Matthew Rhys makes Emmy history as he wins Lead Actor twice in one night for Widow's Bay and The Beast in Me
Matthew Rhys was nominated for his performance in both an anthology series and a comedy series. Rhys first won in the Lead Actor category for The Beast in Me and then for Widow's Bay.
He has now become the first person ever to win two lead acting Emmys on the same night.
Matthew Rhys' Emmy 2026 wins
Widow's Bay is dominating the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards when it comes to all comedy series categories. Matthew Rhys, as was predictable, has won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for playing Tom Loftis in Widow's Bay.
Earlier in the night, he had also won in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie category for playing Nile Jarvis in Netflix's The Beast in Me. However, these aren't Rhys' first Emmy wins. He also won an Emmy in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series category for his portrayal of Philip Jennings in The Americans, in 2018.
While James Earl Jones, Cloris Leachman, Glenda Jackson, Colleen Dewhurst, and Shirley Knight, among others, have won 2 Emmys for acting in one single night, Matthew Rhys is the first person ...