Emmys 2019: All the biggest moments from the ceremony
Game of Thrones and Fleabag were both big Emmys winners today — but viewers eyebrows were raised when a GoT star’s speech was bleeped.
Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage praised Hollywood’s diversity when accepting his Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Emmy today.
But at one point during his speech, the audio was cut, leaving viewers to speculate on the offending word.
RELATED: Full list of Emmy winnersas they’re announced RELATED: Emmys red carpet: Best and worst-dressed this year
According to Variety, he had uttered the word “motherf***ing”, before adding “Hey, it’s over, I don’t care,” to giggles from the audience.
The F-bomb was dropped while the actor sung the praises of showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss.
After counting himself fortunate to be “a member of a community that is nothing but all about tolerance and diversity”, Dinklage called the pair brilliant, talented and, though it was bleeped out, the “funniest motherf***ng people” he’s “ever been lucky enough to work with”.
See his full speech below.
well done Peter Dinklage 🙌ðŸ¼
— Emmy for Emilia (@purple_dwagon) September 23, 2019
4th Emmy win for Supporting Actor playing Tyrion Lannister
full acceptance speech#Emmys2019 pic.twitter.com/qb824BLBX7
Later in the night, Game of Thrones took home the night’s final award for Best Drama Series, a winning end to the hugely popular HBO hit’s eight seasons on air.
Elsewhere in the evening, Fleabag, The Marvellous Mrs Maisel and Ozark were among the big winners, with Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge appearing stunned as the cult British series won Best Comedy, Best Writing and she won Best Actress in a Comedy.
As is the trend now for Hollywood award shows, the ceremony, which was aired live and exclusively on FOX8, was host-free, instead relying on a revolving door of presenters to keep the show moving along. Here’s how it all panned out.
KARDASHIANS JEERED
Kim Kardashian and Kendall Jenner presented the award for Best Reality Series — which RuPaul’s Drag Race won. But the reality siblings suffered an embarrassing moment during their intro, when one hard-to-swallow sentence drew an unexpected laugh.
“Our family knows first-hand how truly compelling television comes from just being themselves,” announced Kim — and a roar of mocking laughter quickly erupted throughout the audience.
Kim and Kendall just got laughed at mid-intro... pic.twitter.com/e0MjUo21Ix
— Scott Feinberg (@ScottFeinberg) September 23, 2019
Omg the audience LAUGHED when Kim talked about them “being real†on their show. IM DEAD #Emmys
— Rachel Grace (@PeachieKeen94) September 23, 2019
OMG! THE ENTIRE AUDIENCE LAUGHED WHEN KIM SAID REAL FAMILIES BEING THEMSELVES!! LMFAO! #Emmys
— atbubbly (@atbubbly) September 23, 2019
The #Emmys audience laughed at Kim and Kendall when they were talking about how reality shows are all about REAL people living their lives pic.twitter.com/C1OicoGVtK
— Caroline (@CIKtweets) September 23, 2019
DRAMA WINNERS
Game of Thrones won the final award of the ceremony, for Best Drama Series, with the cast and crew once more reuniting after the acclaimed HBO show finished its eighth and final season earlier this year.
Pose star Billy Porter won the Lead Actor in a Drama award from his first nomination. Both he and his fabulous headwear took to the stage.
“And once again we witness history unfold,” said Kerry Washington as she presented him with the award for his role in a show that tells the story of queer people of colour during the AIDS crisis in New York.
“We as artists are the people who get to change the hearts and minds of the people on this planet — please, don’t ever stop doing that,” he said.
The Lead Actress in a Drama Series award went to Jodie Comer for Killing Eve, beating out her co-star Sandra Oh, also nominated. Comer apologised to her parents, who she insisted stay home in Liverpool, England, rather than come to LA because “I didn’t think it was going to be my time”.
Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage won Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
“I count myself so lucky to be a part of a community that is all about tolerance and diversity — because no other place would I be standing on a stage,” he said.
The supporting women of Game Of Thrones had less luck. Despite four different GoT ladies (Gwenoline Christie, Lena Headey, Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner) being nominated in the Best Supporting Actress in a Drama category, the gong went to very nervous first-time nominee Julia Garner for Ozark.
Succession writer Jesse Armstrong took home the award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series, and the Brit landed one of the night’s funniest jokes in his speech.
“Quite a few British winners. Maybe too many? Maybe you should think about those immigration restrictions for s**thole countries?” he quipped.
Best Directing for a Drama Series went to actor Jason Bateman, who also directed on his series Ozark. He seemed stunned as his name was read out.
