Matthew Rhys makes Emmy history as cameras miss the hugs and snacks
Matthew Rhys left the 78th Emmy Awards on Monday night with two trophies and two lines in the record books.
He became the first actor to win Emmys across all three lead categories — Comedy, Drama and Limited Series/Movie, meaning the top acting prizes for each form — and the first man to win two lead acting Emmys in the same year, according to staff who watched the ceremony from inside the room Deadline. The applause was loud. A winners list described it as a standing ovation.
The Television Academy lists his comedy win as Mayor Tom Loftis in Widow’s Bay for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – 2026 Television Academy. He was also honoured for The Beast in Me, with the two titles named together in overnight coverage of the ceremony. He had arrived with nominations for performance and producing on Widow’s Bay and for performance on The Beast in Me.
Jean Smart also joined the history list. Her eighth career Emmy tied Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Cloris Leachman for the most Emmys won by a performer Deadline.
The cameras missed plenty. Deadline had staff in the audience to log the off-camera moments, and the night started before the show did. Tom Holland skipped the red, actually blue, carpet but attended with Zendaya.
Zendaya lost Lead Actress in a Drama Series to Rhea Seehorn. During the break that followed, she and Holland were talking when Mark Ruffalo ran over and bear-hugged Holland and then Zendaya. Ruffalo was in the room as a nominee for Task.
Later Holland, Zendaya and Chase Infiniti caught up together. Nicole Kidman watched from a front-row seat. Brett Goldstein and Richard Gadd used another break to catch up.
Food ran short early. At 7:15, the only food left at concessions in the loge was Flamin’ Hot Doritos and one box of M&Ms.
What makes this stand out is the arithmetic. Two wins in one night closed a set that took most actors a career to assemble. For fans, this means two finished performances to find: one as a small-town mayor in a comedy, the other in a limited series built to end in one run.
