31 Years Later, Matthew Rhys Achieves A Rare Emmy Feat
Instar via Milla Cochran/startraksphoto.com
Published Jul 9, 2026, 5:15 PM EDT
Arielle Port started as a TV producer, developing content for Netflix (Firefly Lane, Brazen) and Hallmark (The Santa Stakeout, A Christmas Treasure) before transitioning into entertainment journalism. Her love of story went from interest to lifelong passion while at The University of Pennsylvania, where she fell in with a student-run web series, Classless TV, and it was a gateway drug. Arielle Port has been a Writer for Screen Rant since August 2024. She lives in Los Angeles with her boyfriend and more importantly, her cat, Boseman.
Sign in to your ScreenRant account
The nominations for the 2026 Emmy Awards were announced this week. Returning favorites like last year’s winners The Pitt and Hacks got a lot of recognition, but so did promising new shows like Widow’s Bay and Pluribus. They say lightning doesn't strike twice, but this year's Emmys proved otherwise, with five actors scoring double acting nominations.
Jason Bateman is nominated for Lead Actor in a Limited Series for Black Rabbit and for Supporting Actor in a Limited Series for DTF St. Louis, though HBO’s dark comedy was really more ofa three-hander with Bateman, David Harbour, and Linda Cardellini. Colman Domingo got to show his range, nominated for Supporting Actor in Comedy and Drama for The Four Seasons and Euphoria's final season.
Four-time Emmy winner Laurie Metcalf is also double-nominated this year, as a Supporting Actress for Monster: The Ed Gein Story and as Guest Actress in Hacks, which she won in 2022. Nick Offerman is nominated as Supporting Actor in Comedy for Apple TV’s Margo’s Got Money Troubles and Limited Series for Death by Lightning.
While double-acting Emmy nominations aren't uncommon, it's much rarer for both nominations to be for leading performances. The last time an actor was nominated as a lead in two separate categories was 1995, when John Goodman was nominated for Comedy for Roseanne and for Miniseries or Special for the TV movie Kingfish: A Story of Huey P. Long.
That is what makes Matthew Rhys’ double nomination for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Widow’s Bay and a Limited Series for The Beast in Me so impressive. It’s the first time in 31 years, and Rhys is the driving force behind two distinctly different TV shows, which is harder to sustain at high quality than a made-for-TV movie.
Matthew Rhys Shows His Range Across Widow’s Bay And The Beast In Me
Matthew Rhys has long been associated with prestige dramas thanks to his Emmy-winning performance in the spy thriller The Americans, and The Beast in Me plays into Rhys' type as a morally complex lead. The tense Netflix psychological thriller pairs Rhys with Claire Danes, whose own career has similarly been defined by emotionally demanding dramatic roles.
Together, they shoulder much of the series' weight, delivering performances that make the show both deeply unsettling and impossible to look away from. It's the kind of slow-burn thriller that's difficult to watch at times, yet even harder to stop watching.
That makes Rhys' second nominated performance in Widow’s Bay all the more surprising. Created by former Parks and Recreation writer Katie Dippold, Widow's Bay is an unabashedly offbeat comedy-horror centered on a picturesque island town that could rival Martha's Vineyard — if it weren't for the centuries-old curse hanging over it.
As Tom Loftis, the town's skeptical mayor, Rhys gets to flex comedic muscles audiences rarely have the chance to see. His standout accidental drug-trip episode is one of the season's funniest showcases, but the comedy works because it's anchored by a genuine character arc.
Watching Tom gradually evolve from an unwavering skeptic into someone forced to confront the impossible gives the increasingly bizarre story emotional stakes. Together, the two nominations paint a compelling picture of Rhys' versatility.
In one series, he anchors an intense psychological drama built on quiet tension and emotional restraint. In the other, he fully embraces absurd comedy and supernatural chaos without sacrificing sincerity.
The dual nominations are even more impressive because Rhys isn't being recognized for brief scene-stealing appearances or supporting turns. He's at the center of both shows, carrying one as the co-lead of a tense psychological thriller and the other as the lead of a wildly inventive comedy-horror.
Excelling in two demanding, genre-defining leading roles in the same Emmy season is a testament to both his versatility and his endurance as a performer. With Widow's Bay already renewed for season 2, he'll have another opportunity to push the show's strange mythology into even darker and weirder territory.
Matthew Rhys Has Made Emmy History For Another Reason
Courtesy of NetflixMatthew Rhys' double nominations aren't the only history-making accomplishment of his 2026 Emmy campaign. Alongside Jason Bateman, Rhys has become the first male actor to earn Lead Actor Emmy nominations in all three major television formats over the course of his career: Drama Series, Comedy Series, and Limited or Anthology Series.
It's an achievement that reflects not only longevity but remarkable versatility. Rhys first broke through with his Emmy-winning performance as Philip Jennings in The Americans, taking home Lead Actor in a Drama in 2018 after multiple nominations. This year, he completed the trifecta with Lead Actor nominations for The Beast in Me in Limited Series and Widow's Bay in Comedy.
|
Widow’s Bay (2026) - TBD |
The Americans (Nominated: 2016, 2017; Won: 2018) Perry Mason (Nominated: 2021) |
The Beast in Me (2026) - TBD |
|
Arrested Development (Nominated: 2005, 2013) |
Ozark (Nominated: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022) |
Black Rabbit (2026) - TBD |
Bateman followed a similar path, first earning acclaim for Arrested Development before transitioning to prestige drama with Ozark. While he won an Emmy for directing Ozark, his acclaimed dramatic performance never translated into an acting victory. His Lead Actor nomination for Black Rabbit now completes his own three-category milestone.
The shared achievement speaks to a broader shift in television. Actors are no longer expected to stay within a single lane. The rise of streaming has created more opportunities to jump between genres and formats, allowing performers like Rhys and Bateman to pursue projects based on creative ambition rather than industry expectations.
Whether Rhys ultimately wins is another question entirely, as who should win is not always who does win at the Emmys. Still, after making Emmys history, Matthew Rhys enters the ceremony with one of the strongest narratives of any actor in contention.
-
Dates September 14, 2026
Location The Peacock Theater, Los Angeles, CA
Network NBC
An annual celebration of television excellence gathers actors creators and industry leaders to honor standout series performances and creative achievements from the past year.
-
Birthdate November 8, 1974
Birthplace Cardiff, Wales, UK
Notable Projects A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, The Americans
What's Your Reaction?
Like
0
Dislike
0
Love
0
Funny
0
Wow
0
Sad
0
Angry
0
Comments (0)