Los Angeles: It was a love story that robbed ‘Game of Thrones’, considered one of the biggest shows of all time, of its sheen at the 71st Primetime ‘Emmy Awards’.
‘Fleabag’ made the epic fantasy series ‘kneel’ to its second season-run with its four big wins – lead actress in a comedy series, best comedy series and best comedy writing for Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and best director in comedy series for Harry Bradbeer.
Waller-Bridge, who scored a hat trick for her very personal dark comedy, said it was wonderful and reassuring to know that ‘a dirty, pervy, angry and messed-up woman can make it to the Emmys’.
“I find acting really hard and really painful. Thank you to be nominated with these unbelievable actresses who I’ve looked up to and watched and laughed with for so many years – it means so much. I mean that in a nice way. And this means a huge amount to me,” Waller-Bridge said.
The actor, who beat Emmy darling Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep) in a surprise snub, recognised the contribution of her fellow nominees. Waller-Bridge also gave a shout-out to Andrew Scott’s ‘Hot Priest’, the love interest of ‘Fleabag’ in the second and final season of the Amazon show.
‘GOT’ dominated the nominations list with 32 nods, but managed to grab barely two big awards – outstanding drama series and a record fourth win for Peter Dinklage in best supporting actor in drama series.
“These last 10 years have been the best years of our lives, I can’t believe we did it, we shall never see it’s like again…” co-showrunner David Benioff said.
In a historic feat, Billy Porter became the first openly gay, black artist took home the trophy of best actor in drama for playing gregarious emcee Pray Tell in ‘Pose’.
Created by Ryan Murphy and Steven Canals, the FX series focuses on the extravagant subculture of the LGBTQ ballroom scene in late 1980s and early 1990s New York, as well of the lives of the people of the community.
“We are the people. We as artists are the people that get to change the molecular structure of the hearts and minds of the people who live on this planet. Please don’t ever stop doing that. Please don’t ever stop telling the truth,” Billy Porter said in his speech.
The actor, 21, dedicated his win to Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Antron McCray, and Korey Wise – ‘the Exonerated Five’, who were wrongly convicted as teenagers of colour for the rape of a jogger and were jailed for 14 years.
Patricia Arquette, the winner of the best supporting actress in a limited series or TV movie for ‘The Act’, used the dais to demand equal rights for transgender people as she remembered her sister Alexis Arquette, a transgender actor who died in 2016. “They’re human beings. Let’s give them jobs. Let’s get rid of this bias that we have everywhere,” she said.
AFP