Welsh actor Matthew Rhys made television history at Monday night's 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, becoming the first performer ever to win two lead acting Emmys in the same ceremony.
Rhys first took home Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series for his role as a menacing real estate mogul opposite Claire Danes in Netflix's "The Beast in Me." Hours later, he won again - this time for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, playing the skeptical mayor of a "cursed" island town in Apple TV's record-breaking "Widow's Bay."
The double win also completed a rare trifecta: with his 2018 victory for FX's "The Americans," Rhys is now the first male actor in Emmy history to win lead acting honors across all three major categories - drama, comedy, and limited series.
Accepting his first award of the night, a visibly stunned Rhys called it "a real shock," crediting the writing team and praising Danes as "an intimidating scene partner." Hours later, accepting his second trophy, he credited "Widow's Bay" creator Katie Dippold and director Hiro Murai, joking that Dippold's imagination "lives in the recesses of her disturbed brain."
In a later interview, Rhys admitted he never expected the night to go this way, saying he'd hoped for a small shot with "Widow's Bay" but didn't think he had a chance with "The Beast in Me."
Two very different roles, two trophies, one historic night - and a reminder that recognition often comes at the moment we least expect it, no matter how long the road getting there.
Related Article: How Many Emmys Did "Widow's Bay" Win? A Record-Breaking 14, Beating 'The Studio' and 'Shogun'