COMEDY’S BIG WINNERS
Tony Shaloub won the night’s first award, for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his work in The Marvellous Mrs Maisel.
Alex Borstein won Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, for the same show. She downed a quick shot before accepting her award.
“I know a lot of people were upset last year because I wasn’t wearing a bra — well this year I’m not wearing any underwear. So you’re gonna wanna throw that seat out or clean it … a lot of sweaty, nervous women in here. It’s like a Bikram yoga class,” she said.
Brit Phoebe Waller-Bridge won Most Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for Fleabag. “It’s reassuring to know that a dirty, pervy, messed-up woman can make it to the Emmys!” she said, joking that while writing is difficult, she does it all for the awards.
Harry Bradbeer picked up the award for Directing for a Comedy Series — also for Fleabag, thanking the show’s creator Waller-Bridge for coming into his life “like some glorious grenade”.
Stars Maya Rudolph and Ike Barinholtz presented the award for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series with a hilarious bit — they announced they’d both had laser eye surgery earlier today (“It was the only time they had available,” sighed Rudolph) and winced as they tried and failed to read the teleprompter correctly. The award went to Maya’s fellow Saturday Night Live alumnus Bill Hader for Barry.
It’s fair to say Best Lead Actress in a Comedy was an upset — most assumed Julia Louis-Dreyfus had it in the bag for the final season of Veep, but instead went to a shocked Phoebe Waller-Bridge for Fleabag.
“Nooooo! I can’t believe it … no,” were her first words on stage.
Later in the night, Fleabag also took home the Outstanding Comedy Series award.
“Well now this is just getting ridiculous,” said Waller-Bridge, who also let Harry Bradbeer take the mic again, as he admitted he forgot to thank his wife in his earlier Best Directing speech. “It’s been a very difficult hour,” he announced.
WHERE IS EVERYONE?
This wide shot of the audience had us wondering: Have the Emmys been hit by seat filler budget cuts? Were the stars all out having more fun at the bar in the foyer?
A HEARTBREAKING MOMENT
The cast of Game of Thrones presented the award for Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series to Patricia Arquette for her role in The Act. Arquette used her speech to pay tribute to her transgender sister Alexis, who died in 2016 aged 47.
“I’m happy that at 50 I’m getting the best roles of my life … But I’m so sad, I lost my sister Alexis and that trans people are still being persecuted. I’m in mourning every day of my life … Trans people are human beings. Let’s get rid of this bias that we have everywhere. Give them jobs,” she said.
Ben Whishaw won Best Supporting Actor for his work in A Very English Scandal, admitting at the start of his speech: “I’m hungover. My agent took me out for drinks and I’m hungover.”
AN INCREDIBLE SPEECH
Michelle Williams won Best Lead Actress in a Limited Series for her role as Gwen Verdon in Fosse/Verdon, and delivered an impassioned, inspiring speech that had the audience cheering. She thanked the production “for supporting me completely and paying me equally, because they understood that when you put value into a person, it empowers that person”.
“The next time a woman — and especially a woman of colour, because she stands to make 52¢ on the dollar next to her white male counterpart — tells you what she needs in order to do her job, listen to her. Believe her. Because one day she might stand in front of you and thank you for allowing her to succeed because of her workplace environment, not despite it.”
Bam. And all with no notes!
Williams finished with a tender shout-out to her daughter with late Aussie Heath Ledger: “Matilda, this if for you, like everything else.”
First-time nominee Jharrel Jerome also got emotional when he won the award for Best Lead Actor in a Limited Series for his role in Netflix series When They See Us.
A YAWN OF AN OPENER
Homer Simpson made a surprise appearance “live on stage” to host at the top of the show, a cartoon piano dropping on his head within seconds, as Black-ish actor Anthony Anderson frantically looked for a replacement presenter.
Eventually, Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston graced the stage for a largely earnest monologue about the power of television. It won’t go down as one of the Emmys’ most memorable openers.
FELICITY ‘WATCHING FROM PRISON’
Former Emmy-winner Felicity Huffman was recently sentenced to two weeks in jail for her part in the college admissions scandal — and it didn’t go unremarked upon during the Emmys.
Comedian Thomas Lennon served as an offstage commentator during the ceremony, and offered up this quip: “The producers have asked me to give a special shout-out to any of our previous lead actress winners who are watching tonight from prison. Hopefully, those two weeks are gonna right fly by.”
Watch Thomas Lennon (@thomaslennon) take a dig at former lead actress winner Felicity Huffman at the #Emmys pic.twitter.com/A4rFJWMdfi
— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) September 23, 2019
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