Matthew Rhys took home the trophy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Mayor Tom Loftis in Widow’s Bay at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday, September 14, making history as the first male actor to ever win in a Lead Actor category (one for drama, one for comedy) twice in the same evening.
“This is purely for the depraved and twisted mind of Katie Dippold and her genius really does live in the recesses of her disturbed brain,” Rhys, 51, began in his acceptance speech while thanking the show’s creator and showrunner.
After thanking that cast and crew of Widow’s Bay, Rhys explained that “33 years ago” his agent Dallas Smith took “a big swing on” him.”
“For that reason, Dallas, you have my lifelong indebted gratitude and thanks,” he added.
Rhys went on to thank his parents and sister before he gave a shout-out to the “great and good people” of his native Wales who nurtured him during his childhood. “We are a small but mighty nation,” he said. “This is incredible.”
Television’s biggest stars stepped into the spotlight for the 2026 Emmys, bringing plenty of personality to the red carpet. Celebrities showed their sartorial flair while posing for the cameras at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles on Monday, September 14. From bold fashion statements to timeless Hollywood looks, there was no shortage of glamour […]
Rhys beat out Wonder Man’s Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Rooster’s Steve Carell, Shrinking’s Jason Segel and Only Murders in the Building’s Martin Short for the award.
The nominees were no strangers to the Emmys, as each performer had been nominated for awards before.
Rhys has been nominated for eight Emmy Awards and won his only trophy in 2018 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role in The Americans.
Short, 76, earned a total of 23 nods over the course of his career. He has taken home two Emmys, one for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program for SCTV Network 90 in 1983 and Outstanding Variety Special for AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Mel Brooks in 2014.
Abdul-Mateen, 40, has been nominated two times and won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his role in Watchmen in 2020. Meanwhile, Carell, 64, has been nominated a total of 12 times and Segel, 46, has been nominated six times. However, neither nominee has ever taken home a trophy from the prestigious awards show.
This year’s winner follows in the footsteps of Seth Rogen, who won the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series during the 2025 awards show for his role as Matt Remick The Studio. Rogen, 44, also cocreated the show alongside Evan Goldberg, Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory and Frida Perez and serves as an executive producer.
“This is amazing. I so could not wrap my head around this happening that I literally prepared nothing,” Rogen, 44, said during his acceptance speech. “I’ve never won anything in my life. When I was a kid, I bought a used bowling trophy at an estate sale and my parents were like, ‘Yeah, that’s a good idea, you should probably buy that.’”
After he thanked his wife, Lauren Miller, and his mom, Rogen went on to give a shout-out to his colleagues on The Studio. “This is really just so lovely,” he added. “I don’t know what to say, this is so nice.”
