Some of the funniest men on television were honored at the 2024 Emmy Awards, but only one could win Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.
Jeremy Allen White from The Bear ultimately took home the prize during the 76th annual ceremony at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 15.
“My heart is just beating right out of its chest,” White, 33, said when he took the stage, immediately sending love to the other nominees in his category, which included What We Do in the Shadows’ Matt Berry, Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Larry David, Only Murders in the Building’s Steve Martin and Martin Short and Reservation Dogs’ D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai.
“I am so, so, so lucky. I’m so grateful. Thank you. My beautiful cast, I love you forever. I love to work with you, and I just, I want us to be in each other’s lives forever,” he continued. “This show has changed my life. It has instilled a faith that change is possible if you are able to reach out. You’re really, truly never actually alone. I thank this show.”
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He also gave a special shoutout to daughters Ezer, 5, and Dolores, 3, whom he shares with ex-wife Addison Timlin. “I love you so so so so much. You are my heart,” White gushed.
White’s win came just after costar Ebon Moss-Bachrach took home the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He plays Richie Jerimovich, the “cousin” to White’s Carmy Berzatto in The Bear.
Earlier this year, White, 33, won his first Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto on The Bear, beating out Short, Barry’s Bill Hader, Shrinking’s Jason Segel and Ted Lasso’s Jason Sudeikis. (The 2023 awards show was held in January after delays due to the writers and actors unions’ strikes last year.)
“I’m so proud. I’m so full of gratitude to be standing in front of you all. I love the show so much. It filled me up. It gave me a passion, it set a fire in me to match the beautiful work done by [creators] Christopher Storer and Joanna Calo,” White said during his speech at the time. “The beautiful cast and beautiful crew I get to share a space and stage with.”
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White also thanked “those who have stayed close to me, especially in this past year” for “believing in me when I had trouble believing in myself.”
Over the past two years, White’s work on The Bear has made him an awards season darling. In addition to his Emmys recognition, in 2023 and 2024 he also won Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globe Awards, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and Best Actor in a Comedy Series at the Critics’ Choice Television Awards.
Among White’s fellow nominees at the 2024 Emmys, David, 77, Short, 74, and Martin, 79, are already winners, with David and Short each securing two Emmys in the past and Martin having one under his belt. Meanwhile, Berry, 50, and Woon-A-Tai, 22, both received their first nods this year.
