Sheryl Lee Ralph knows where her voice belongs — and she’s finally getting the recognition she deserves.
The “Abbott Elementary” star brought down the house Monday at the Emmys with a stunning rendition of Dianne Reeves’ “Endangered Woman” during her acceptance speech for supporting actress in a comedy series for playing the stern yet dedicated Ms. Howard in the ABC sitcom about an inner-city Philadelphia school.
“To anyone who has ever, ever had a dream and thought your dream wasn’t, wouldn’t, couldn’t come true, I am here to tell you that this is what believing looks like,” the 56-year-old actress said in her acceptance speech.
“This is what striving looks like, and don’t you ever, ever give up on you, because if you get a Quinta Brunson in your corner, if you get a husband like mine in your corner, if you get children like mine in your corner and if you’ve friends like everybody who voted for me, cheered for me, loved me, thank you, thank you, thank you!”
Ralph is just the second Black actress to win in the category and the first since Jackee Harry won in 1987 for “227.”
The 74th annual prime-time TV awards, moved to Monday this year to accommodate NBC’s Sunday Night Football, return to Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theater for the first time since 2019, upended for three years by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Emmys host Kenan Thompson kicked off the festivities by honoring the magic of TV, the “greatest invention in the history of mankind.”
Without TV, the “Saturday Night Live” comedian asked, what else would you do?
“Read books? No one in this room has read a book in the last 50 years,” Thompson deadpanned. “Watch TikTok? Oh, you mean tiny, vertical television? Have sex? Gross!”
The opening monologue then gave way to a dance number set to the theme songs for “Friends,” “The Brady Bunch,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Stranger Things” and “Game of Thrones.”
Thompson also took shots at streaming services Peacock, which was airing the Emmys, Netflix and Showtime, plus a dig at newly single Leonardo DiCaprio by telling Zendaya, who turned 26 last year, that she’s “young enough to play a high schooler but too old to date” the “Titanic” star.
Michael Keaton took home the first award of the night for lead actor in a limited series for his heartbreaking role as Dr. Samuel Finnix in Danny Strong’s “Dopesick,” the true story about the forces behind the opioid crisis.
“I want to thank all those people in my family for never making me feel foolish, because I went to do that myself several times,” the 71-year-old actor said. “I’m glad I made a fool of myself again and again.”
In one of the more competitive categories of the night, Amanda Seyfried won outstanding actress in a limited series or movie for the true-to-life role as Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes in “The Dropout.”
Murray Bartlett won supporting actor in a limited or anthology series for “The White Lotus,” playing the chaotic manager at the Hawaii hotel populated by heinous, privileged vacationers, while co-star Jennifer Coolidge won for supporting actress.
Matthew Macfadyen took home the first award for HBO’s “Succession.”
“It’s such a pleasure and a privilege to play this bonkers gift of a role,” Macfadyen, who plays the hapless Tom Wambsgans, said.
Julia Garner, one of the hottest youngest actresses working today, won for supporting actress in a drama for “Ozark,” in which she plays Ruth Langmore. She previously won the same award in 2019 and 2020.
“Ted Lasso” star Brett Goldstein failed in his promise to not swear during his acceptance award for supporting actor in a comedy, but did joke that the hardest part of his job is “being in a scene with anyone in this cast and not ruining it by just staring at them and saying, ‘God, you’re good.’” That marks his second straight win in that category as the brutally honest Roy Kent.
A tearful Lizzo accepted the award for outstanding competition program for “Lizzo’s Watch Out For the Big Girls,” in which 13 women battle to be her backup dancers.
“The stories that they share, they’re not that unique, they just don’t get the platform,” the singer said.
“When I was a little girl, all I wanted to see was me in the media, someone fat like me, someone Black like me, someone beautiful like me. If I could go back and tell little Lizzo something, I’d say, ‘b—, it’s going to have to be you.’”
As always, the Emmys also ushered in gorgeous outfits on gorgeous people.
Ralph stunned in a strapless black velvet gown with a high slit that showed off an orange interior fabric, while “Inventing Anna’s” Laverne Cox also went with black in Jean Paul Gaultier couture with a spiral-cone top sure to draw comparisons to Madonna’s cone bra.
Kaitlyn Dever, who played the heartbreaking opioid addict Betsy Mallum in “Dopesick,” went with a sparkly red number and “The White Lotus” star Natasha Rothwell broke out a similar color in a full gown. “Ozark” star Laura Linney was breathtaking in a ruffled black and white dress and “The Great’s” Elle Fanning channeled old Hollywood in strapless black and pink satin, created by the costume designer on the Hulu period piece.
Zendaya, who always lives up to the moment, turned heads again, giving Audrey Hepburn in strapless Valentino, and copper dresses shone on “Yellowjackets” star Christina Ricci, “Abbott Elementary” creator star Quinta Brunson and “Pam & Tommy” star Lily James.
The men turned out as well, with “Better Call Saul’s” Bob Odenkirk flashing sunglasses and a scruffy beard to match his navy blue suit, while Colman Domingo, who won a Creative Emmy for guest actor in a drama for “Euphoria” earlier this month, somehow pulled off a see-through black shirt with a gold brocade suit and matching gold jewelry. “Under the Banner of Heaven’s” Andrew Garfield, “Succession’s” Nicholas Braun all “Pam & Tommy’s” Seth Rogen braved all-white suits under the brutal Los Angeles sun.
The cast of “Ted Lasso,” which always seems to have the most fun at award shows, was a vision outside of the football jerseys, none moreso than Hannah Waddingham, towering above the red carpet in pink tulle.
Producers were praying for a smooth night after the 2022 Oscars turned into an ugly slapfest over Chris Rock’s crude bald joke about Jada Pinkett Smith. Instead, the Emmys left the drama on the screen, with comedy heavyweights like “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” battling it out against newcomer “Abbott Elementary” and drama favorites “Succession” and “Better Call Saul” trying to stave off “Yellowjackets” and “Squid Game.”
———
