How did Matthew Rhys make history at the Emmys?

Matthew Rhys became the first actor to win two best lead actor awards at the same ceremony at the Emmys on Monday.

The Welsh actor, 51, won for best lead actor in a limited series for his role in the Netflix psychological thriller The Beast in Me and best lead comedy actor award for Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay.

Rhys is among a small group of actors who have been nominated for two lead acting prizes in the same year.

Matthew Rhys thanked ‘the great and good people of Wales’ (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

AP

Alan Alda, Sally Field, John Goodman, Elisabeth Moss and Ted Danson have all previously been nominated in the same year, but Rhys is the first to score a double win.

Rhys began acting at school and applied to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada) after playing Elvis Pressley in a musical.

While attending Rada, he appeared in BBC police drama Backup and the Welsh film House Of America.

His breakout role came when he was cast as Kevin Walker in the family drama series Brothers & Sisters, which aired from 2006 to 2011.

He began appearing in the period drama The Americans in 2013 where he met his partner, Keri Russell.

They have been together since 2014 and welcomed a son in 2016.

Rhys also won an Emmy award for lead actor in a drama series in 2018 for this series.

His film roles include The Edge Of Love (2008) with Keira Knightley and Sienna Miller and Cocaine Bear (2003) with Russell.

In his acceptance speech at the 78th annual Emmy Awards ceremony, Rhys thanked his parents and his sister for her “sage words and patient, patient listening”.

He added: “Finally, to the great and good people of Wales, who were as much a nurturer as anyone else. We are a small but mighty nation. This is incredible.”

He concluded the speech with: “Diolch yn fawr iawn”, meaning “thank you very much” in Welsh.

Speaking backstage holding both Emmys, Rhys said: “The celebrations will be long, varied, and I hope at times wild.”

Rhys is slated to have lead roles in the upcoming shows Silent River, Presumed Innocent and Dragon Slayers.