Rhea Seehorn has won the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Emmy for her role as Carol Sturka in Apple TV’s “Pluribus”, ending a long wait for the actor after her acclaimed performance in “Better Call Saul” went unrewarded by the Television Academy, according to Variety.
Visibly emotional as she accepted the award, Seehorn apologised for her shaky delivery, explaining that she was taking a beta blocker.
She thanked the Television Academy and her fellow nominees, including Keri Russell, who had sent her a gift and a card quoting Gloria Steinem: “We are linked, not ranked.” Seehorn said the words reflected how she felt about the women in her category.
She also praised “Pluribus” creator Vince Gilligan for giving her what she called the role of a lifetime and creating a set where cast and crew could collaborate and take creative risks. She thanked the show’s writers, producers, crew and cast, including Miriam Shor, Jeff Hiller, Samba Schutte, Carlos-Manuel Vesga and Karolina Wydra.
Seehorn won over Carrie Coon for “The Gilded Age”, Chase Infiniti for “The Testaments”, Russell for “The Diplomat” and Zendaya for “Euphoria”.
The award marks Seehorn’s first Primetime Emmy victory. She previously received two nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for playing Kim Wexler in “Better Call Saul”, in 2022 and 2023. She also earned a nomination for her performance as Kris Latimer in AMC’s “Cooper’s Bar”.
Despite widespread critical acclaim, “Better Call Saul” ended its run with 53 Emmy nominations and no wins, making it one of the most notable shutouts in the awards’ history.
“Pluribus”, which reunites Seehorn with Gilligan, has already secured four Emmy awards, including honours for sound mixing, original main title theme music, picture editing and production design. The series has received 18 nominations overall.
Before the ceremony, Seehorn had also won drama acting honours at the Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards, as well as an individual achievement award in drama from the Television Critics Association. She was also nominated at the SAG-AFTRA Actor Awards.
The 78th Emmy Awards are taking place at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles. NBC and Peacock are broadcasting the ceremony, hosted by “Law & Order: SVU” star Mariska Hargitay.
HBO Max’s “The Pitt” led this year’s nominations with 25, followed by “Hacks” with 24. Apple TV’s “Widow’s Bay” had collected eight wins across the earlier ceremonies, while Apple TV entered the final event with 19 wins overall.
