Emmys 2012: Damian Lewis Wins Outstanding Lead Actor for 'Homeland'
Damian Lewis upset perennial winner Bryan Cranston to capture Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series at Sunday's Emmy Awards.
"I don't really believe in judging art, but I thought I'd show up just in case," Lewis joked.
Lewis' portrayal of a terrorist sympathizer in the Showtime thriller was gripping and grueling enough to score him his first award and hold off a challenge from "Breaking Bad"s' Cranston.
Calling himself a pesky Brit, the English actor hailed his fellow nominees as evidence that this was a "golden age in television."
Aaron Paul won his second Emmy Award Sunday for his portrayal of a meth cook on AMC's "Breaking Bad," beating out his co-star Giancarlo Esposito to nab the statue.
The Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series winner noted that his character wasn't supposed to survive the show's first season, thanking "Breaking Bad"s' creator for sparing him.
"Vince Gilligan thanks so much for not killing me off," Paul joked.
Maggie Smith won an Emmy Award of her role as the imperious Dowager Countess on PBS' "Downton Abbey," but the legendary English actress was not on hand to pick up her honor.
Not so Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who picked up her third Emmy Award for her role as an ambitious, conniving and politically inept vice president on HBO's "Veep."
People say that this is a comedy, but I don't see anything funny about me being vice president of the United States," Louis-Dreyfus said.
However, she gave a hilarious speech that will be making the highlight reels with a gag that had Louis-Dreyfus pretend to read from fellow nominee Amy Poehler's acceptance speech.
Also read: Emmys 2012: Complete List of Winners and Nominees
"Isn't it a shame that Amy Poehler didn't win," Louis-Dreyfus joked.
In a stunning upset, Jon Cryer won his second Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for "Two and a Half Men" over the heavily favored Jim Parsons ("The Big Bang Theory").
A visibly shocked Cryer alluded to the unexpected nature of his victory, by saying "don't panic people, something has clearly gone terribly wrong."
It was Cryer's first win and nomination as Oustanding Lead Actor having previously been nominated and won in the supporting category. It was a season that saw Cryer and the hit CBS sitcom moving on after a contentious and highly publicized break-up with Charlie Sheen and a new co-star in the form of Ashton Kutcher, so it could be an award for endurance as much as humor.
Also read: Emmys: A 'Mad Men' Date With Destiny? Or Will 'Breaking Bad' Break a Streak?
Also finding itself in the winner's circle was "The Amazing Race," which beat out challengers like "Dancing with the Stars" and "The Voice" to nab the Emmy for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program.
But "Dancing With the Stars" did not go home empty handed. Tom Bergeron picked up an Emmy for his role as ringmaster on the dancing competition series.
Bergeron poked good-natured fun at his fellow nominee Betty White ("Betty White's Off Their Rockers") by saying his victory was satisfying because "Betty White always kicks my ass in our mixed martial arts class."
Also read: Emmys 2012: Red Carpet Arrivals (Photos)
Earlier in the evening, Julie Bowen won her second consecutive Emmy Award for her role as a harried wife and mother on ABC's "Modern Family."
In her acceptance speech, Bowen paid tribute to her co-star and fellow nominee Sofia Vergara.
"Sofia, I know you're younger than me, but I want to be you when I grow up," Bowen said.
Bowen's co-star Eric Stonestreet picked up the first Emmy Award Sunday night, winning Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his portrayal of one half of a gay couple in ABC's "Modern Family."
Stonestreet paid tribute to Jesse Tyler Ferguson, his on-screen lover, in his acceptance speech.
"There is no Cam without Mitch," Stonestreet said.
The straight Stonestreet said it was an honor to show Americans that gay couples could be just as committed and supportive as heterosexual ones, but noted that there were unforeseen perks to playing one of the small screen's most prominent gay characters.
"I love the pictures of hairy chests you guys are sending me," he joked.
Among the early winners were Louis C.K. who won for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Show for "Louie" and Steve Levitan, who kept the "Modern Family" streak going strong with a win for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series.
"Homeland" made its presence known with a win for writing; the Showtime series, which centers on a mentally disabled CIA agent's search for a mole, has been a critical hit and a favorite with Emmy voters, scoring nods for best series and its lead performances.
Jimmy Kimmel started the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards with a bang, saying that Hollywood had assembled to celebrate "the only American product the Chinese haven't learned how to make."
In a prickly monologue he poked fun at Emmy voters abiding love for English shows like "Downton Abbey," saying Americans had an inferiority complex because they were discovered at the mall while the Brits were trained by the Royal Shakespeare Company and HBO's canceled "Luck," which was pulled after several horses died. Kimmel warned HBO afterparty-goers to avoid the sliders.
He also noted that the television business was a liberal bastion and that Republicans like Kelsey Grammer were about as popular as a "Chick-fil-A sandwich on the snack table at 'Glee.'"
The evening began with a humorous backstage video of Emmy nominees and TV stars sending up showbiz egos and "Girls" star Lena Dunham's propensity for nudity -- as well as the failed experiment with having reality show hosts take over emcee duties for the show. In it, actors like Kathy Bates ("Harry's Law") and Julia Louis-Dreyfus ("Veep") pummelled Kimmel to help him recover from a botched botox job.
But there's a lot on the line tonight and lots of questions going into TV's biggest night. Will "Mad Men" make history as the only show to pick up five consecutive award for Outstanding Drama Series? Can "The Big Bang Theory" or "Girls" end "Modern Family"s' Outstanding Comedy Series dominance? Will Bryan Cranston pick up his fourth Emmy for his chilling of a high school teacher turned meth dealer?
One thing is for certain with the always irreverent Kimmel handling the hosting duties, the zingers should keep flying at a furious clip.
Keep checking TheWrap for the latest winners, the best jokes, and the hottest red carpet looks.
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