Matthew Rhys made Emmy history with two acting victories on September 14, then collected a third trophy as an executive producer. Keri Russell had already warned him what might happen at home if he pulled off the first two.
Backstage at the 78th Emmy Awards, Rhys told E! News that his longtime partner had anticipated the possibility that he could win both of his acting categories. Her response was simple: “If you win both, I’m not coming home with you.”
Rhys did exactly that. He won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Netflix’s The Beast in Me, then took Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay. Russell was also nominated that night for The Diplomat but did not win.
Russell never appeared in either of Rhys’ acceptance speeches, but he spoke about her repeatedly once he reached the press room. His jokes about competition at home eventually gave way to a warmer assessment of how she handles awards season, with Rhys calling her “always a class act.”
Russell Told Rhys She Wouldn’t Come Home If He Won Both
Rhys said humor helps the couple keep awards nights from becoming too serious. Before either of his categories had been decided, Russell apparently decided that two acting trophies for one member of the household would be excessive.
“She goes, ‘If you win both, I’m not coming home with you.’ Okay, fair enough,” Rhys told E! News. When the interviewer asked whether the warning meant he was now free for the evening, Rhys answered, “I don’t know if I’m free. Lonely, maybe.”
The teasing continued when Rhys talked about displaying his awards at home. He said their children sometimes complain about the imaginary voices he uses while playing games, prompting him to invoke his trophies as evidence that his impressions cannot be quite as bad as they claim.
Rhys and Russell share 10-year-old son Sam, and he is also stepfather to Russell’s two older children. He later joked to CNN that his existing Emmy remains in the basement and would stay there until Russell gets one of her own.
Rhys Did Not Mention Russell in Either Acceptance Speech
Rhys admitted that preparation was not his strength before the first victory. “I didn’t really prepare anything, which is why I vomited that speech,” he told E! after winning for The Beast in Me.
When he returned to the stage later for Widow’s Bay, Rhys thanked creator Katie Dippold, director Hiro Murai, the cast, crew, his longtime agent and manager, his parents, his sister and the people of Wales. Russell again was not mentioned.
The omission attracted attention online, but Rhys was considerably more expansive about her backstage. Entertainment Weekly reported that he praised the way Russell responds to the women competing against her rather than treating every nomination as a rivalry.
Rhys said Russell sends fellow nominees Gloria Steinem quotes “about being linked and not judged,” while he approaches the competition much less gracefully. “She’s always really the winner, if I’m perfectly honest,” he said. “I think next year she might get one.”
The Couple Has Been Joking About Emmy Speeches Since 2018
Public declarations at the Emmys have already provided material for Rhys and Russell before. When Rhys won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for The Americans in 2018, another winner had proposed to his girlfriend during the ceremony.
Rhys used his own acceptance speech to make clear that Russell had ruled out anything similar. He joked that she had warned him she would punch him “clean in the mouth” if he proposed from the stage.
The camera immediately cut to Russell reacting in the audience, and the exchange became one of the memorable jokes from that year’s ceremony. Rhys and Russell later explained that grand public gestures are not particularly suited to either of them.
That history made Russell’s 2026 warning sound less like genuine household tension and more like the latest installment in an established awards night routine. This time, however, Rhys managed to create the exact scenario she had joked about before the ceremony.
Rhys Became the First Performer to Win Two Lead Acting Emmys in One Year
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Rhys’ two acting trophies established a new Emmy record. The Television Academy confirmed that he became the first person to win two Emmys for leading performances in the same year.
His previous victory for The Americans in 2018 created another first. Rhys now has lead acting wins in drama, comedy and limited series or movie, something no other performer has accomplished across all three categories.
The night produced a third trophy when Widow’s Bay won Outstanding Comedy Series, with Rhys sharing the award as one of its executive producers. The Apple TV series finished the Emmy cycle with 14 wins overall, setting a new record for a comedy series in a single year.
Russell’s nomination for The Diplomat brought her career Emmy total to eight, with no wins to date, according to the Television Academy. Backstage, Rhys praised the way she supports other nominees and said he believes her first Emmy win could come next year.