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| Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, and Jane Fonda at the Emmys 2017 |
1. When things got political
As has been the case with any major Hollywood event
lately, things got political at the Emmys this year. It wasn’t a big surprise
when Stephen Colbert spoke of President Donald Trump in his opening monologue
itself. He brought up the fact that Trump has never won an Emmy, even though he
was nominated for several, back when he was a reality show host. Colbert even
went on to scold the Academy members, a lot of whom were in the audience,
saying that if they had given Trump an Emmy, he maybe wouldn’t have thought of
running for president. His rant eventually ended with the declaration that unlike
the US presidency, Emmys usually go to those who actually win the popular vote.
When
Julia Louis-Dreyfus went up to accept her sixth Emmy for VEEP, she mentioned
that they dropped the idea of doing an impeachment storyline, concerned that
someone else would beat them to it. It clearly indicated hopefulness
towards the impeachment of the actual president.
However,
the strongest lashing-out at the president was by Dolly Parton, and GRACE AND FRANKIE stars, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda, the trio who presented together, as a reunion of their 1980
film, 9 To 5. Fonda stated, “Back in
1980, in that movie, we refused to be controlled by a sexist, egotistical,
lying, hypocritical bigot.” And then Tomlin added, “And in 2017, we still
refuse to be controlled by a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot.”
2. When Alec Baldwin put the importance of film and
television in fresh and true perspective
When accepting his Emmy for supporting actor in a
comedy series, for SNL, he said, “…I always remember what someone told me, that
is when you die, you don't remember a bill that Congress passed or a decision
the Supreme Court made or an address made by the president. You remember a
song. You remember a line from a movie. You remember a play. You remember a
book, a painting, a poem. What we do is important. And for all of you out there
in motion pictures and television, don't stop doing what you’re doing. The
audience is counting on you.”
3. When Ann Dowd reacted to her surprising win for THE
HANDMAID’S TALE
It was the most surprising win of the evening—probably
the only one in a largely predictable Emmys night—but it wasn’t undeserving.
Ann Dowd delivered a scary, yet moving and conflicted performance as Aunt
Lydia, the ‘mother superior’ to the handmaids. She was probably more surprised
than anyone by the announcement, having never won an Emmy before, throughout her
three-decade-long career. Her speech was heartfelt, tearful, and touching. “I
have been acting for a long time and that this should happen now, I don't have
the words. So I thank you," she said. It made me feel really happy for
her, and for it, she deserved that Emmy even more.
4. When Sterling K. Brown said he was honored to win
in the lead actor category
His speech had to be cut short, and he was played off,
while the microphone was muted. He protested, it got awkward, but the crowd
gave him a huge cheer anyway. But before that, he said that prior to any of the
awards stuff, he was a fan of his fellow nominees. He went on to express how
huge it was for him to have won what ‘Walter White’ and ‘Dick Whitman’ had won,
referring to greats like Bryan Cranston and Jon Hamm, who won Emmys in the
same category for their roles in BREAKING BAD and MAD MEN, respectively.
After looking up to two of the most iconic, game-changing series of our times,
he went back 19 years when ‘Detective Frank Pembleton’ won in this category, noting
that it’s been 19 years since an African American won an Emmy outstanding lead
actor. It was Andre Braugher in 1998, for his role as ‘Detective Frank Pembleton’
in HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREETS. Brown added that he was honored to follow in
Braugher’s footsteps.
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| (Left) Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon; (right) Elisabeth Moss |
5. When women emerged as the biggest winners
All three outstanding series—VEEP, BIG LITTLE LIES,
and THE HANDMAID’S TALE—turned out to be those with women as their hardcore
protagonists. And lead actresses from all three series won as well. It was
refreshing to see female-led shows dominating the overall awards for a change.
Reese Witherspoon, as a
producer of BIG LITTLE LIES, while accepting the Emmy for outstanding limited
series, expressed it well. "It’s been an incredible year for women in
television, can I just say? Bringing women to the front of their own stories
and making them the hero of their own stories, and thank you for that
opportunity and for audiences to wrap their arms around us,” she stated. To
that, Nicole Kidman, also a producer (and winner, lead actress limited
series/TV movie) added, “And this is a friendship that then created
opportunities. It created opportunities out of a frustration because we weren’t
getting offered great roles.” With that honesty, she concluded, saying, “So,
now, more great roles for women, please. Thank you.”
Elisabeth
Moss, on winning for THE HANDMAID’S TALE, thanked Margaret Atwood, the author of
the book that the series is based on, and she also thanked another woman who
inspires her—her mother. Looking at her mother, she said, “You are brave, and
strong, and smart, and you’ve taught me that you can be kind, and a fucking
badass!”
