It was the kind of night that careers are measured against for decades. Matthew Rhys, the 51-year-old Welsh actor best known to American audiences for his Emmy-winning turn in The Americans, etched his name into television history on Monday at Los Angeles' Peacock Theater — becoming the first actor in 78 years of Emmy Awards history to win two lead acting prizes for performances in different shows in the same year.
Rhys claimed outstanding lead actor in a limited series for his role in Netflix's psychological thriller The Beast in Me, and outstanding lead actor in a comedy for Apple TV's supernatural small-town comedy Widow's Bay. Combined with his 2018 drama win for The Americans, he is now the first male performer in Emmy history to have won all three lead acting categories.
A Double Act No One Saw Coming
The evening began with a shock. When Rhys' name was called for The Beast in Me — a category stacked with formidable competition including Riz Ahmed and Jason Bateman — the actor could barely hide his disbelief. His first words at the podium were a simple, startled: "Oh, good grief." He later described that speech as "a vomit of a speech" and admitted backstage that the win had come entirely out of nowhere.
"That was such a shock, as I am sure you could tell from the rambling speech I gave. I genuinely can't believe it. I hope to reflect on it tomorrow."
His second win, for Widow's Bay, brought a very different energy — warmer, more assured, and unmistakably Welsh. Rhys used the moment to pay tribute to his home country, delivering a portion of his speech in Welsh: "Diolch yn fawr iawn" — thank you very much — before adding in English: "To the great and good people of Wales, who were as much a nurturer as anyone else. We are a small but mighty nation. This is incredible."
Speaking to media backstage, he reflected further: "I'm from a small country, and I'm glad we get moments to kind of put our flag on the map and say, 'we punch higher than our weight sometimes.'"
Widow's Bay Sweeps the Night
Rhys was far from the only winner celebrating. Widow's Bay — a comedy following a small town cursed for centuries — dominated the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, converting 14 of its 19 nominations into wins. The haul included outstanding comedy series, best writing for creator Katie Dippold, best direction for Hiro Murai, supporting actor for Stephen Root, and supporting actress for Kate O'Flynn, who plays a character named Patricia.
O'Flynn, the Bury-born actress, described the role as "the role of a lifetime" and thanked the show for trusting "this Lancashire lass" with the part — a moment that drew genuine warmth from the room.
Smart, Seehorn and a Night of Record-Breakers
Matthew Rhys was not the only history-maker of the evening. Jean Smart claimed her fifth outstanding lead actress in a comedy Emmy for her performance as Deborah Vance in the fifth and final season of Hacks, making her the first woman ever to win an Emmy for every single season of a show. Her eighth win overall drew a standing ovation.
"I am slightly giddy and a little bit dizzy," Rhys said backstage. "I genuinely can't quite believe what has happened."
Allison Janney also claimed her eighth acting Emmy, for The Diplomat, meaning both she and Smart now sit level with Cloris Leachman and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the most decorated acting winners in Emmy history.
In the drama categories, The Pitt won outstanding drama series and its lead Noah Wyle took home best lead actor in a drama for the second consecutive year — the first drama actor to win back-to-back since Bryan Cranston on Breaking Bad. Rhea Seehorn claimed her first ever Emmy, winning best lead actress in a drama for Pluribus. The limited series categories were dominated by DTF St. Louis, which swept seven awards including best series, best supporting actor for David Harbour, and best supporting actress for Linda Cardellini.
For Welsh television fans, however, the night belonged to one man. Matthew Rhys arrived as a celebrated actor. He left as a piece of Emmy history.
