: Nominations each for “Saturday Night Live” and “Westworld,” the shows leading the pack.
6: Episodes submitted by each show for consideration in the drama series and comedy series categories.
41: Categories recognized during last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys.
44: Emmys won by CBS in 1974, a number that stands as the most for a single network in a single year.
5: Wins each for “SNL,” “Westworld” and “Stranger Things” at the 69th Creative Arts Emmy Awards last weekend.
38: Emmys won over the years by “Game of Thrones,” which has the most of any series ever (but won’t be adding any tonight).
9: Emmys given in 2000 to “The West Wing,” which holds the record for most trophies won by a series in its first season.
Women are the real standouts of the 2017 Emmy nominees
Many already are calling the 2017 Emmys the Year of the Woman. But Year of the Women might be more like it.
This year’s Emmy nominations, announced July 13, were dominated by “Big Little Lies,” “The Crown,” “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Feud: Bette and Joan” — shows that not only highlight strong female performances but also put women’s stories at the center of the action.
The range of these stories — and the women who helped bring them to life — is a reminder that the Golden Age of TV, ushered in by male antiheroes, is increasingly casting a spotlight on the collective female experience.
With “Game of Thrones” out of contention, the drama series category welcomed two newcomers that, in wildly different ways, saw women pitted against one another. In Netflix’s “The Crown,” the young Queen Elizabeth II (Claire Foy) reluctantly squelches her sister’s romance with a divorced man. Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” imagines a theocratic dystopia in which fertile women are enslaved as surrogates to the wives of the ruling class. Each series received 13 nominations.
Likewise, the limited-series category was led by two stories of women with complex relationships: “Feud,” which dramatized the legendary rivalry between Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, and “Big Little Lies,” a murder mystery set among well-heeled Monterey mothers.
Emmy host Stephen Colbert is clearly in the bag for ‘Stranger Things’
Emmy emcee Stephen Colbert may be new to the awards-show-hosting game, but he rolled out the red carpet like a professional on Tuesday morning as part of the run-up to the 69th Emmy Awards.
After revealing his own personal TV binge list, which included “Gilmore Girls” and “The Crown,” he showed a bit more Netflix bias:
“I looooved ‘Stranger Things,’” said Colbert. “I was late to the party, but I absolutely love it. That is my childhood. I was those kids playing Dungeons & Dragons. I’m first-generation D&D, baby. I went to Gen Con, I met [D&D inventor] Gary Gygax, man. I played with [early D&D writer] Len Lakofka. Yeah, deep cut.”
“The design of [‘Stranger Things’] was so incredible. The sheets that the kids have on the bed? Those were my sheets. My mom bought those sheets for me in 1978. Did they win? They should win.”
The complete list of Emmy nominations
In the run-up to Sunday night’s Emmy Awards, “Westworld” and “Saturday Night Live” lead the nominations with 22 nods apiece. It’s the most nominations the long-running NBC late-night sketch show has received in a single season. “SNL” also broke its own record for the most nominations for any program with 231 total.
The Creative Arts Emmys ceremonies held in Los Angeles last the weekend revealed the winners in several categories that don’t make it to air on the prime-time Emmy awards, with HBO’s “Westworld,” NBC’s “SNL” and Netflix’s “Stranger Things” each taking home five awards.
The remaining winners will be revealed at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT Sunday on CBS.
Here’s the complete list of nominees >>
Sean Spicer thinks Melissa McCarthy should share her Emmy Award with him
Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer has warmed up to Melissa McCarthy’s Emmy-winning portrayal of him on “Saturday Night Live.” So much so that he thinks he deserves a piece of the gilded pie.
When asked earlier this week if McCarthy owes him part of her award, Spicer grinned and said, “I think we should share.”
McCarthy took home the award for guest actress in a comedy at last week’s Creative Arts Emmys for lampooning President Trump’s former chief spokesman.
Spicer, who had at first criticized the recurring bit, acquiesced to the reporter’s line of questioning and admitted that he thought “the first one was funny.”
What time are the Emmy Awards?
TV’s biggest night is nearly here and we know you’ve got a few questions.
The 69th Primetime Emmy Awards will air live on CBS at 5 p.m. Pacific time until about 8 p.m.
“The Late Show” host Stephen Colbert will run point during the ceremony as this year’s host while the Television Academy doles out awards for best drama, comedy, limited series and TV movie, in addition to awarding the top talent from said categories.
While many of the gilded statuettes were handed out during last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys, there are still quite a few to be had on Sunday. For more details about Sunday’s show, click here.