Hollywood
A big night for ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘The Big Bang Theory’ at 66th Emmy Awards
MUMBAI: 66th Primetime Emmy Awards was a big night for Breaking Bad, The Big Bang Theory and Modern Family.
The awards opened with Jim Parsons winning his fourth Emmy in the lead actor category for his work as Sheldon Cooper on the CBS sitcom, The Big Bang Theory. The 41-year-old actor plays the role of nerdy Caltech physicist Sheldon Cooper in the Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady-created series. Parsons beat William H Macy, Matt LeBlanc, Louis CK and Ricky Gervais in the category.
Cult drama series Breaking Bad was the other big winner of the night bagging the Emmy for Best Drama Series, while Game of Thrones went home with none of the big prizes despite garnering the most nominations. The series saw a fourth Best Lead Actor win for Bryan Cranston as chemistry teacher-turned-meth drug lord, Walter White aka Heisenberg. His co-star Aaron Paul took home his third Emmy win for Best Supporting Actor and Anna Gunn became a two-time Emmy Award winner for Best Supporting Actress in the show. Moreover, the now-departed, much beloved AMC series also took another Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing as well as Best Drama. The show won six Emmys in total.
Hit TV series Modern Family made Emmy history by winning the title of Best Comedy series for a record-tying fifth year in a row at television’s equivalent of the Oscars and has now tied the record set by NBC’s Frasier. Ty Burrell won the Best Supporting Actor for the comedy series, and the show also won a directing award.
Other significant Emmy Award winners included Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman for BBC’s Sherlock: His Last Vow as Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie, as well as comedienne Sarah Silverman’s win for Variety Show Writing.
The Emmy Awards also held its traditional memorial tribute to industry members who have died in the past year. The presentation concluded with Billy Crystal giving a moving tribute to longtime friend and fellow comedian Robin Williams, who tragically committed suicide just two weeks ago.
Among the other notable winners, Julianna Margulies won the Best Drama Actress for The Good Wife, while Best Television Movie went to The Normal Heart about gay activist Larry Kramer’s work to raise HIV/AIDS awareness during the early 1980s.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus received her third consecutive Best Comedy Actress Emmy for the political comedy Veep on HBO. Shows like Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black and House of Cards, Showtime’s Shameless, and HBO’s True Detective neither benefited from tactical category choices nor garnered any Emmy Awards this year, despite their popularity and stellar storytelling.
Hollywood
Disney chair confident CEO Josh D’Amaro will ‘rise to the occasion’ in Trump–Kimmel row
Board backs new chief as ABC controversy tests leadership early on
NEW YORK: The Walt Disney Company has placed the responsibility of handling the escalating dispute between Donald Trump and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel squarely on its new chief executive, Josh D’Amaro.
Speaking at a business conference in Oslo, Disney chair James Gorman said it would be up to the CEO and his team to determine the company’s response to the controversy surrounding Jimmy Kimmel Live!. He noted that such challenges are not uncommon for large corporations and require careful handling at the leadership level.
The row intensified after both Donald Trump and Melania Trump publicly called for Kimmel’s dismissal following remarks made on his show. The comments, which referenced the First Lady, sparked backlash in the days leading up to a security incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Kimmel addressed the issue on-air, clarifying that his joke was intended as a reference to the couple’s age difference and not an incitement to violence. He also expressed sympathy for those affected by the incident and reiterated his stance against violent rhetoric.
Despite mounting pressure, Gorman refrained from offering specific guidance on the future of the show or the host. Instead, he voiced confidence in D’Amaro’s leadership, describing him as “world class” and capable of navigating the situation effectively.
The episode presents an early and high-profile test for D’Amaro, who stepped into the top role just last month. How Disney balances editorial independence, public sentiment and political pressure will likely shape not just the outcome of this controversy, but also the tone of its leadership in the months ahead.
