Matthew Rhys was nominated for his performance in both an anthology series and a comedy series. Rhys first won in the Lead Actor category for The Beast in Me and then for Widow's Bay. He has now become the first person ever to win two lead acting Emmys on the same night.Matthew Rhys' Emmy 2026 winsWidow's Bay is dominating the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards when it comes to all comedy series categories. Matthew Rhys, as was predictable, has won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for playing Tom Loftis in Widow's Bay. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostEarlier in the night, he had also won in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie category for playing Nile Jarvis in Netflix's The Beast in Me. However, these aren't Rhys' first Emmy wins. He also won an Emmy in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series category for his portrayal of Philip Jennings in The Americans, in 2018.While James Earl Jones, Cloris Leachman, Glenda Jackson, Colleen Dewhurst, and Shirley Knight, among others, have won 2 Emmys for acting in one single night, Matthew Rhys is the first person ever to win 2 in one night for lead acting roles. Matthew Rhys is also known for his roles in The Wingfeather Saga, The Americans, Invincible, and Brothers & Sisters. He is next going to appear in Silent River, Presumed Innocent, and Dragon Slayers. After winning Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, Matthew Rhys, in his thank-you speech said:“Stephen [Root] is right: This [win] is purely because of the depraved and twisted mind of Katie Dippold, and her genius really does live in the recesses of her disturbed brain.”Stephen Root, Rhys's Widow's Bay costar, won in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series category for playing Wyck and thanked the series showrunner and writer, Katie Dippold, in his speech. Dippold has also won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for the show's first episode, Welcome to Widow's Bay. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostRhys continued his speech, saying:“33 years ago, a man by the name Dallas Smith took a big swing on me, and for that reason, Dal, you have my lifelong indebted gratitude,”He added:“Thanks to all the others who did exactly the same, not least my dear old friend, Duncan Millership, whose hard work and tenacity I see and appreciate everyday, but far more I appreciate our lifelong friendship. Barry Buren, you know what you did — all of you at CAA... Obviously my parents, they just kicked me onto a stage from a very early age. My sister, who’s here tonight, turns out she was the brains of the outfit all along. Thank you for all the sage words and patient listening.”Lastly, Rhys thanked his home country, Wales, saying:“the great and good people of Wales, who were as much a nurturer as anyone else.”Widow's Bay has also won Outstanding Comedy Series, and Season 2 of the show has been greenlit by Apple TV, which is expected to be released in late 2027 or early 2028. Season 1 is streaming on Apple TV. The Beast in Me is a limited series and is streaming on Netflix.Emmys 2026 is now available for streaming on Peacock.For more articles like this, follow Soapcentral.