Live Updates: 75th Emmy Awards
By The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Emmys are finally here!
The 75th Emmys were delayed because of the Hollywood strikes, catapulting them from their usual perch in late summer or early fall to squarely in the midst of winter – better known in Hollywood as awards season.
For more of our Emmys coverage:
1. See the fashion highlights from this year’s Emmys.
2. Who won an Emmy? A look at some of the winners from the 75th Emmys.
3. Your cheatsheet to good TV from 2023and the top 10 picks from AP’s Alicia Rancillo.
4. It’s the 75th Emmys. These are the Top 75 Most Impactful Television Moments,according to the academy.
___’SUCCESSION’ KEEPS SUCCEEDING
In accepting “Succession’s sixth Emmy of the night, Jesse Armstrong underscored how the show examines American life and politics. “Succession” takes an unflinching look at the power-hungry Roys, a family modeled in part after the Murdochs and their media empire.
“This wasn’t necessarily an easy show to commission at the beginning,” creator Jesse Armstrong said. The cast of the Roy family — with the exception of “eldest boy” Jeremy Strong, fittingly enough — converged on the stage to accept the final award of the night.
“This is a show about family,” Armstrong, the show’s creator, said. But, he added, it’s also a show about how “partisan news coverage gets intertwined with divisive, right-wing politics.”
Mark Mylod was awarded best director for the chaotic, masterful episode of Connor Roy’s wedding during the death of Logan Roy, the all-powerful and much-feared patriarch.
And Sarah Snook and Kieran Culkin, who play rival siblings on the show, won for lead actor and lead actress in a drama series.
Ending the night and channeling the show’s dry sense of humor, Armstrong said: “After four seasons of satire, as I understand it, that’s a problem we have now fixed.”
______’BEEF’ WINS BIG
Ali Wong and Steven Yeun won Emmys for lead actor and actress in a limited or anthology series or movie for their roles in “Beef.”
“There were days when it was difficult to live in Danny’s skin,” Yeun said of his role Danny Cho. “Sometimes I wanted to judge him, Sometimes I wanted to make fun of him. I want to say thank you to Danny, for teaching me that judgment and shame is a lonely place. But compassion and grace is where we can all meet.”
For the show, Lee Sung Jin also won two awards — for outstanding writing and directing for a limited or anthology series or movie.
______JOHN OLIVER STEALS THE SHOW
“Oh wow, I told you we would beat John Oliver if he wasn’t in our category,” Trevor Noah joked in accepting the award for outstanding talk series. “We got rid of John Oliver.”
After seven years hosting the show, Noah left in December 2022. His acceptance speech came after “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” won in back-to-back categories for outstanding scripted variety series — and writing for a variety series.
“I especially want to thank everyone at the show and John, Tim and Liz for just how much they backed us up during the writers strike. They wholeheartedly supported all of us, even though a third of us are annoying,” Sofía Manfredi, one of the show’s writers, said. “We also want to thank our union, the WGA, and all the other unions that backed, with so much solidarity. The strike felt long. It did not feel lonely.”
______SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER
“I’m a winner, baby!” Niecy Nash-Betts cheered in accepting her award for supporting actress in a limited or anthology series or movie.
“And you know who I wanna thank? Me, for believing in me and doing what they said I could not do. I want to say to myself, in front of all you beautiful people — go girl, with your bad self. You did that.”
“Finally, I accept this award on behalf of every Black and brown woman who has gone unheard yet overpoliced, like Glenda Cleveland, like Sandra Bland, like Breonna Taylor. As an artist, my job is to speak truth to power and baby, I’m gonna do it until the day I die. Mama, I won!”
Nash-Betts earned a standing ovation for the rousing speech.
Minutes earlier, 92-year-old actor Marla Gibbs made a pithy joke about the wage gap in Hollywood. “I’ve got to work 20 more years before I can retire. But if you great writers write something for me, I’ll just keep on working and cut into that wage, yet.”
