Creative Arts Emmys: Alexis Bledel, Gerald McRaney win big

This past weekend the Creative Arts Emmy Awards took place and it sure was a memorable one. One of the highlights of the event came in both the Outstanding Guest Actor and Actress in a Drama Series categories.

In the Outstanding Guest Actress category it was Alexis Bledel who took home the trophy. This nomination and win was the first for Bledel, making it all the more special for the actress. Bledel is best known for her role as Rory Gilmore in the popular television show, Gilmore Girls, who she returned to play in the same television year (in terms of Emmy eligibility) as her role in The Handmaid’s Tale. In The Handmaid’s Tale, Bledel played Ofglen or Emily (her real name), a lesbian assigned to a house of a commander who is forced to take part in a sexual-ceremony in hopes of bringing more children into the environmentally-ravaged world.

Bledel’s absolutely stunning performance was considered a long shot to win the award because she barely spoke a word, using only her eyes to show her feelings and portray the character. However, this why she won. The performance was the best of career showing that the actress best known for speed-talking and pop culture references can deliver a performance that left critics and audiences speechless.

In the Outstanding Guest Actor category Gerald McRaney took home the win for his performance as Dr. K, aka Dr. Nathan Katowski, in the Emmy-nominated This Is Us. His portrayal of the caring doctor immediately touched the audience and critics. He further won the audience when McRaney’s character shared a moment with Milo Ventimiglia’s Jack. As Jack was dealing with his own loss, so was Dr. K with the loss of his wife. Their friendship was brief but it delivered some of the most powerful scenes of the series.

We were extremely happy to see McRaney win. While the other nominees delivered equally well-deserved performances, McRaney was the most powerful and meaningful. This was McRaney’s first nomination and win for the actor who is no stranger to the industry. It’s been much-deserved for a long time.

We congratulate both Alexis Bledel and Gerald McRaney on their well-deserved wins.

The Emmys Awards continues Sunday, September 17 at the Microsoft Theater and will be aired on CBS.

This story was written by Samantha D’Amico. If you want to follow her on Twitter, you can do so at @SAM_iamXO.