Emmys 2022 live: Succession creator Jesse Armstrong’s eviscerating dig at King Charles

Succession creator Jesse Armstrong is known for his razor-sharp wit - and he had his sights on King Charles during his Emmys speech.

Succession emerged victorious at the Emmy Awards, taking out the Outstanding Drama Series honours for its third season.

But creator and writer Jesse Armstrong’s speech might be more memorable than the win itself.

Armstrong, known for his razor-sharp wit, took a dig at King Charles and the monarchy.

“Big week for successions. New king in the UK, this for us. Evidently more voting involved in our winning than Prince Charles,” he said.

Actor Brian Cox, who plays family patriarch Logan Roy, whispered to Armstrong over his shoulder: “Keep it royalist, keep it royalist.”

As the audience groaned, Armstrong continued: “I’m not saying we’re more legitimate in our position than he is in his, we’ll leave it to other people.”

The HBO series, which streams in Australia on Binge and Foxtel*, won two other awards at the Emmys — Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Matthew McFadyen while Armstrong also won for Writing in a Drama Series.

The series about the succession tussle in a media empire family previously won the Drama Series Emmy in 2020 for its second season.

Australian actor Sarah Snook lost out in the Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series to Julia Garner, who won the award for the third time for her work on Ozark.

You can always count on Jesse Armstrong for a good one-liner. (Photo by Patrick T. FALLON / AFP)

The White Lotus dominates

Miniseries The White Lotus has emerged as a big winner, starting with Australian actor Murray Barlett, who beat out a competitive field including Seth Rogen, Peter Sarsgard and co-stars Jake Lacy and Steve Zahn to win the award in Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series.

He thanked his team but saved a special shout-out for his mother.

“I want to thank my mum all the way home in Australia for giving me the most wonderful foundation of unconditional love and inspiring us all to do that. Thank you, mum,” he said.

Jennifer Coolidge picked up the Supporting Actress in a Limited Series award, against four of her co-stars, while The White Lotus creator Mike White also won both the Writing and Directing awards in the Limited Series category.

And the show itself, unsurprisingly, won the Outstanding Limited Series award.

Australian actor Murray Bartlett won for The White Lotus. Picture: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP

Coolidge’s wild confession

Jennifer Coolidge had the crowd in hysterics during a chaotic acceptance speech.

While collecting the trophy for Supporting Actress in a Limited Series for her work in The White Lotus, Coolidge confessed something unusual.

“I just want to say, I took a lavender bath tonight and it made me swell up inside my dress, I’m having a hard time speaking,” she revealed.

As sweeping orchestral music played her off, she announced: “No wait, this is a once-in-a lifetime thing and I’m full, I’M FULL!”

US actress Jennifer Coolidge accepts the award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series. Picture: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP

The actress danced to play-off music as the crowd erupted with laughter. Picture: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP

When they switched to jaunty music, a version of Ray Charles’ “Hit the Road, Jack” — how pointed — she took a different tack and started dancing wildly as the audience applauded. She only left the stage once the presenters handed her the trophy.

Jennifer Coolidge deciding to dance when the #Emmys attempted to play her off is a truly perfect moment pic.twitter.com/bBkOykRMZA

— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) September 13, 2022

Ted Lasso makes it two in a row

The Ted Lasso folks had another very good night, picking up the award for Outstanding Comedy Series for the second year running.

Accepting the award, creator and star Jason Sudeikis said, “This show is about good and evil, the truth and lies, and all that stuff, but mostly about the response to those things.”

Sudeikis also made it a back-to-back win for Ted Lasso, taking out the Lead Actor in a Comedy Series category. He said he was “truly, truly surprised and flattered” to have won.

Brett Goldstein repeated his win in Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. The actor, writer and comedian who steals every episode as the brutally honest Roy Kent made a cheeky reference about swearing during last year’s ceremony and then ended with this message to his family in the UK, “I f**king love you.”

The Emmys broadcast is censored in many countries when there is swearing during acceptance speeches, but not in Australia where it is screened in full.

The Ted Lasso victory train kept on rolling with M.J. Delaney winning Directing for a Comedy Series.

The Ted Lasso crew. (Photo by Patrick T. FALLON / AFP)

Squid Game makes history

Netflix sensation Squid Game won two Emmys, with Hwang Dong-hyuk winning Best Directing in a Drama Series. Hwang said he hoped Squid Game won’t be the last non-English language series at the Emmys - and then added he hoped it won’t be the last time he’s at the Emmys as well.

Star Lee Jung-jae made history as the winner in the Lead Actor in a Drama Series. He’s the first actor from a non-English language series to win at the Emmys.

