Emmy Awards 2018: Are British actors winning more Hollywood awards?
20 September 2018
British actors went home clutching some of the night's biggest prizes at this year's Emmy Awards. The glamorous celebration of TV talent saw Claire Foy win the best actress in a drama award for her performance as the Queen in The Crown, and Thandie Newton win best supporting actress for Westworld. Matthew Rhys also picked up an award for his role in spy-thriller The Americans. In the past decade, British actors have landed some of the biggest roles in TV and film. And success at this year's Emmy Awards could be seen to confirm they are punching above their weight. British popularity is not new, says Tina McFarling, from the British Film Institute (BFI). "There's a massive demand for British acting talent, there always has been," she says. But is British success at prestigious US award ceremonies actually on the rise? To try to answer that question Reality Check has looked at the Emmys and the Oscars over the past decade. This year's Emmy-winning trio of Foy, Newton and Rhys meant three victories out of 12 in the drama, comedy and mini-series categories for acting. The last time that happened was at the 2011 Emmys, when Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey), Kate Winslet (Mildred Pierce) and British-born Australian Guy Pearce (Mildred Pierce) won awards. In the past decade, 14 British actors have won one of these awards. Maggie Smith has won three times for her role in Downton Abbey, which has won several awards in the period. Sherlock has also been repeatedly nominated - and in 2014 Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman won best and supporting actor in a mini-series. Last year, Riz Ahmed won for The Night Of. Brits have a long history of success at Hollywood's glitziest awards ceremony - the Oscars. British women have won the Academy Award for best actress 15 times, and men best actor 20 times, since 1927, according to the BFI. Meanwhile, the prize for best director has been collected by a Briton 12 times. Impressively, four of those 20 best actor awards have come in the past decade - won by Colin Firth, Daniel Day Lewis (who holds both British and Irish citizenship), Eddie Redmayne and Gary Oldman. And last year, three of the five nominees were British. But only one British women has won the best actress Oscar in the past decade - Kate Winslet for The Reader in 2008 - although there have been seven other nominations, including Judi Dench, Naomi Watts and Sally Hawkins, nominated for 2017 best picture winner The Shape of Water. Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter
Brits have a long history of success at Hollywood's glitziest awards ceremony - the Oscars. British women have won the Academy Award for best actress 15 times, and men best actor 20 times, since 1927, according to the BFI. Meanwhile, the prize for best director has been collected by a Briton 12 times. Impressively, four of those 20 best actor awards have come in the past decade - won by Colin Firth, Daniel Day Lewis (who holds both British and Irish citizenship), Eddie Redmayne and Gary Oldman. And last year, three of the five nominees were British. But only one British women has won the best actress Oscar in the past decade - Kate Winslet for The Reader in 2008 - although there have been seven other nominations, including Judi Dench, Naomi Watts and Sally Hawkins, nominated for 2017 best picture winner The Shape of Water.
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