The Handmaid’s Tale has made quite the impact at the Emmy Awards for Hulu, with Ann Dowd’s emotional win possibly being the highlight of the night to this point. Dowd has been nominated in the past for her work on The Leftovers and faced some stiff competition this year for her supporting actress work in The Handmaid’s Tale, including Thandie Newton, Uzo Aduba, and newcomer Millie Bobbie Brown. But in the end, she walked away with her first Emmy win.
While the award was well deserved, Dowd’s surprise and emotion on stage propelled an already special moment to memorable heights. Her face told the story from the moment her name was announced and continued as she was overwhelmed on stage without the proper words today.
Dowd was also nominated for a guest appearance as Patti on The Leftovers, but lost out to her Handmaid’s Tale co-star Alexis Bledel. Winning the televised award carries a little more weight for the actress, though, and stood out as one of the most surprising moments of the night. The audience was into it and Dowd’s reaction showed why this awards do matter to those who dedicate their lives to acting. For an actress that has been around for close to 30 years, it’s a symbol that proves it was worth it.
