‘Took me completely by surprise’: Widow’s Bay star Matthew Rhys reacts to second Emmy win for The Beast in Me

Matthew Rhys is basking in the glory of his newfound fame. After all, the 51-year-old has won not one, but two awards at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards. The Welsh star made history by becoming the first actor to take home 2 lead acting awards in a single night: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for the horror comedy Widow’s Bay and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for the psychological thriller The Beast in Me. But while Matthew anticipated his Widow’s Bay recognition, it was the award for The Beast in Me that left him in absolute disbelief.

Matthew Rhys on The Beast in Me

Matthew Rhys, in a conversation with Entertainment Tonight, revealed he truly did not expect the second win. The actor admitted that while he felt he had a reasonable chance with Widow’s Bay, his victory for The Beast in Me caught him entirely off guard. Matthew added that his shock and awe was made abundantly clear by his rambling acceptance speech at the awards night.

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The Beast in Me beat Oscar Isaac’s chances to lift his first Emmy award for his work in Beef, a Netflix anthology series. As per The Hollywood Reporter, Matthew also beat out former winners Riz Ahmed (Bait) and Jason Bateman (Black Rabbit) as well as first-time nominee Charlie Hunnam (Monster: The Ed Gein Story).


The Beast in Me premiered on Netflix last year in November, becoming a smash hit among viewers and critics alike. It earned Matthew Rhys and his co-star, Danes nominations for the 2026 Golden Globes and Actor Awards. The series is a deadly cat-and-mouse chase between Agatha (Danes), a best-selling author searching for inspiration for her next book, and Niles (Rhys), her wealthy new neighbour who is rumoured to have killed his wife.

About Matthew Rhys’ Widow’s Bay

On the other hand, Widow’s Bay reached the hearts of millions and the credit goes to its positive word-of-mouth that no one saw coming. The Apple TV series impressed audiences with its unconventional storytelling, powerful performances, stunning visuals and laugh-out-loud comedy elements embedded within a scary watch from start to finish.

Matthew Rhys played the role of Tom Loftis, the mayor of an eerie New England island town, known for being haunted. Tom, however, brushes off the supernatural dangers, trying to welcome tourists to the distant destination to create a tourism boost. But when things start going downhill, he is forced to confront the deadly forces he tried so hard to ignore and protect the townspeople from the escalating horrors.