Cape Argus

Trump hailed as Emmy inspiratio­n

Evening abounds with sharp tongue-in-cheek references

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President Donald Trump never won an Emmy, it’s true. But his presence was felt at this year’s television awards ceremony more than any actor, writer or producer. for which Trump was an endless fount of comedy during his campaign and early presidency, had its best Emmy haul in the show’s 41-year history.

the Hulu drama about an authoritar­ian society, was the most-honoured drama on Sunday night. Then there was host Stephen Colbert’s string of one-liners about the man he considered the biggest television star of the past year, and former White House press secretary Sean Spicer’s jaw-dropping cameo in Colbert’s opening monologue.

Trump is a past Emmy nominee from his time as host. Colbert told the audience that the Emmys may be to blame for his presidency, because Trump might not have run if he’d won an Emmy. Then he got in a dig where he knew it would hurt: “Unlike the presidency, Emmys go to the winner of the popular vote,” he said.

Spicer wheeled onto the stage behind a mobile podium and joked about the Emmys having its biggest audience. The reference to his dubious claim about the crowd size at Trump’s inaugural struck some on social media as not the sort of thing that should be joked about.

won nine Emmys on Sunday and at last week’s Creative Arts Emmys. The cast members who impersonat­ed Trump and opponent Hillary Clinton – Alec Baldwin and Kate McKinnon – both won Emmys for supporting roles in a comedy. The show won the Emmy for best variety sketch series.

won the Emmy for best drama. The show was also responsibl­e for drama writing and directing awards, and star Elisabeth Moss won best actress.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus earned the best comic actress Emmy for the sixth time as the clueless politician in and the show was named best comedy for the third time. Add in the Emmys Louis-Dreyfus won for and

and she’s now tied with Cloris Leachman as the most Emmy-winning performer to date.

HBO’s won the Emmy for best limited series, and Nicole Kidman won best actress in a limited series for her role. Kidman and co-star Reese Witherspoo­n said they were grateful the show provided strong roles for women.

The Emmys seemed a bit star-struck by Kidman, giving her two minutes 45 seconds of uninterrup­ted time to talk after her award. Meanwhile, Sterling K Brown, who won for best actor in a drama for his role in got a loud musical hook ending his acceptance speech before he’d reached the two-minute mark. Brown paid tribute to the last African-American man to win in his category, Andre Braugher.

Donald Glover won the best comedy actor and best comedy director Emmys for which he created and which carries his distinctiv­e voice. John Lithgow, received the best supporting drama actor for his role as British leader Winston Churchill in said: “Most of all I have to thank Winston Churchill. In these crazy times, his life, even as an old man, reminds us what courage and leadership in government really looks like.” – AP

 ?? PICTURE: AP ?? TALENTED: Kate McKinnon accepts the award for outstandin­g supporting actress in a comedy series for
PICTURE: AP TALENTED: Kate McKinnon accepts the award for outstandin­g supporting actress in a comedy series for
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