Emmy loss to Matthew Rhys sparks a hilarious reaction from Martin Short
Martin Short lost an Emmy to Matthew Rhys — and turned the setback into a bit.
When Matthew Rhys headed to the stage for the comedy lead-actor trophy, the broadcast cut to the other nominees — and caught Martin Short theatrically tearing a white sheet of paper in half before cracking up. It looked very much like he was shredding a would-be acceptance speech, a perfectly timed bit that landed as the room applauded Rhys’ name.
The Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series lineup was a heavyweight slate. The category pitted Short against Rhys and three more big names:
- Martin Short — Only Murders in the Building
- Matthew Rhys
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
- Steve Carell
- Jason Segel
Rhys prevailed, fresh off his turn as Tom Loftis in Widow’s Bay, while Short turned the moment into a live TV gag that played like a wink at his own awards-night history.
Short’s in on the joke
The reaction wasn’t sour grapes so much as classic Martin Short. This marks his fifth loss in the category. He’s been nominated four times for playing Oliver Putnam on Only Murders in the Building (Hulu ) and has yet to win an Emmy for it, though he did take home a SAG Award for the role. Short is back as Oliver in the show’s upcoming sixth season.
Rhys’s record night
Rhys didn’t just take the comedy prize. Earlier in the evening he won Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Widow’s Bay on Apple TV+ , where he plays Tom Loftis — a two-category sweep that put him in the record books.
He’s the first man ever to win two lead-acting Emmys in a single night.
Rhys also has a 2018 Lead Actor Emmy for The Americans, which means he’s now the first actor to collect lead-actor wins across all three genres: drama, limited/anthology, and comedy.
It capped a huge showing for Widow’s Bay, which scored 14 Emmys from 19 nominations on the night.