Renowned actor, writer, producer and director Michael Urie attended the 77th Emmys on Sept. 14 and left with a viral moment, representative of true uplifting support and positivity. An attitude that is becoming a rare necessity.
This year marked Urie’s second time at the Emmys, but with one major difference: he was there as a nominee. Recognized for his performance as Brian in Apple TV+’s hit comedy Shrinking, Urie was up for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy. His fellow nominees included co-star Harrison Ford, Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear), Ike Barinholtz (The Studio, which dominated the night with 13 wins), and three other queer actors: Bowen Yang (SNL), Colman Domingo (The Four Seasons), and Jeff Hiller (Somebody Somewhere).
Hiller ended up taking home the golden statuette for his role of Joel on the HBO’s Somebody Somewhere. The win was especially meaningful, as the show had just wrapped its third and final season in December. For Urie, the moment was both surprising and gratifying, “I think a lot of people saw this as the surprise nomination,” he reflected. “I remember thinking, ‘I would love it if Jeff Hiller wins.’ It’s the kind of performance you don’t see often.”
As Hiller appeared stunned by the announcement, Urie, Yang, and Domingo lit up, cheering, clapping, and jumping in delight. Their five-second celebration was quickly clipped and shared on X, where it racked up over 4.4 million views. Urie’s candid explanation of his reaction only added to the charm, “I was rooting for Harrison or one of the gays, if I’m being honest,” he laughed. “I couldn’t help my happiness, it was so easy to just jump up and be thrilled for him. It really felt like a win for all of us.”
The warmth wasn’t lost on Hiller, who later thanked the group in an Instagram post: “I was so moved that the other queer actors in the category would be so sweet and supportive.”
Urie explained his own thought process going into the awards ceremony and the expectations for his nomination, “It’s a competition, so there is a level of stress. I didn’t go into it expecting to win, or even really hoping,” he said. “Just to be in the room and have your name called as a nomination is a win.”
When compared to the 2007 awards, Urie said it was more of a reunion, rather than a party. Urie was 25 when he attended the awards with the cast of Ugly Betty and explained that he was just happy to be there at that point. Now, he sees it a little differently, “Going to the Emmy’s is cool but it is part of the job,” he said. “If you get nominated that’s amazing, but it’s just one facet of show business and there are lots of amazing actors who don’t go.”
Far from slowing down, Urie is keeping busy on the opposite coast. He’s wrapping up his role in Cole Escola’s Broadway dark comedy Oh, Mary!, where he plays Mary Todd Lincoln’s schoolteacher, while simultaneously rehearsing for his upcoming Off-Broadway turn in Richard II, opening Oct. 28.