______BRING YOUR PARENTS TO WORK DAY
Host Anthony Anderson threatened to have his mother, Doris Hancox, cut off lengthy speeches.
Just before the show, Hancox delivered show rules via video from the stage. She warned winners they have 45 seconds to talk and anyone who goes over “will have to deal with me.”
“Times up, baby,” Hancox told her son. “Cut to the chase.”
A number of stars brought their parents as their plus-ones.
When Jeremy Allen White won the award for lead actor in a comedy series — after co-stars Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach took the prize in their respective categories — he thanked his father, who sat next to him. “I’m so proud,” White said. “I’m so full of gratitude to be standing in front of you all.”
______PIZZA CUPCAKES? INSIDE THE SHOW
While the famous make their way down the carpet, the less famous are packed into the Peacock Theater lobby for pre-show libations, AP’s Beth Harris reports.
There’s a champagne bar with pizza cupcakes and $18 premium cocktails.
Meanwhile, cast members nominated for “RuPaul’s Drag Race” have sashayed their way to their seats inside the Emmys, Harris reports. In a theater full of black tuxedos and low-key fashion, their feathers, sequins, boas and sky-high hair styles are standouts.
______MAKE WAY FOR THE PRESIDENT
On the carpet, Issa Rae, President “Barbie” herself, spoke to the AP about a recent viral clip in which two young girls from the hit web series “Recess Therapy” expressed their love of Rae’s role.
At last week’s Golden Globes, the girls approached Issa and cheered “I saw you on ‘Barbie.’ You were the president… I wanted to be you when I was (watching) ‘Barbie.’” They handed her a friendship bracelet, which Rae wore to the Emmys.
“It says ‘winners,’ I can’t take this off. I’ve been coordinating with it,” Rae exclaimed, showing off the bracelet. “They were just so sweet and excited to meet this version of me. I felt proud and honored.” ______
KIERAN CULKIN HASN’T SEEN THAT ‘SUCCESSION’ FINALE
As celebrities started hitting the silver carpet bright and early Monday afternoon, “Succession” actor Kieran Culkin revealed he has yet to finish his own critically acclaimed series.
“I haven’t even seen the last episode yet,” he told AP’s Krysta Fauria.
But it’s not on purpose.
“I’m sure if I talked to a therapist, you could probably come up with a lot of reasons why I haven’t seen it,” the Roman Roy actor joked.
______IT’S 2024. WHY ARE THEY CALLING IT THE 2023 EMMYS?
Well, they were supposed to have been in 2023. We haven’t had an Emmys ceremony since September 2022, in fact. The 75th Emmys were delayed because of the Hollywood strikes, catapulting them from their usual perch in late summer or early fall to squarely in the midst of winter – better known in Hollywood as awards season.
The temporary shift does have some rather confusing side effects. The Emmys already have what some consider a counterintuitive eligibility window, as AP’s Alicia Rancilio broke down last April. Had the 75th Emmys not been delayed, they still would have aired more than a year after the finale of Season 1 of “The Bear,” which is up for several awards. Now, the show is even further behind: Two seasons of the show have come and gone, and Jeremy Allen White has Golden Globes for both – but is still waiting to see if he collects a statuette from the Television Academy for his work in 2022.
______HOW TO WATCH THE EMMYS RED – SORRY, SILVER – CARPET
If you missed the pep of E! during last week’s Golden Globes, fret not: The channel is back with its “Live from E!” coverage at 5 p.m. Eastern, three hours before the telecast kicks off. The first hour is hosted by Zuri Hall, Amber Ruffin and Zanna Roberts Rassi, before Laverne Cox and comedian Heather McMahan take over. And if that’s not enough, E! is throwing an after-party that begins at 11 p.m., featuring Real Housewives Garcelle Beauvais and Jenna Lyons.
If you want an alternative, People and Entertainment Weekly are cohosting their own show from the silver carpet, streaming on their website and YouTube.
