LOS ANGELES (AP) — Seth Rogen won for both his acting and directing on “The Studio,” and Britt Lower and Tramell Tillman took trophies for “Severance,” kicking off the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards on what could be a very big night for the two Apple TV+ series.
“I could not wrap my head around this happening,” said Rogen when he won his first, for best actor in a comedy series. “I’ve never won anything in my life.”
Rogen shared the directing Emmy with his longtime collaborator and “Studio” co-creator
Evan Goldberg, and he can still win two more before the night's done.
After a big performance at last weekend's Creative Arts Emmys and the two wins, “The Studio” tied a record of 11 Emmys for a comedy in a season, set by “The Bear” last year.
Lower won best actress in a drama for “Severance” and Tillman won best supporting actor in a drama. It was the first career Emmy for each.
“My first acting coach was tough, y’all,” Tillman, wearing an all-white tuxedo, said from the stage. “But all great mothers are.”
He looked out to his mother in the audience and told her, “You were there for me where no one else was, and no one else would show up.”
His win had been widely expected but Lower's was a surprise in a category where Kathy Bates was considered a heavy favorite, for “Matlock.”
Jean Smart won best actress in a comedy for “Hacks” for the fourth time, at 73 extending her own record for the oldest woman ever to win the category.
Her castmate and constant scene partner Hannah Einbinder, who had also been nominated for all four seasons but unlike Smart had never won, took best supporting actress in a comedy.
She said she had become committed to a bit where “it was cooler to lose.”
“But this is cool too!” she shouted, then ended her speech by cursing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and saying “Free Palestine!”
Katherine LaNasa won best supporting actress in a drama for the “The Pitt,” a surprise in a category where most expected one of the three nominees from “The White Lotus” to win.
“I am so proud and honored,” LaNasa, looking emotional and shocked, said.
In perhaps the biggest upset in a night full of them, Jeff Hiller won best supporting actor in a comedy for “Somebody Somewhere," over Ike Barinholtz of “The Studio” and others.
Stephen Colbert was the first person to take the stage to present the award during the CBS telecast at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles despite the recent controversial cancellation of his show by the network. He was greeted by a rousing and lengthy standing ovation.
“While I have your attention, is anyone hiring?” Colbert said.
In an unusual show order, host Nate Bargatze delivered his opening monologue only after the first award was handed out.
The show opened with a sketch where “Saturday Night Live” stars Mikey Day, Bowen Yang and James Austin Johnson joined Bargatze, who played television inventor Philo T. Farnsworth opining on what the future of TV will be like.
Bargatze-as-Farnsworth mentions that there will be a Black Entertainment Television. When asked if there will be a network for white people, he replied, “Why, CBS of course.”
Apple TV+ is poised to have a breakout Emmy year with the two most nominated shows, “Severance” and “The Studio,” which are the favorites to win the two biggest awards.
“The Studio,” with co-creator Rogen starring as the new head of a movie studio, came into the evening the top comedy nominee with 23 and blockbuster buzz for its breakout first season.
“Severance,” the Orwellian office drama about people who surgically split their psyches into workplace “innies” and home “outies,” was the top overall nominee with 27 nominations for its second season. It won six at the Creative Arts ceremony and now stands at eight.
Along with best drama — which would be a first for Apple — star Adam Scott could win his first Emmy, for best actor.
Its top competition for best drama could be “The Pitt,” HBO's acclaimed drama about one shift in the life of an emergency room.
Its star Noah Wyle could be both the sentimental favorite and the actual favorite for best actor. He was nominated five times without a win for playing a young doctor on “ER” in the 1990s, and now could finally take his trophy for what is in many ways a reprise of the role.
Later in the show, could give “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” the Emmy for best talk series for the first time as a sort of protest vote and tribute to its host.
Many perceived the end of the show as punishment of Colbert and placation of President Donald Trump after Colbert was harshly critical of a legal settlement between the president and Paramount, which needed administration approval for a sale to Skydance Media. Executives called the decision strictly financial.
The Emmys are airing live on CBS at 8 p.m. Eastern and 5 p.m. Pacific time.
Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers may stream the show live. Standard Paramount+ subscribers can stream it Monday through Sept. 21.
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