“Squid Game” Star Lee Jung-jae & Zendaya Make Emmys History
Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae became the first Asian actor ever to win an Emmy for Best Actor in a Drama, marking one of the telecast’s highlights. Lee became only the fourth Asian actor to ever win an Emmy in any of the performance categories.
“Thank you to the Television Academy, thank you to Netflix, and thank you to the director for making realistic problems we all face come to life so creatively on the screen with a great script. Thank you, Squid Game team. Thank you to everyone watching in Korea,” he said after accepting his award.
Meanwhile, Zendaya became the youngest person to ever win two Emmys (she’s a mere 26) and the first Black woman to win the Best Actress Emmy twice, nabbing the award for Best Actress in a Drama for her performance in Euphoria.
“My greatest wish for Euphoria was that it could help heal people, and I just want to say thank you to everyone who shared their story with me,” Zendaya said. “I want you to know that anyone who has loved a Rue or feels like you are a Rue, I’m so grateful for your stories, and I carry them with me and carry them with her. Thank you so much.”
The night’s other big winners included the three series that took home the top awards—Succession (HBO) for Best Drama, Ted Lasso (Apple TV+) for Best Comedy, and The White Lotus (HBO) for Best Limited Series.
The stars who joined Lee Jung-jae and Zendaya as Emmy winners in the lead performance categories included Jean Smart, taking home another Emmy for Best Actress in a Comedy for her work in Hacks, Jason Sudeikis nabbed another Emmy for Best Actor in a Comedy, Amanda Seyfriend won the Emmy for Best Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie for her starring turn in The Dropout, and Michael Keaton won the Emmy for Best Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie for his role in Dopesick.
The supporting actors and actresses who took home Emmys included, in the Drama category, Julia Garner for Ozark, Matthew Macfayden for Succession, and in Comedy, it was Brett Goldstein for Ted Lasso and Sherly Lee Ralph for Abbot Elementary. The White Lotus actress Jennifer Coolidge and actor Murray Bartlett each won an Emmy for their support work in a Limited Series or Movie.
Meanwhile, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver snagged the Emmy for Variety Talk Series, Saturday Night Live won for Variety Sketch Series, and Lizzo’s Watch Out For the Big Grrrls won for Reality Competition Program.
For a full list of the Emmy winners, click here.
Featured image: L-r: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 12: Lee Jung-jae, winner of Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for “Squid Game”, poses in the press room during the 74th Primetime Emmys at Microsoft Theater on September 12, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images). LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 12: Zendaya, winner of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for “Euphoria,” poses in the press room during the 74th Primetime Emmys at Microsoft Theater on September 12, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images).
