Emmys 2018: Henry Winkler Wins Emmy for Supporting Comedy Actor

By R. Thomas Umstead
published

Veteran actor Henry Winkler was the surprise Emmy winner in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in A Comedy Series category, the first award presented during NBC’s Emmy Awards telecast.

Winkler, who portrayed Gene Cousineau in HBO’s freshman series Barry, upset last year’s winner Alec Baldwin, who portrayed President Donald Trump on NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Also nominated in the category was Atlanta’s Brian Tyree Henry, Basket’s Louie Anderson, Saturday Night Live’s Kenan Thompson, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s Tony Shalhoub and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’s Titus Burgess.

The Emmy win is the first for Winkler, who had been nominated previously for his role as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli on ABC's 1970's sitcom Happy Days.

Alex Bornstein (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) took home the Emmy for the Outstanding Supporting actress In a Comedy Series, besting Zazie Beetz (Atlanta), Laurie Metcalf (Roseanne) Leslie Jones (Saturday Night Live), Betty Gilpin (GLOW), Aidy Bryant and Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live); and Megan Mullally (Will & Grace) 

R. Thomas Umstead
R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.