Rhea Seehorn accepts the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Award for "Pluribus" on stage during the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Peacock Theater on September 14, 2026. Trae Patton/NBC via Getty Images Rhea Seehorn took home the award for best lead actress in a drama series for her work in Pluribus at Monday night’s 2026 Emmys.
During her acceptance speak, Seehorn took time to dole out traditional thanks to those like show creator Vince Gilligan and the TV Academy voters. “This is me on a beta blocker. It’s pretty bad,” she joked. “Thank you to the Television Academy so much, and all the members that voted… Thank you, Vince Gilligan for giving me not only the role of a lifetime, but for creating sets where we all get to collaborate, and we are actually made to feel safe to take risks so that we get better as artists.”
Related Stories
TV Mariska Hargitay Recreates Nicole Kidman's AMC Ad in Emmys Monologue: "Zip It, Movie Lady. It's TV's Turn Tonight"
TV Sarah Michelle Gellar Shades Hulu Scrapping 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' Reboot at Emmys
She would also thank “the whole crew, my producers, my writers, the incredible background artists that work on the show, casting” and family. But the most sentimental moment came when she acknowledged her fellow nominees.
“I also just want to say congratulations, and thank you for the performances to my fellow nominees in my category,” she told the L.A. crowd. “All brilliant, brilliant performances. Carrie Russell among them, who sent us a lovely gift and a card, quoting — sadly, we didn’t know that we would lose her so soon — Gloria Steinem, saying, ‘We are linked, not ranked, and I feel that way about all you women.'”
Rhea Seehorn was nominated this year alongside Carrie Coon (HBO Max’s The Gilded Age), Chase Infiniti (Hulu’s The Testaments), Keri Russell (Netflix’s The Diplomat), and Zendaya (HBO Max’s Euphoria). The win marks the first for the actress and the fourth nomination overall, after previously being nominated twice for her supporting role in Better Call Saul and once for Cooper’s Bar.
Produced by Sony Pictures Television in association with Apple, the series is Vince Gilligan’s latest, a mind-bending comedic thriller that scored a total of 18 nominations this year, racking up four wins during the Creative Arts Emmys, including main title music and outstanding sound mixing for a comedy.
The 2026 Emmys were hosted by Mariska Hargitay, a winner in her own right for her work on Law & Order: SVU and up for three awards on Monday night tied to the 2025 documentary My Mom Jayne. She also marked the first female host in 15 years. Produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment, the event was held in the Peacock Theater in downtown L.A., broadcast on NBC and streamed on Peacock.
THR Newsletters
Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day
Subscribe Sign Up
