Phoebe Waller-Bridge beats Julia Louis-Dreyfus for comedy actress Emmy in major upset
 
 
We have our first stunning 2019 Emmys upset.
Fleabag's Phoebe Waller-Bridge just won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in a massive upset over Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Louis-Dreyfus was widely considered to be the race's front-runner, as she had never before lost the award for playing Selina Meyer on HBO's Veep, which concluded its final season earlier this year.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
 
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Had Louis-Dreyfus won for Veep's final season, she would have set the new record for most acting Emmys by a performer in history. She is still tied with Cloris Leachman for most wins. In her acceptance speech, Waller-Bridge, who previously won for writing, expressed as much surprise as prognosticators.
This could indicate that Fleabag itself, which also won a directing Emmy Sunday, could score an upset win over Veep in the night's top comedy category later in the evening. Veep won that prize for its past three seasons.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
- 
 Macbeth: a ‘genuinely scary’ production Macbeth: a ‘genuinely scary’ productionThe Week Recommends Daniel Raggett’s nightmarish modern-day staging is set in a boozer in gangland Glasgow 
- 
 The Mastermind: Josh O’Connor stars in unconventional art heist movie The Mastermind: Josh O’Connor stars in unconventional art heist movieThe Week Recommends Kelly Reichardt cements her status as the ‘queen of slow cinema’ with her latest film 
- 
 The 8 best dark comedies of the 21st century The 8 best dark comedies of the 21st centuryFrom Santa Claus to suicide terrorism, these movies skewered big, taboo subjects 
- 
 Hungary’s Krasznahorkai wins Nobel for literature Hungary’s Krasznahorkai wins Nobel for literatureSpeed Read László Krasznahorkai is the author of acclaimed novels like ‘The Melancholy of Resistance’ and ‘Satantango’ 
- 
 Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91 Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees 
- 
 Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclub Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting 
- 
 Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's ills Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future' 
- 
 Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, Stallone Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees 
- 
 White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's view White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history 
- 
 Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talk Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party 
- 
 CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show' CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year 
