Brosnahan, ‘Mrs. Maisel’ big winners at Emmys

Milwaukee native Rachel Brosnahan won the Emmy Monday night for best actress in a comedy series for her performance on “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” one of the biggest winners on what’s still called television’s biggest night.

The Amazon Prime series won five Emmys in all Monday night, also taking home the award for best comedy series, best supporting actress in a comedy for Alex Borstein, and best writing and director for a comedy series, both for series co-creator Amy Sherman-Palladino. (Sherman-Palladino became the first woman to win both awards in the same year.)

The night boosted the comedy’s overall Emmys haul to eight, after the show won three Emmys in technical categories a couple weeks earlier.

The night’s top winner was HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” which added to its Creative Arts Emmys haul with awards for best drama series and supporting actor in a drama for Peter Dinklage, boosting its 2018 take to nine Emmys.

Other top winners Monday included “Saturday Night Live” for best variety series; “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story,” with awards including best limited series and best actor in a limited series for Darren Criss; and Regina King, who won best actress in a limited series or movie for “Seven Seconds.”

Not everyone tied to “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” was a winner; Green Bay native Tony Shalhoub, nominated for best supporting actor in a comedy series for the show, lost to honorary Milwaukeean Henry Winkler, who won his first Emmy for best supporting actor on HBO’s “Barry,” as a drama teacher for a wannabe-actor hitman. (”Barry’s” star, Bill Hader, won best actor in a comedy.)

It was Brosnahan’s first Emmy, too; she was nominated in 2013 for her performance on “House of Cards.” Brosnahan, who was born in Milwaukee and grew up in the Chicago area, also won a Golden Globe for “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” earlier this year.

But Monday night’s biggest moment had nothing to do with trophies.

During his acceptance speech for the Emmy for best direction for a variety special for “The Oscars,” Glenn Weiss, after giving a moving tribute to his late mother, proposed to his girlfriend, Jan Svendsen, bringing her up on the stage to a standing ovation. (She said yes.)