LOS ANGELES — The 2026 Emmy Awards delivered some human, heartstring-pulling moments, from Macaulay Culkin grieving his late onscreen mother Catherine O'Hara to winners like Stephen Colbert and Tom Pelphrey sweetly thanking their significant others in their acceptance speeches.
But some of the best bits at the Sept. 14 ceremony weren't caught on the NBC broadcast. USA TODAY caught glimpses of how the stars battled the late summer LA heat, spent their glitzy date night with intimate moments (looking at you, Zendaya and Tom Holland) and dealt with unwieldy outfits.
Here are the moments we witnessed inside the Peacock Theater and backstage that didn't make it on air.
The LA heat literally brought out the Emmy fans
It's hard to overstate how miserably hot the Emmys blue carpet was on a humid Los
Angeles September evening.
Word on the carpet was that once astute publicists realized the white protective tent and sun would create a greenhouse effect, there was a mad rush to buy portable fans on Amazon: neck fans, handheld electric fans, OG folding fans. “The Diplomat” star Rufus Sewell seemed particularly enamored with his electric fan, like a kid at a sweltering Christmas.
Sara Wells was holding husband Noah Wyle's electric fan as he did carpet interviews. "The Pitt" co-star Gerran Howell approached, bedeviled by the heat and dripping with perspiration. “It's just mad,” Howell told Wells, who concurred.
Gold medal for 'Hacks' star Meg Stalter's Emmy outfit in that heat
The heat made “Hacks” breakout star Meg Stalter's Emmy trophy outfit all the more insanely brave. Stalter was covered in gold body paint and sported giant wings framing her silhouette, while holding the trophy's signature gold sphere.
The moment the comedian stepped onto the sweltering carpet, she bemoaned, “It's so hot!” But after a quick break, the true comedy pro rallied and carried the Emmy gag down the carpet to admirable perfection. It was an instant viral hit, even if Harrison Ford politely declined, with a shake of his head, a photographer's request to pose with the golden Stalter.
Once the props had done their job, they were left with a chaperone outside the theater's entrance, garnering plenty of selfies from delighted guests. Later, two men in suits were spotted escorting Stalter's Emmy wings and giant gilt ball backstage. Stalter was last spotted outside the VIP area inside the Peacock Theater, sipping a Diet Coke. She was visibly tired, but unbowed. The gold paint had faded, but the Emmy gag will live forever.
Macaulay Culkin tearfully shows up for Catherine O'Hara
It showed how much Catherine O’Hara, who died Jan. 30 at 71,meant to Macaulay Culkin that the “Home Alone” star came to the Emmys to pay tribute to his beloved movie mom.
Culkin started down the blue carpet with partner Brenda Song but appeared spooked by the oppressive heat and crush of people, and made a quick exit. His crew later made a stealthier entrance, stepping over cable cords on the side of the carpet reserved for guests who were not making the media rounds.
During the emotional onstage tribute with O’Hara’s “Schitt’s Creek” children Annie Murphy and Dan Levy, Culkin fought back tears remembering the actress who played his mother in two “Home Alone” movies. “She was encouraging, she was warm, she was funny, but the word that I think of is ‘mama,'" Culkin said.
When the stage lights went down at the end of the tribute, Culkin remained onstage, seemingly lost in thought, until Murphy and Levy gently reminded him it was time to leave.
Emmys date night sees PDA from Zendaya and Tom Holland
One of the biggest stars of the night got plenty of screen time as Zendaya sat front row with her partner and the "Euphoria" crew. But their sweetest moments were reserved for when the cameras were set down.
Before the "Baywatch" reboot cast stepped on stage to present the trophy for reality competition program, Zendaya leaned in for a peck from Holland. Aside from Holland's occasional breaks from the VIP area during the three-hour telecast, the two remained seated at their table, where friends and admirers like Gary Oldman, Ayo Edibiri and Chase Infiniti stopped by to chat.
"Widow's Bay" winner Stephen Root and his wife of 18 years, Romy Rosemont, were also visibly smitten with each other. Upon Root's return from making the rounds with his supporting comedy actor trophy backstage, he and Rosemont spent several moments during a commercial break grabbing each other's faces and staring into each other's eyes. For most of the show, he kept his arm around his spouse's shoulders while his trophy was kept out of sight under his chair.
The stars buy overpriced venue food, too
It ain't glamorous, but the stars often foraged for food at the Peacock Theater concession stands with the regular folks. "Dancing with the Stars" judge Derek Hough expertly carried four bottles of Dasani water, popcorn and two Milk Duds back to his waiting crew, including fellow judge Bruno Tonioli and sister Julianne Hough. "I'm doing big brother duty," Hough told USA TODAY, while waiting to get back into the theater. Proud Milk Duds-hunter Hough asked if we could snap a picture with his phone, too.
"Bait" star Riz Ahmed was spotted carrying multiple bags of Cheetos while heading to the front-of-the house A-list table section, where snacks (potato chips and popcorn) were already served in fancy bowls.
Matthew Rhys jokingly gloats about wife Keri Russell winning no Emmys
Matthew Rhys winning two Emmys in one night also came with some serious household bragging rights over his partner of 13 years, Keri Russell. Rhys quipped backstage that the competition between the longtime couple, who share three children, is anything but playful. It's “all serious,” he said.
Rhys won for his performances in “Widow’s Bay” and “The Beast in Me,” while Russell lost both of her bids for “The Diplomat.”
“I’ve got a lot of money on myself,” Rhys joked with reporters backstage. “It’s going to be a rough week for her.”
The Welsh actor then wisely pivoted from gloating to praising Russell, saying she’s “always really the winner, if I’m perfectly honest.” He added, "I think next year she might get one. That's my bet."
Stephen Root thrilled to beat Henry Winkler’s Emmy record
Root dethroned his former “Barry” costar Henry Winkler by becoming the oldest winner in the supporting actor in a comedy series category. Winkler was 72 when he won his trophy in 2018, and Root is 74.
“I'm telling you right now, Henry’s gonna call and come give … a big teary hug," Root said. "I’m happy to break his record. He’ll be happy to relinquish it, I’m sure.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What you didn't see on the Emmys – Zendaya's PDA, Macaulay Culkin's grief