South Korean actor Lee Jung-jae is the first actor from a non-English series to win an Emmy. Picture: Patrick T. FALLON / AFP

Selena’s cheeky dig at Steve and Martin

Earlier, Selena Gomez wasn’t nominated for an Emmy but she may have won the night with her playful sledge against her Only Murders in the Building co-stars Steve Martin and Martin Short.

“You know what I love about working with these guys?” Gomez said, before holding a lengthy pause. “No paparazzi, ever.”

The former Disney star wasn’t the only one to dish it out, with Martin and Short also having a cheeky dig at one another.

“Earlier tonight as I was walking the red carpet I have at home, I thought, ‘What’s the difference between being in movies and television?’ And I thought, ‘Well, Marty can get work in television’,” Martin quipped, to which Short responded, “Oh thanks Steve, hey, I’ve always been curious... Does it bother you when people come up to you and say, ‘Big fan, Angela Lansbury!’”

The Only Murders in the Building co-stars. Picture: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP

Sheryl Lee Ralph’s standing ovation

Sentimental favourite Sheryl Lee Ralph roused the crowd as won the Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy for her role on Abbott Elementary.

Ralph was emotional as she ascended the stage and instead of launching into a speech, she belted out Diane Reeves’ “Endangered Species” as she accepted the award.

The lyrics she sang were a charged message, “I am an endangered species. But I sing no victim’s song. I am a woman I am an artist. And I know where my voice belongs.”

Ralph then thanked everyone whoever supported and believed in her, closing with “This is what believing looks like, this is what striving looks like.”

Ralph was a clear favourite in the room as everyone lept to their feet for a standing ovation.

Abbott Elementary’s creator and star Quinta Brunson picked up the award for Writing in a Comedy Series.

Abbott Elementary, which streams in Australia on Disney+, is one of the few broadcast network series (in the US, it airs on the ABC channel) to be nominated at the Emmys which has come to be dominated by streaming and cable brands.

Sheryl Lee Ralph won for her role in Abbott Elementary. Picture: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

#Emmy winner Sheryl Lee Ralph: "Anyone who has ever, ever had a dream and thought your dream...couldn't come true. I am here to tell you that this is what believing looks like. This is what striving looks like. And don't you ever, ever give up on you." https://t.co/h3GrtHDUA6pic.twitter.com/qPpGSFfGw5

— Variety (@Variety) September 13, 2022

Kenan’s Leo sledge

Emmys host Kenan Thompson landed a zinger against Leonardo DiCaprio and his well-known proclivities in the dating stakes.

“Zendaya just turned 26 years old last week. A weird age, you’re young enough to play a high school student but you’re too old to date Leonardo DiCaprio.”

DiCaprio is well known for his string of younger girlfriends and his pattern of ending the relationships once they turn 25. Most recently, he was with model Camila Morrone but they split around her 25th birthday. DiCaprio is 47 years old.

Winners! Winners! Winners!

Michael Keaton won the first award for the night as Lead Actor in a Limited Series for the oxycontin drama Dopesick. He made a crack about being sick of fake smiling but then launched into a heartfelt story about his family. Referencing his up-and-down career, he closed out with the perfect message to those who doubted him:

“Over the years we’ve been through a lot of tough times. They’ve been some doubters, I’ve had some doubters, but you know what, we cool. But I’ve also had all those people when times were tough, that were true believers, and I f**king love you, man.”

Zendaya took out the Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role in the challenging teen drama Euphoria. In her speech, she said, “My greatest wish for Euphoria was that it could help heal people. I want to thank everyone for sharing their stories with me.”

Zendaya wins a second Emmy for Euphoria. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Jean Smart took out the Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy again, for her portrayal of the acerbic stand-up Deborah Vance in Hacks.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver won the award for Variety Talk Series while Saturday Night Live won Variety Sketch Series. Lizzo won the Reality Competition category for Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls.

Amanda Seyfried won her first Emmy for her performance as controversial tech founder Elizabeth Holmes in The Dropout.

Jerrod Carmichael won for Writing for a Variety Special for his program Rothaniel.

Notably, Better Call Saul went home empty-handed again after losing all seven of its nominations this year. The series has the unlucky record of never having won an Emmy from its 46 nominations. It has one more eligibility year to correct the bad streak.

US actor Michael Keaton won for Dopesick. Picture: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP

Thompson opened the ceremony with a musical number featuring infamous TV theme songs, including the iconic ditties for Friends, The Brady Bunch, Law & Order, Stranger Things and Game of Thrones.

The original cast of The Brady Bunch was in the audience to lend an extra dose of nostalgia.

Earlier in the night, glittering stars including Zendaya, Jean Smart and Christina Ricci walked the Emmys red carpet before the ceremony.

– With Lexie Cartwright and Nick Bond

*Foxtel and Binge are majority owned by News Corp, publisher of this website

Originally published as Emmys 2022 live: Succession creator Jesse Armstrong’s eviscerating dig at King Charles