When Matthew Rhys won his second Emmy of the night, for best actor in a comedy series for *Widows Bay*, he made history.
The Welsh actor is now the first person in history to win the lead acting Emmy across all three genres.
He previously won for drama in 2018 for *The Americans*, and he’s also the first man to win two lead-acting Emmys in one night.
In his acceptance speech, Rhys praised the showrunner of *Widows Bay*, Katie Dippold, saying she had a "depraved and twisted mind." He added, "Her genius really does live in the recesses of her disturbed brain." He also thanked Hiro Marai, the executive producer and director, for his work on the show.
Rhys also thanked the people behind the series, including Apple’s Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg, his agent, and his sister, who was there with him at the Emmys.
He also gave a shoutout to the people of Wales, saying, "We are a small but mighty nation.This is incredible."
Unlike in the limited series category, Rhys was considered the heavy favorite for this win, given *Widows Bay*’s strong showing in the nominations.
He beat out four other nominees: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (*Wonder Man*), Steve Carell (*Rooster*), Jason Segel (*Shrinking*), and Martin Short (*Only Murders in the Building*).
*Widows Bay* was a surprise hit this spring.
It caught critics off guard and built up a lot of buzz as it aired week after week.Rhys played Tom Loftis, a mayor of a New England island town that he really hopes isn’t haunted as tourists arrive.His performance was praised for mixing physical humor with deep emotion.
The show was already winning awards, including a first-ever Emmy for guest star Betty Gilpin.
Rhys told *The Hollywood Reporter* earlier this year, "When I first read it, I was like, 'What the fuck is this?
I’ve never read anything like this, and I’ve certainly never played anything remotely like this.' When I got on my first Zoom with Hiro, he just said, 'Look, we’re not making a comedy.We’re not making horror.We’re just going to create a real world with real people that have real backstories — and we’ll play it for real.'"
The finale of the show had some of the most intense moments of Rhys’s career.
He said, "I’m coming off the back of *Beast in Me*, and I was like, 'This feels heavier than that!' But the drama becomes magnified and far richer as a result of it."
*Widows Bay* has been renewed for a second season.
Rhys is also nominated tonight for best comedy series, as an executive producer on the show.
The 2026 Emmys aired live on Monday from the Peacock Theater at L.A.
Live in Los Angeles.Mariska Hargitay hosted.
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