See here a complete list of winners at the 69th Emmy
Awards:
Outstanding Drama Series
BETTER CALL SAUL
THE CROWN
THE HANDMAID’S TALE
HOUSE OF CARDS
STRANGER THINGS
THIS IS US
WESTWORLD
Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series
Viola Davis, HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER
Claire Foy, THE CROWN
Elisabeth Moss, THE HANDMAID’S TALE
Keri Russell, THE AMERICANS
Evan Rachel Wood, WESTWORLD
Robin Wright, HOUSE OF CARDS
Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series
Sterling K. Brown, THIS IS US
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
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama
Uzo Aduba, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK
Millie Bobby Brown, STRANGER THINGS
Ann Dowd, THE HANDMAID’S TALE
Chrissy Metz, THIS IS US
Thandie Newton, WESTWORLD
Samira Wiley, THE HANDMAID’S TALE
Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series
Jonathan Banks, BETTER CALL SAUL
Ron Cephas Jones, THIS IS US
David Harbour, STRANGER THINGS
Michael Kelly, HOUSE OF CARDS
John Lithgow, THE CROWN
Mandy Patinkin, HOMELAND
Jeffrey Wright, WESTWORLD
Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series
The Duffer Brothers, STRANGER THINGS
Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan, WESTWORLD
Peter Morgan, THE CROWN
Bruce Miller, THE HANDMAID'S TALE
Gordon Smith, BETTER CALL SAUL
Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields, THE AMERICANS
Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series
Stephen Daldry, THE CROWN
Kate Dennis, THE HANDMAID'S TALE
The Duffer Brothers, STRANGER THINGS
Vince Gilligan, BETTER CALL SAUL
Lesli Linka Glatter, HOMELAND
Reed Morano, THE HANDMAID'S TALE
Jonathan Nolan, WESTWORLD
Outstanding Comedy Series
ATLANTA
BLACK-ISH
MASTER OF NONE
MODERN FAMILY
SILICON VALLEY
UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT
VEEP
Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series
Pamela Adlon, BETTER THINGS
Jane Fonda, GRACE AND FRANKIE
Allison Janney, MOM
Ellie Kemper, UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, VEEP
Tracee Ellis Ross, BLACK-ISH
Lily Tomlin, GRACE AND FRANKIE
Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson, BLACK-ISH
Aziz Ansari, MASTER OF NONE
Zach Galifianakis, BASKETS
Donald Glover, ATLANTA
William H. Macy, SHAMELESS
Jeffrey Tambor, TRANSPARENT
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series
Vanessa Bayer, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
Anna Chlumsky, VEEP
Kathryn Hahn, TRANSPARENT
Leslie Jones, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
Judith Light, TRANSPARENT
Kate McKinnon, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series
Louie Anderson, BASKETS
Alec Baldwin, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
Tituss Burgess, UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT
Ty Burrell, MODERN FAMILY
Tony Hale, VEEP
Matt Walsh, VEEP
Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series
Aziz Ansari and Lena Waithe, MASTER OF NONE
Alec Berg, SILICON VALLEY
Donald Glover, ATLANTA
Stephen Glover, ATLANTA
Billy Kimball, VEEP
David Mandel, VEEP
Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series
Jamie Babbit, SILICON VALLEY
Donald Glover, ATLANTA
Mike Judge, SILICON VALLEY
David Mandel, VEEP
Morgan Sackett, VEEP
Dale Stern, VEEP
Outstanding Limited Series
BIG LITTLE LIES
FARGO
FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN
GENIUS
THE NIGHT OF
Outstanding TV Movie
BLACK MIRROR: SAN JUNIPERO
DOLLY PARTON’S CHRISTMAS OF MANY COLORS: CIRCLE OF
LOVE
THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS
SHERLOCK: THE LYING DETECTIVE
THE WIZARD OF LIES
Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Series Or TV Movie
Carrie Coon, FARGO
Felicity Huffman, AMERICAN CRIME
Nicole Kidman, BIG LITTLE LIES
Jessica Lange, FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN
Susan Sarandon, FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN
Reese Witherspoon, BIG LITTLE LIES
Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Series Or TV Movie
Riz Ahmed, THE NIGHT OF
Benedict Cumberbatch, SHERLOCK: THE LYING DETECTIVE
Robert DeNiro, THE WIZARD OF LIES
Ewan McGregor, FARGO
Geoffrey Rush, GENIUS
John Turturro, THE NIGHT OF
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Limited Series Or TV Movie
Judy Davis, FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN
Laura Dern, BIG LITTLE LIES
Jackie Hoffman, FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN
Regina King, AMERICAN CRIME
Michelle Pfeiffer, THE WIZARD OF LIES
Shailene Woodley, BIG LITTLE LIES
Best Supporting Actor In A Limited Series Or TV Movie
Bill Camp, THE NIGHT OF
Alfred Molina, FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN
Alexander Skarsgård, BIG LITTLE LIES
David Thewlis, FARGO
Stanley Tucci, FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN
Michael K. Williams, THE NIGHT OF
Outstanding Variety Talk Series
FULL FRONTAL WITH SAMANTHA BEE
JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!
LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER
THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH JAMES CORDEN
THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT
REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER
Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
THE AMAZING RACE
AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR
PROJECT RUNWAY
RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE
TOP CHEF
THE VOICE
