Emmy took a shine to Jewish talent Sunday evening as the prime-time television awards unfolded at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
“Transparent,” the comedy series about a Jewish family whose father comes out as transgender, won trophies for director Jill Soloway and lead actor Jeffrey Tambor.
Jeffrey Tambor holds his award for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series for “Transparent” on Sept. 18, 2016. Photo by Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who does not say she is Jewish but who is the daughter of Jewish billionaire Gerard Louis-Dreyfus and a relative of Alfred Dreyfus of the Dreyfus affair, was the winner as lead actress in a comedy series for her role in “Veep.” It was the fifth consecutive Emmy for the “Seinfeld” veteran, and her sixth in the category, a record. She now has eight Emmys. The actress announced in a tearful acceptance speech at the ceremony that her father had died only two days before.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus poses backstage with her awards for Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series for her role in HBO's “Veep” at the Emmy Awards on Sept. 18. Photo by Mike Blake/Reuters
Australian actor Ben Mendelsohn won the prize for supporting actor in a drama series (“Bloodlines”). He is the descendent of an old Prussian-Jewish family on his father’s side.
David Benioff and Daniel B. Weiss were honored for writing for the “Game of Thrones” episode “Battle of the Bastards.”
The Emmy went to Hank Azaria as guest actor in the drama series “Ray Donovan.”
Susanne Bier took top spot as director of “The Night Manager” in the limited series, movie or dramatic special category.
Among the evening’s disappointments was a strikeout for Amy Schumer, who had been nominated for four acting and writing awards, and the slighting of Larry David’s hilarious impression of Bernie Sanders on “Saturday Night Live.”
