Welsh actor Matthew Rhys makes Emmy history with unprecedented double win

Matthew Rhys walked off the Emmy stage twice in one night, making television history in a way no actor had managed before. The Welsh performer won best lead actor in a limited series for The Beast In Me, then returned hours later to claim best lead actor in a comedy for Widow's Bay—a double victory that broke new ground at the prestigious US television awards ceremony.

Rhys is not the first to be nominated for two lead acting prizes in the same year. Alan Alda, Sally Field, John Goodman, Elisabeth Moss, and Ted Danson have all achieved that distinction. But none of them had ever won both on the same night. The distinction matters because it marks a threshold crossed, a record that stood until now.

Standing on stage after his second win, Rhys spoke directly to his roots. "We are a small but mighty nation. This is incredible," he said, then switched to Welsh: "Diolch yn fawr iawn"—thank you very much. Later, backstage, he reflected on what the moment meant beyond his own career. "I'm from a small country, and I'm glad we get moments to kind of put our flag on the map and say, 'we punch higher than our weight sometimes'." He dedicated both awards to Wales and the people there who had shaped him.

The Beast In Me, where Rhys earned his first prize of the evening, is a psychological thriller centered on a grieving author played by Claire Danes who becomes obsessed with a mysterious new neighbour suspected of murder. Accepting that award, Rhys thanked Danes directly, calling her an intimidating scene partner but expressing gratitude for the opportunity. Widow's Bay, the supernatural comedy that brought him his second win, cast him as the mayor of a fictional island cursed for centuries. In his acceptance speech for that award, he thanked his parents for pushing him toward performance early in life, and acknowledged the family, friends, and colleagues who had supported his career.

Rhys was not alone in making his mark that night. Kate O'Flynn, his Widow's Bay co-star, won best supporting comedy actress for playing Patricia, a character she described as a "sassy broad." O'Flynn, from Bury in Greater Manchester, called the role "the role of a lifetime." Jean Smart won best comedy actress for the fifth and final season of Hacks, her fifth Emmy for that Hollywood satire alone. Smart's win brought her eighth Emmy overall, tying her with Allison Janney, who won best supporting actress in a drama series for The Diplomat. Both Smart and Janney now share the record for most acting wins ever, alongside Cloris Leachman and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

The Pitt claimed the night's most prestigious prize, best drama series, and its star Noah Wyle won best lead actor in a drama for the second consecutive year. Wyle spoke of television and movies as his place of worship, and singled out British veteran Gary Oldman for inspiration, recalling Oldman's 1986 performance as Sid Vicious in Sid and Nancy as a benchmark he had long aspired to reach.

Michael J Fox received a standing ovation as he accepted the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award for his decades of advocacy around Parkinson's disease. The Back to the Future star, now 65, founded his eponymous foundation in 2000 and has spent years raising money and pushing toward a cure. Appearing in a wheelchair, Fox spoke candidly about initially keeping his diagnosis secret after learning of it at 29, fearing it would damage his career and his relationship with audiences. "Eventually, I understood that accepting Parkinson's didn't mean I had to surrender to it," he said. The evening also included a tribute to Dolly Parton, the country music legend who died the previous month. Sally Field, who starred opposite Parton in Steel Magnolias, described her as "genuine, humble, supportive and blisteringly funny," and country singer Reba McEntire performed in her honour.

Stephen Colbert won best variety series after hosting his final episode of The Late Show in May. Alan Cumming accepted best reality show for the US version of The Traitors, using his platform to encourage voter registration ahead of November's midterm elections. The night closed with tributes to the recently deceased—Catherine O'Hara, remembered by Macaulay Culkin, Annie Murphy, and Dan Levy as a beloved co-star and maternal figure, and Rob Reiner, who received a posthumous Emmy for a guest appearance in The Bear.