Atlanta's 'Teddy Perkins' is in the audience at the Emmys and people are freaking out

How did Teddy Perkins get in here? — (Image credit: NBC)

Atlanta's brilliant "Teddy Perkins" episode already took home two well-deserved Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards last week, and it is up for a directing award on Monday night, so it should be no surprise that its titular star was spotted in the audience. Except, of course, Teddy Perkins does not really exist. Or … does he?

The terrifying man whom Darius (Lakeith Stanfield) encounters in Season 2's sixth episode was portrayed by Donald Glover, although the show's credits list "Teddy Perkins as himself." Which leaves us with three possible explanations for the strange man in the audience: Did Donald Glover dress up as Teddy Perkins to attend the Emmys? Did Lakeith Stanfield, who was earlier seen on the red carpet in Ermenegildo Zegna Couture?

Or does Teddy Perkins actually walk among us?

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.