Last night’s Emmy’s ceremony was a wonderfully refreshing change of pace from #OscarsSoWhite and #OscarsSoMale.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus made history at the 68th installment of the awards ceremony last night in Los Angeles. She won her fifth consecutive statuette for Lead Actress in a Comedy for “Veep,” and has previously taken home an Emmy in that category for “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” making her a six-time recipient of the award. She now holds the most wins ever in that category. Prior to last night, she was tied for the record with Mary Tyler Moore and Candice Bergen.
Sarah Paulson took home the trophy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her portrayal of prosecutor Marcia Clark in “The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story.” Paulson used her time at the podium to address the sexist backlash against Clark during the time of the trial.
“The responsibility of playing a real person is an enormous one,” Paulson, who brought Clarke to the event as her plus-one, said in her acceptance speech. “You want to get it right not for you but for them,” she explained. “The more I learned about the real Marcia Clark — not the two-dimensional cardboard cutout I saw on the news, but the complicated, whip-smart, giant-hearted mother of two who woke up every day, put both feet on the floor, and dedicated herself to righting an unconscionable wrong, the loss of two innocents, Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown — the more I had to recognize that I, along with the rest of the world, had been superficial and careless in my judgement, and I’m glad to be able to stand here today in front of everyone and tell you I’m sorry.” Paulson had Clark’s name engraved on her Emmy. Clark is currently adapting her novel “Blood Defense” for TV.
Underdog Tatiana Maslany won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama for the cult sci-fi series “Orphan Black.” While Maslany’s performance as many characters in the beloved series has caught the attention of fans and critics for years, she received her first Emmy nom last year, and her win this time around registered as a big, welcome surprise.
“I feel so lucky to be on a show that puts women at the center,” Maslany said while accepting her award.
“Ghostbusters” star Kate McKinnon scored the award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on “Saturday Night Live.” Vulture reports that “Gilda Radner was the last ‘SNL’ cast member to win an Emmy in her category, and that was back in 1978.” McKinnon thanked Ellen DeGeneres and Hillary Clinton in her speech — two figures she’s famous for impersonating on “SNL.” Clinton tweeted McKinnon later that evening.
Congratulations on your Emmy, Kate! Big fan of yours, too. https://t.co/w00QO1GwyH
“Transparent” creator Jill Soloway took home the award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series. Her acceptance speech was characteristically passionate and feminist. She explained, “This TV show allows me to take my dreams about unlikable Jewish people, queer folk, trans folk, and make them the heroes.” She thanked the trans community for their “lived lives” and emphasized the need to end violence against transgender women. “Topple the patriarchy,” Soloway urged. (If only more awards ceremonies contained soundbites like this.)
And Soloway was not the only female director score a major honor. Danish director Susanne Bier snagged the award for Outstanding Directing For A Limited Series, Movie, Or Dramatic Special for “The Night Manager,” of which she directed every episode.
Bear in mind that 91 percent of series in the 2015–16 TV season employed zero women directors. These awards help prove that when women have opportunities, they are more than capable of delivering the goods.
