The Bear kicked off its Primetime Emmys takeover with three acting awards and a win for directing, while Shogun, a top drama contender, finally secured a win after missing out in earlier categories.
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| Ebon Moss-Bachrach at the 2024 Emmys. Kevin Winter/Getty Images |
Ebon Moss-Bachrach claimed the best supporting actor in a comedy award, launching the 2024 Emmys. Shortly after, Jeremy Allen White earned best actor in a comedy, and Liza Colón-Zayas took home best supporting actress in a comedy, marking her as the first Latina to win in this category.
Christopher Storer later secured a win for directing a comedy series, just before Shogun’s Frederick E.O. Toye triumphed in best directing for a drama.
“I’m so grateful for this show and to work with these beautiful people,” said Moss-Bachrach, who portrays the talkative Richie on The Bear, keeping his speech succinct.
Taking the stage, White shared a heartfelt moment: “This show [The Bear] has changed my life; it has instilled a faith that change is possible… you’re never actually alone.”
Colón-Zayas, unprepared with a speech due to her awe at competing against nominees like Meryl Streep and Carol Burnett, concluded with a rallying cry: “To all the Latinas who are looking at me, keep believing and vote. Vote for your rights.”
John Leguizamo also delivered a fervent message on race in Hollywood, referencing an ad he placed in The New York Times in June, urging Emmy voters to support more people of color.
He remarked that he was “almost happy and certainly less angry because tonight is one of the most diverse groups of nominees in Emmys history.” He quipped that he was a “DEI” hire, standing for “Diligence, Excellence, and Imagination.” (Leguizamo also humorously noted The Bear as “the charming story of white people obsessed with Michelin stars and making kale taste good.”)
Presenter Candice Bergen made her own political statement, recalling the controversy over her Murphy Brown character’s decision to have a child as a single mom three decades ago. “Today, a Republican candidate would never attack a woman for having kids. So my work here is done,” she joked, taking a jab at vice-presidential candidate J.D. Vance for his negative remarks about women who didn’t have children. She added a playful “meow” for effect.
Keeping the motherhood theme alive, a tribute to TV mothers had Connie Britton reflecting on a time “when married couples slept in separate beds, which led to the question of ‘how did she become a mom in the first place?’”
Alan Cumming, while accepting the award for reality competition series for The Traitors, a human chess game, took a light-hearted approach to societal issues. After noting that “there’s something in the water in Holland,” where many reality formats originate, he joked, “So let’s find it, let’s drink it, and all America’s problems will be solved.”
In other political moments, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver claimed the Emmy for scripted variety series. However, Oliver kept his acceptance apolitical, dedicating the win to his recently deceased dog. He sweetly added, “For all dogs… you all deserve a treat,” holding off the play-off music to finish his tribute.
Meanwhile, comedian Alex Edelman, who won best writing for a variety special for his show Just For Us, spoke emotionally about losing his close friend and director Adam Brace shortly before their Broadway debut.
The Daily Show, Oliver’s former series, took the award for best talk series. Jon Stewart, who returned to the Comedy Central airwaves earlier this year to host one night a week, accepted the award, joking about the difficulty of that single day’s work.
At the start of the 2024 Emmys broadcast, co-host Eugene Levy poked fun at the unconventional categorization of The Bear, which led in comedy nominations. “I love the show,” he said, “And some of you might be expecting us to make a joke about whether The Bear is really a comedy. But in the true spirit of The Bear, we will not be making any jokes.”
Dan Levy, co-host and Eugene’s son, added a playful nod to another fan-favorite nominee, Reservation Dogs, which garnered a lot of love in its final season, similar to their Emmy-winning show Schitt’s Creek. “The Television Academy found a show that was creatively thriving for years and said, ‘hey, look what we discovered.’”
FX’s Shogun, the most-nominated show in history, had a slow start, which became a topic of conversation as many major Emmys awards were yet to be announced. Billy Crudup won supporting actor in a drama for his role as the multifaceted Cory on The Morning Show, surpassing two Shogun actors.
In his directing win, Toye expressed gratitude to filmmakers like Kurosawa for “letting me steal from them every day.” Shogun set a record by winning 14 creative arts Emmys and garnered a total of 25 nominations, also a record. Anything less than best drama would be a significant upset.
Additionally, Elizabeth Debicki won best supporting actress in a drama for portraying Princess Diana in The Crown’s latest season. Jean Smart, with her sixth Emmy win, took best supporting actress in a comedy for her role as the sharp-tongued Deborah Vance on Hacks, delivering a warm and gracious speech that contrasted with her character’s usual style.
Hacks also earned the best writing for a comedy series award, with writer Paul Downs thanking everyone who has “seen the show or been seen by the show,” acknowledging the quirky comedy upbringing of himself and co-creators Jen Statsky and Lucia Aniello.
Netflix’s Baby Reindeer continued its successful streak, defying historical norms against controversial real-life stories.
Jessica Gunning claimed the best supporting actress in a limited series award for her performance as the chilling Martha, while show creator Richard Gadd collected two Emmys for writing and best actor in a limited series. “I never ever thought I’d get my life together,” Gadd said after his first win. “And here I am over a decade later picking up one of the biggest writing awards. If you’re struggling, keep going. Keep going.”
In a fittingly 2024 moment, Fargo star Lamorne Morris, who won best supporting actor in a limited series, realized he was out of time during his speech and quipped, “I’ll do another thing on my podcast and thank the rest of the people I forgot to thank.”
The most memorable line of the night, though, came from Slow Horses creator Will Smith, who, while accepting a writing Emmy, deadpanned, “Despite my name, I come in peace.”
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