TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Welsh actor Matthew Rhys made history at the Emmy Awards on Monday, September 14, 2026. The "Widow's Bay" actor became the first performer to win a lead acting Emmy across all three genres, and the first man to win two lead acting Emmys in one night, citing The Hollywood Reporter and Variety.
Earlier in the night, Rhys took home the award for "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series" for his role in the psychological thriller "The Beast in Me." He then clinched the lead comedy actor prize for Apple TV's supernatural comedy "Widow's Bay."
The double wins added to his 2018 award for lead acting in a drama series for "The Americans." Thus, Rhys has won the lead acting Emmys across all genres—drama, comedy, and limited—being the first actor to do so in 78 years of Emmy history.
The only performer to beat Rhys to the trifecta was Barbara Stanwyck, according to Variety, who nabbed all three lead actress categories between 1961 and 1983.
And while a small number of performers have won two acting Emmys on one night before, none did it in the lead categories.
During his acceptance speech—which he got to do twice—Matthew Rhys dedicated his winning to "the great and good people of Wales, who were as much a nurture as anyone else."
"We are a small but mighty nation. This is incredible," he said, as quoted from BBC.
"Diolch yn fawr iawn," Rhys added, which means "thank you very much" in Welsh.
Backstage, he once again expressed his pride for being Welsh, saying, "I'm from a small country, and I'm glad we get moments to kind of put our flag on the map and say, 'we punch higher than our weight sometimes.'"
Rhys said it was a "real shock" to have won for "The Beast in Me," as he edged presumptive favorite Oscar Isaac for "Beef."
Rhys was also nominated as the executive producer for both of his series, with "Widow's Bay"—in which he assumed the role of Tom Loftis, the skeptical mayor of a small coastal town—picking up the most Emmy wins with 14 awards.
Read: 2026 Emmy Awards: Full List of Winners
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