Jean Smart and Matthew Rhys Make Emmy History as Michael J. Fox Is Honored

Jean Smart and Matthew Rhys carved out new Emmy records on Monday as television's biggest stars gathered in Los Angeles to celebrate the year's best work.

Smart won her fifth Primetime Emmy for her portrayal of a relentless stand-up comic on "Hacks," becoming the first performer to take the best comedy actress prize for every season of a show's run. The HBO Max series concluded this year. "What a ride this has been!" Smart said on stage, thanking the show's creators. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who won the same category for six of "Veep's" seven seasons, remains the closest comparison.

Rhys became the first person to collect two lead acting honors at a single ceremony, winning best comedy actor for Apple TV's horror comedy "Widow's Bay" and best actor in a limited series for the Netflix psychological thriller "The Beast in Me."

The evening offered a brief respite for an industry contending with production cutbacks, unease over artificial intelligence and the proposed Paramount Skydance acquisition of HBO parent Warner Bros. Discovery, a deal that has split the business and drawn legal challenges.

Noah Wyle said it felt "overwhelming" to claim his second consecutive Emmy for playing Dr. "Robby" Robinavitch on "The Pitt," the medical drama set in a Pittsburgh trauma center that was the frontrunner for best drama. Calling himself a "Hollywood kid," Wyle told the audience, "This is the only club I've ever wanted to join. Thank you for accepting me."

Stephen Root of "Widow's Bay" upset favorite Harrison Ford of "Shrinking" for best supporting actor in a comedy. Rhea Seehorn took best drama actress for her role as a misanthropic woman battling an unfailingly kind alien hive mind in Apple TV's new series "Pluribus," her first Emmy win. Addressing fellow nominees including Keri Russell of "The Diplomat" and Zendaya of "Euphoria," Seehorn quoted the feminist activist Gloria Steinem, who died this month at 92: "We are linked, not ranked. I feel that way about all you women."

Winners are selected by the Television Academy's more than 27,000 writers, directors, performers, producers and craftspeople.

The academy also honored Michael J. Fox for his advocacy on Parkinson's disease research and treatment. Speaking from a wheelchair, Fox said Hollywood's support had enabled him to keep acting after his own diagnosis. "It's because you stood up for me," he told the crowd.

Mariska Hargitay, star of NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," hosted the ceremony, breaking with the tradition of a comedian as emcee. The show aired live on NBC and streamed on Peacock. "It's a lot of pressure, but it is so reassuring to see so many familiar faces out there, and I'm not just talking about how many of you I've arrested on SVU," Hargitay joked.

In a pre-recorded sketch, Hargitay's character Olivia Benson hunted for clues about whether Taylor Swift, an Emmy nominee this year for a concert film, would attend. Swift appeared in a surprise cameo as a rookie detective who noted that her categories had been decided at a separate ceremony a week earlier. Benson concluded that Swift would instead be in Kansas City watching her husband, Travis Kelce, play on Monday Night Football.