Matthew Rhys makes Emmy history with two lead acting wins in one night

Matthew Rhys has made Emmy history after becoming the first actor to win two lead acting awards at the same ceremony.

The Welsh actor took home the lead actor award in the limited series category for Netflix’s The Beast in Me before adding the lead comedy actor trophy for Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay later in the night.

The double victory gives Rhys a unique place in Emmy history. He is now the first performer to win both lead acting prizes at a single ceremony. Along with his 2018 win for lead drama actor for The Americans, Rhys has also become the first male actor to win the top acting award across all three lead categories — drama, comedy and limited series.

Rhys’ two wins also mark only the third time an actor has taken home two acting Emmys on the same night. James Earl Jones previously won lead drama actor for Gabriel’s Fire and supporting actor in a limited series for Heat Wave in 1991. Stockard Channing achieved the feat in 2002, winning two supporting actress awards for The West Wing and The Matthew Shepard Story.

His win for The Beast in Me was one of the evening’s bigger surprises. Rhys beat Oscar Isaac for Beef, Riz Ahmed for Bait, Jason Bateman for Black Rabbit and Charlie Hunnam for Monster: The Ed Gein Story.

He later prevailed in the comedy category, beating Yahya Abdul-Mateen II for Wonder Man, Steve Carell for Rooster, Jason Segel for Shrinking and Martin Short for Only Murders in the Building.

Rhys also received two additional Emmy nominations this year as an executive producer on The Beast in Me and Widow’s Bay.

The Pitt led this year’s Emmy nominations with 25, followed by Hacks, Widow’s Bay and Beef. The ceremony is being held in Los Angeles, California.