The 2025 'Emmys' Came Through

The big story of the night is Hannah Einbinder's acceptance speech for Supporting Actress in a Comedy, in which she loudly declared: "Go Birds, fuck ICE, and free Palestine!" The moment was met with thunderous applause from offscreen. Einbinder, after composing herself, walked off stage triumphantly, signaling the same steely dedication that led her to make similar remarks at the Human Rights Campaign Los Angeles Dinner, where she was awarded earlier this year.

In our chat after her Human Rights Campaign speech, Einbinder told me that she felt moved to speak up about Palestine because "It's very personal. There’s nothing more personal. I’m Jewish, I have two transgender siblings, one of my siblings is a park ranger. Everything that is going on in my life is everything that is going on in the world, it hits so close to home. It’s in my living room." Most importantly, she explained that "When I accepted the award, it was because I was going to say this. That’s the reason I chose to accept."

It is incredible to see that bravery return here on the Emmys stage, a bravery came at extreme cost in the ensuing media firestorm it created. See now why we'd name her one of PAPER's coolest people in the room? How lucky are the rest us to see her grow and thrive as an artist. Selfishly, I'd owe Hacks continued success on the awards circuit in part to this same fiery spirit she imbues Ava Daniels with.

Later in the night, in front of the gathered press, she explained herself further: "Our religion and our culture is such an important and long-standing institution that is really separate to this sort of ethnonationalist state."

The night also delivered the very first win for a Black actor in the Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category. Tramell Tillman, the breakout star of Severence, delivered a moving speech about doing the work, showing up and the respect he has for his mother. "Your loving kindness stays with me, and this is for you."

I find it shameful that it took the Television Academy this long to honor a Black actor in the Supporting Actor category, especially considering it was only 10 years ago that Viola Davis became the first Black actress to win Lead Actress in a Drama for her role on How to Get Away With Murder.

As Variety notes, only 13 Black actors have been nominated across 23 separate Emmys since the invention of the Supporting Actor category in 1970. More recent nominees in the category include Giancarlo Esposito, O-T Fagbenle and Michael K. Williams. What makes Tillman's nomination of particular note is that he is not just the first Black actor to take home the award, but the first openly gay Black actor to do so as well.

Elsewhere, Jeff Hiller became the surprise upset of the night in the Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series category, taking the award home for PAPER's favorite show, Somebody, Somewhere. In an interview with PAPER prior to the win, he told us: "I've done a lot of guest star and co-star things, like playing a lot of waiters. When I got it, I read it and I was like, 'Oh, my God. It's all nuanced and smart.' I didn't know you could be not famous and be in something that's good. So I was really excited."

Aside from his crack about being on a show starring "sweaty middle aged people on the same network as the sexy teens of Euphoria," Hiller's win is important for other reasons. Like co-stars Bridget Everett and Murray Hill, he represents a downtown New York City queerness and bravado that feels utterly refreshing amidst the oftentimes stifling artistic rigidity of the Television Academy. His fellow queer and gay actors in the category, like Michael Urie, Colman Domingo and Bowen Yang, all expressed the same surprise and joy at his win.

Check out their reactions below, which to me signal a sense of kinship and shared community we rarely see amongst their cohort.

In his interviews with the press after the win, Hiller told his younger self: "You're going to wait tables at the Olive Garden tonight. Grit and bare your teeth through it. Steal some breadsticks and know that in the future, you'll get a nice object that makes it all worth it." He giggled, adding that "I did work at the Olive Garden — when you're there, you're family."

I've never met Hiller, but I'd like him to know anyway that he's my family now too.

Javier Bardem also made headlines following the carpet when he spoke to Variety about the keffiyah he wore on the carpet and during the ceremony. In an interview with Variety, he said "the world is changed." You can watch his full remarks below.

And so it goes that another season of statuettes and luncheons and galas kicks off in Hollywood. The world burns down around them and still they roll out the carpets, praying that this time maybe the world turns a bit faster — towards a new day, towards the promise that there's something better still to come. A name on a statue won't help, but the people holding them might. Let's be thankful then, if melancholy, that there are still those willing to try.

Image via Getty