This weekend was full of award ceremony firsts as the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards took place last Sunday. Jimmy Kimmel hosted the first-ever virtual Emmys to millions of viewers online, with a global camera and crew located in 10 different countries and 20 cities. The nominees also streamed privately from their homes, offering many a brief glimpse into the altered way of life for actors and filmmakers alike. And with the absence of red carpet coverage, many celebrities took to social media to share their thoughts about the ongoing event.
The biggest topic of discussion for the night came after Zendaya won Outstanding Lead Actress for her performance in the HBO series “Euphoria”. The actress, aged 24, became the youngest person to win Best Lead Actress in a Drama, usurping the title from actress Jodie Comer who won it the previous year. Many celebrities on Twitter, including Drake and Sarah Paulson, offered praise for her captivating performances and celebrated her historic win. The award came somewhat as a surprise for fans considering competition within that category which included critically-acclaimed performances by Jennifer Aniston in “The Morning Show” and Sandra Oh in “Killing Eve”.
Zendaya’s previous work in Disney Channel’s 2010 sitcom “Shake It Up” and Marvel’s 2017 “Spider-Man: Homecoming” provides a stark contrast to her role in “Euphoria”. Zendaya portrays Rue, who is a highschool drug-addict on the difficult path to recovery. As she struggles in sobriety, she becomes acquainted with many people having similar yet profoundly different stories that intertwine throughout the show. The series is an honest display of teenage drug-abuse and offers a unique exploration of spectrum sexuality. Zendaya’s performance is powerful and heart-wrenching as she tries her best to navigate, making this one of her most ambitious roles to date, and reception of her recent Emmy Award well-deserved.