Matthew Rhys First Man to Win Two Lead Emmys in One Night
22 sourcesUpdated Sep 15, 2026
Matthew Rhys became the first man to win two lead-acting Emmys in one night at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards on September 14, 2026. The 51-year-old won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Netflix's The Beast in Me and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Apple TV's Widow's Bay. His 2018 drama win for The Americans made him the first man with lead Emmys in drama, comedy and limited series. Accepting the limited-series award, Rhys called it a real shock and credited writers Daniel Pearle, Gabe Rotter and Howard Gordon for bringing out the beast in all of us. He said the cast was guided by Antonio Campos and led ferociously by Claire Danes, an intimidating scene partner. For the comedy prize he praised Katie Dippold's depraved and twisted mind and genius in the recesses of her disturbed mind, and thanked his parents, sister and the people of Wales. Sally Field won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Remarkably Bright Creatures over Claire Danes, Carey Mulligan, Sarah Pidgeon and Sarah Snook. She said the win was not supposed to happen, spoke about art and diverse storytelling, and credited Lewis Pullman. Widow's Bay also won comedy writing for Dippold
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Winning two leads in one night takes real range, especially if he pulls off the comedy too after crediting the whole team like that.
Matthew Rhys earned those wins fair and square, his limited series role stood out in a tough field and the comedy nod would cap it nicely.
