“I don’t really believe in judging art. But I thought I’d show up just in case. Turned out alright.” – Damian Lewis
We had Prime Time Emmy Awards Ceremony last Sunday. I have not been watching for the last several years since there was no nominee, a TV show or an actor, that I would root for. But the event marks such a personal moment in my life that I would love to take you all back to 2012 Emmy Awards and re-live Homeland‘s BIG MOMENT!
Well, it all starts with the nomination. Homeland scores BIG in Prime Time Emmy nominations – it is not just a record number of nominations for Showtime and but also the highest for any freshman series that year!
Entertainment Weekly asks Damian how he feels about his nomination just after the Emmy nominations are announced.
“I’m really thrilled. Over the moon. I was asleep. So I was just getting some extra zzzzs and I woke up with my phone buzzing next to my head.”
And what does he think about the rewarding quality of such a major awards nomination?
“Everyone is always trying to be sort of tasteful about awards and it’s the work that’s important and awards don’t really matter. Of course, it’s nice when you get nominated. It’s ostensibly an Emmy. And it’s a recognition. It’s being in the club and just saying “We thought you handful of guys and girls did amazing work so we’d like to recognize that.” I wanna be a member of this club.”
September 23, 2012: Here we are at the Nokia Theater in downtown Los Angeles. This evening will go into history as the one that Damian wins an Emmy. Damian does not know that yet. And this evening will also go into history as the one that Damian Lewis makes his entrance into my life. And I do not know that yet, either.
The Red Carpet
Here is Damian Lewis, ladies and gentlemen, with his lovely wife Helen McCrory at the 2012 Prime Time Emmy Awards.
I just cannot think of a better way of putting how good these two look together than Vogue put it a few years ago in an interview with the couple:
“Separately, they are engaging. Together, they are a little bit intoxicating.”
Indeed.
Helen is dazzling in her floor-length Luisa Beccaria gown and Damian is dashing in his Tom Ford’s rakish shawl-collared tux with Ford’s signature ’70s-style butterfly bow tie.
Ok. Here is a closer shot.
The Big Moment
I vividly remember it. I am in my living room glued to the TV watching the Emmys and rooting for Mad Men and in particular Jon Hamm (Don Draper, anyone?) to win the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
Me: “Come on, Jon, come on!”
Julianna Marguiles: “…and the Emmy goes to… Damian Lewis!”
Me: “Who the hell is Damian Lewis?”
Damian Lewis comes to stage, receives his award and makes a fun speech.
“Well, Manon and Gulliver, daddy just won an Emma.”
source: abc.com
As I find out about Damian himself at the Emmy Awards, I find out that he is “one of those pesky Brits” there as well. The fun fact is that many viewers that already knew and loved him as Dick Winters in Band of Brothers and Charlie Crews in Life had no clue that Damian was British until they heard his acceptance speech.
A Telegraph article reports about the surprise:
“When Damian Lewis was named best actor at the Emmy Awards for his role in Homeland, he wore an expression of surprised delight.
For American audiences watching at home, the surprise was even greater. It turns out that many viewers had no idea until they heard his acceptance speech that the man playing US Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody was British.
“Wait … the guy from Homeland is British?” was typical of hundreds of comments on Twitter, as the actor began giving his thanks.
“Who knew Brody from Homeland was British? I guess he really does deserve the Emmy,” said one, while another fan joked: “Hearing Damian Lewis speak with a British accent is like being told Santa Claus isn’t real.”
😀
Interviews
Minutes after receiving the award, Damian Lewis is in the press room answering questions. And as he talks to Access Hollywood Damian is joined by his co-star Claire Danes who has also just received her Emmy and paid a wonderful tribute to her co-star in her acceptance speech:
“He did the magnificent trick of taking a villain and making them someone so human.”
And Damian and Claire are beyond hilarious together especially when they talk about Claire’s pregnancy!
Damian: “They keep asking me about your baby. Like I know anything about it.”
Claire: “You know as much as I do.”
Damian: “Yes. No! I don’t! That’s the wrong answer!”
It’s just so delightful to see how he can be cheeky and fun. Everybody can’t pull this guy’s playful side.
The After-Party
Well, Damian hits the parties with two beautiful ladies: “Emma” and Helen! Well done!
Fast Forward to 2023. A few days afterDamian released his debut album Mission Creep in June 2023, I gave him a bottle of champagne with the album name and release date inscribed on the bottle. I chose a vintage champagne, a 2012 to be precise, so I could celebrate not only the release of the album but also the year Damian entered my life 🙂 Thank you, Damian!
