Matthew Rhys won two lead actor Emmys in the same night, and the television industry has never seen a man do it before.
Rhys took home the award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Mayor Tom Loftis in the first season of Widow’s Bay. He beat Martin Short, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Steve Carell, and Jason Segel to claim the prize. Then, earlier in the evening, he won Best Lead Actor in a Limited Series for his performance in The Beast In Me. That made him the first man to win two acting awards in lead categories in the same night.
The Double Win
Rhys’s first win of the night came for his comedy work. Widow’s Bay is a new series, and Rhys plays Mayor Tom Loftis in its first season. The category pits lead actors from sitcoms and sketch shows against each other, and Rhys emerged victorious over a strong field.
His second win came for The Beast In Me, a limited series. Rhys’s win there means he now holds awards across all three lead acting categories — comedy, drama, and limited series.
A Long List of Firsts
The achievement is rarer than it sounds. Several people have won two acting Emmys in the same night, but Rhys is the first man to do it in lead categories. Maya Rudolph won awards for voice acting and as a guest star in both 2020 and 2021. Glenda Jackson pulled off two leading performance wins in 1972.
Only one other man has ever won two acting awards in the same night. James Earl Jones did it in 1991, winning an award for Supporting Actor in a Miniseries for Heat Wave and Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Gabriel’s Fire. Rhys’s double is different because both of his wins were in lead categories, not supporting ones.
How Rhys Made History
Rhys’s path to the podium was not a quiet one. His first win came after Martin Short’s acceptance speech went sideways, with Short ripping up his remarks. Rhys stepped onto the stage for his second win, collecting the award for Best Lead Actor in a Limited Series.
The back-to-back nature of his wins is what makes the achievement stand out. Most actors collect one trophy a night, if they collect any at all. Rhys collected two.
The Legacy of the Night
Rhys’s double win is a milestone for men in the industry. Women have won multiple Emmys in the same night before, but the source does not establish a comparable record for men. Rhys broke the pattern by winning across two lead categories.
The feat is notable because it requires sustained excellence across two very different kinds of performances. Rhys proved he can do both at the highest level in the same calendar year.
| Category | Winner | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Best Actor in a Comedy Series | Matthew Rhys | Mayor Tom Loftis, Widow’s Bay |
| Best Lead Actor in a Limited Series | Matthew Rhys | The Beast In Me |
| Performer | Year | Categories Won |
|---|---|---|
| Matthew Rhys | Tonight | Comedy, Limited Series |
| Maya Rudolph | 2020-2021 | Voice, Guest Star |
| Glenda Jackson | 1972 | Leading Performance |
| James Earl Jones | 1991 | Supporting, Drama |
The Emmys have a long history of firsts, but this one is personal. Rhys’s win is a reminder that records exist to be broken, and that a man can break them with a single night of work.
Rhys’s achievement is a matter of simple math. He won two awards, in two lead categories, on the same night. That has never happened for a man before.
See the video the story is built around at The A.V. Club.
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