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61st Emmys: Tina Fey loses out to Toni Collette
But the ‘30 Rock’ star and creator does get a statuette for her Sarah Palin impersonation
Comedy actress and Sarah Palin impersonator Tina Fey doesn't win every prize going. Widely expected to take the award for best actress in a comedy series at last night's Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, she lost out to Toni Collette, who received the statuette for her role as a woman with multiple personalities in United States of Tara.
Fey had been expected to win for 30 Rock, the show she created and stars in opposite Alec Baldwin and which had been nominated in 22 categories. For the second consecutive year, Baldwin won the award for best actor in a comedy, while Matt Hubbard, one of Fey's co-writers, also picked up a statuette and the show was named best comedy series.
Fey did not go home empty-handed, however: she collected the guest actress award for her Palin performances on Saturday Night Live.
The Australian Collette used her acceptance speech to thank Diablo Cody, the creator of United States of Tara. The award was a welcome boost for Cody, who after winning an Oscar for her Juno screenplay was the target of "one-hit wonder" gossip at the recent Toronto film festival following the poor reception for her new feature film, Jennifer's Body.
If there had been a statuette for "the celebrity most targeted by the presenter" it would have gone to Kanye West. The rapper was the butt of several quips from host Neil Patrick Harris because of his behaviour at last Sunday's MTV awards, when he invaded the stage to say country singer Taylor Swift's award should have gone to Beyonce.
"Here's hoping Kanye West likes 30 Rock," said Patrick Harris.
On the red carpet, Heidi Klum, presenter of Project Runway, was the most visible actress. Eight months pregnant with her fourth child, she cancelled an appearance last week at the New York fashion shows because she feared she might go into labour. But she turned up for the 61st Emmys, accompanied by her husband Seal, wearing a tummy-hugging black Marchesa gown.
OTHER WINNERS:
♦ The BBC's Little Dorrit, starring Matthew Macfadyen, Pam Ferris and Sir Tom Courtenay, won seven Emmys - the most for any show. It was named best mini-series and there were statuettes for the prolific English screenwriter Andrew Davies and Irish director Dearbhla Walsh.
♦ Kristin Chenoweth won best supporting actress in a comedy for her role as Olive Snook in Pushing Daisies. The ABC show, which also starred the English actress Anna Friel, was canceled after its second season. Chenoweth said on receiving her statuette: "I'm unemployed now so I'd like to be on Mad Men and I also like The Office and 24."
♦ Irish actor Brendan Gleeson won the award for best actor in a mini-series for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in Into the Storm, a joint BBC-HBO production.
♦ In the drama categories, Mad Men won best series but star John Hamm lost out in the best actor category to Bryan Cranston for Breaking Bad. Rod Holcomb won the directing Emmy for And in the End, the last ever episode of ER.
