The 68th Emmy Awards have been going on for less than an hour but they’ve already given the audience a good deal of laughs — and tears.
Julia Louis- Dreyfus was tearful and shaking when she accepted her fifth Emmy in a row, this time for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for “Veep.”
She apologized for “the current political climate.”
“I think that ‘Veep’ has torn down the wall between comedy and politics,” she said. “Our show started out as political satire, but it now feels more like sobering documentary.”
She had a personal moment at the end of her acceptance speech when she dedicated her win to her father, William Louis Dreyfus, who she said died on Friday.
“I’m so glad that he liked ‘Veep’ because his opinion was the one that really mattered,” she said.
Jeffrey Tambor won his second Emmy in a row for best comedy actor for his role in “Transparent.” He plays a transgender woman on the Amazon series.
Tambor encouraged the industry to offer more opportunities to the trans community.
“I would not be unhappy where I the last cis-gender male to play a transgender female on television,” Tambor said during his acceptance speech. “We have work to do.”
There was also a moving tribute to actor and former Emmys host Garry Shandling, who died in March.
“The Voice” took home the Emmy for outstanding reality program and Regina King won for outstanding supporting actress in a limited series for “American Crime.”
The Emmys began on a lighter moment with a funny nod to some of TV’s biggest pop culture moments of the past year.
Host Jimmy Kimmel reenacted the famous O.J. Simpson chase down the 405 with Malcolm Jamal Warner, who played Al Cowlings in “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.”
“If I’m late they’ll let Tom Bergeron host,” Kimmel joked.
What followed was Kimmel catching rides with everyone from late night host James Corden to politician Jeb Bush and even a dragon from “Game of Thrones.”
It’s the TV industry’s biggest night and viewers will be watching closely to see if two of the shows from that opening video, “Game of Thrones” and “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story,” sweep. They scored 23 and 22 Emmy nominations respectively.
There were plenty of O.J. jokes in Kimmel’s monologue. Nominated actress Sarah Paulson brought Simpson prosecutor Marcia Clark as her date.
“Because everyone in L.A. knows if you want to win, sit next to Marcia Clark,” Kimmel said. Then, turning to Clark, he said, “This must be very strange for you… are you rooting for O.J. to win?”
Leslie Jones also provided some comic relief during the usually staid portion of the show when viewers meet the accountants responsible for keeping the results a secret.
The “Ghostbusters” star, who has been dealing with trolls on Twitter, joined the reps from Ernst and Young on stage and joked that she needed their protection for her social media account.
“Put [her Twitter account] in your vault please,”Jones said. “Y’all over here using your skills to protect best voice over in a French sitcom meanwhile I’m over here butt naked on CNN.”
The first award of the night went to Louie Anderson, for best supporting actor in a comedy for “Baskets.”
He dedicated his award to his mother, who he said he modeled his female character after.
“I have not always been the best man, but I play a hell of a woman,” he said.
Kate McKinnon offered an emotional – and at times seemingly muted by the censors – speech after her work on “Saturday Night Live” won her the outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series Emmy.
She thanked a few people including her late father.
“He made me start watching SNL when I was 12,” she said tearfully. “I miss you, Pop.”
Streaming services did well right out of the gate.
Jill Soloway won for directing a comedy for Amazon’s “Transparent.” Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang won for writing on a comedy series for the Netflix series “Master of None.”
“We need to stop violence against trans women and topple the patriarchy,” said Soloway, whose show is about a trans woman.
TV is being hailed for improved inclusivity — compared to the film industry — in both its recognition and hiring of minorities.
About 25% of this year’s Emmy nominations in the acting categories went to people of color.
“Hollywood is doing good, but I’ll tell you women of color are doing even better,” nominee Viola Davis said on the red carpet. “We’ve gotten to the point where women are saying ‘You know what, I’m going to ask for what I want’ and I love it. A closed mouth don’t get fed.”
Kimmel acknowledged the diversity in his monologue.
“Here in Hollywood the only thing we value more than diversity is congratulating ourselves on how much we value diversity,” Kimmel joked during his opening. “The Emmys are so diverse this year the Oscars are now telling people we’re one of their closest friends.”