Michelle Williams delivered a powerful, inclusive message at last night’s Emmy awards. The famously private actress found herself at the center of a major media controversy last year when word got out that she was paid a fraction of the amount of her male co-star, Mark Wahlberg, received for “All the Money in the World” reshoots. This April she spoke about fair pay in Washington, DC, and emphasized, “I’ve been accredited by my industry at the highest levels and that still didn’t translate to equal compensation.” While accepting the honor for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series for her role in FX’s “Fosse/Vernon” at yesterday’s ceremony, Williams devoted her time at the podium to speaking up for herself and other women.
“I see this as an acknowledgment of what is possible when a woman is trusted to discern her own needs, feels safe enough to voice them, and respected enough that they’ll be heard,” the four-time Oscar nominee stated. “When I asked for more dance classes, I heard, ‘Yes.’ More voice lessons? ‘Yes.’ A different wig, a pair of fake teeth not made out of rubber? ‘Yes.’ And all of these things, they require effort and they cost more money, but my bosses never presumed to know better than I did about what I needed in order to do my job and honor Gwen Verdon. And so I want to say thank you so much to FX and to Fox 21 Studios for supporting me completely and for paying me equally because they understood that when you put value into a person, it empowers that person to get in touch with their own inherent value and then where do they put that value? They put it into their work,” she observed.
“And so the next time a woman — and especially a woman of color, because she stands to make 52 cents on the dollar compared to her white male counterpart — tells you what she needs in order to do her job, listen to her, believe her,” Williams stressed. “Because one day, she might stand in front of you and say thank you for allowing her to succeed because of her workplace environment and not in spite of it.”
In other words, #TimesUp. Williams’ message was well-received: the audience erupted into appreciative applause.
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s” Alex Borstein picked up her second consecutive Emmy for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, issuing a rally cry to women in the room and watching at home. She recalled a story about her grandmother, a Holocaust survivor. “My grandmother was in line to be shot into a pit,” Borstein revealed. She asked a guard “what happens if I step out of line?” and he responded “I don’t have the heart to shoot you, but somebody will” — and then no one did. Because of that, “I am here and my children are here,” she said. “So step out of line, ladies — step out of line!”
While accepting the honor for Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie, “The Act’s” Patricia Arquette paid special tribute to her late sister, trans actress and activist Alexis Arquette, and said that she will be in mourning “until we change the world, until trans people are not persecuted. And give them jobs,” the “Boyhood” star added. “They’re human beings, let’s give them jobs. Let’s get rid of this bias that we have everywhere.”
The night belonged to “Fleabag” and “Killing Eve” creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who took home three major honors for her work on the former: Writing in a Comedy Series, Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, and Comedy Series. The British multi-hyphenate spoke about “Fleabag’s” origins as a play at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and gave major props to the cast and crew of the BBC Three/Amazon Studios series for their contributions.
It’s worth noting that no women directors took home trophies, and white women swept the acting categories. “Pose’s” Billy Porter made history as the first openly gay black man to win Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. “When They See Us” breakout Jharrel Jerome also made history, becoming the youngest winner of the prize for Lead Actor in a Limited Series and the first Afro-Latino to win an acting Emmy. He thanked the show’s creator, writer, and director Ava DuVernay for the opportunity, and dedicated the honor to “the men who we know as the Exonerated Five.”
