John Mulaney at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards. Kevin Winter/Getty Images John Mulaney may have been on hand to just present during Monday night‘s 2026 Emmys, but the comedian‘s bit proved to be one of the most memorable moments from the show.
When taking the stage to present the best actor in a drama series category, Mulaney took the opportunity to touch on why it would be the “best part of the night.“
“This award is for the guys. Just men being men. Finally, something for the fellas,“ he said. “And what a crop of prom kings we have.“
Related Stories
TV Emmy Producers Reveal How They Pulled Off That Taylor Swift Cameo
TV Savannah Guthrie "So Touched" by Allison Janney's Words About Mom Nancy Guthrie at Emmys
Among the drama actor nominees were Noah Wyle (The Pitt), Gary Oldman (Slow Horses), Sterling K. Brown (Paradise), Rufus Sewell (The Diplomat) and Mark Ruffalo (Task).
To touch further on the importance of the category, the comedian reflected on how since the creation of television, men have been historically unrepresented,“ also adding that it would normally be “beauty contests and children talking to hand puppets“ until the early ’60s when “a man walked out and said ‘Enough! My name is Fonzi and the president‘s been shot.“
When speaking further on the nominees in the category who he described as “sweathogs,“ Mulaney said, “Some of the men in this category do method acting and some do regular, less annoying acting. But no matter what, when these fellas hit their mark, they know all their lines. Why? Cause they started looking at their sides earlier that morning.“
Continuing to poke fun, Mulaney said the actors can play anything, “not just doctors. They can play a cop or an FBI agent or a secret agent and then that‘s it! No other examples.“
“I believe it was DJ Khaled who said real men don‘t go down on their wives. But these nominees know that that is BS. They know there‘s often less pressure on them if they do that first,“ he continued referencing quotes Khaled made on New York Power 105.1’s Breakfast Club in 2014. (The Emmys bleeped the moment during the live telecast.)
Mulaney then pointed to a copy of Frank Vincent‘s 2006 book, A Guy’s Guide to Being a Man’s Man, a copy of which he said was from the Glendale Public Library.
He then reads the passage, “A man‘s man can be wearing the best clothes, drinking the finest wine, sitting with the most beautiful woman in Las Vegas. If he doesn‘t treat everyone around him with respect and class, he‘s not a real man‘s man. He‘s just a jabroni in a good suit.“
Mulaney then went on to introduce the category in which Wyle won for the second consecutive year.
Following his bit, many took to social media expressing hopes for Mulaney to emcee one of the award ceremonies. Mulaney has been candid about being offered to host the Oscars before but declined.
The 2026 Emmys aired live on Monday from the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles. Mariska Hargitay hosted. See the red carpet looks here.
THR Newsletters
Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day
Subscribe Sign Up
