The Emmys celebration starts well before the televised ceremony, and this year, that included Celebrating Women of Emmy Season, an event that took place the Thursday prior, honoring every woman nominated this season. Presented by TheWrap, the Geena Davis Institute and the Midlife Collective, the gathering included actresses like Sepideh Moafi (The Pitt), Dale Dickey (Widow’s Bay) and Lauren Weedman (Hacks), writer Brittani Nichols (Abbott Elementary), EP Courtney Storer (The Bear), author and EP Rufi Thorpe (Margo’s Got Money Troubles), and nominated directors Mary Lou Belli, Salli Richardson-Whitfield and Hanelle M. Culpepper, among others.
At the core of the celebration? Uniting nominees to champion and reframe the cultural narrative around women in midlife and beyond. Constance Zimmer, Emmy nominee for Supporting Actress in a Limited Series (Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette), proved to be a real-life exclamation point on that sentiment, with her PSA, “Women in their 50s are fucking badass!” followed by a fully-clothed dive into the rooftop pool.
Days later at the actual ceremony, Zimmer was interviewed on the red carpet by the Hollywood Reporter, and for once, the questions went deeper than Who are you wearing?
The journalist asked, “...you told one of our writers just about the need for more stories for women over 50 in Hollywood. Do you feel hopeful that that will happen?”
Her response?
“I would like to say yes. I have to be hopeful. Look at how many amazing actors are out of work that are over 50 and they’re women. That’s not okay. Like I’m just… I’m a better actor than I am now than I was five years ago. And so if you want to judge anything, judge the fact that I’m bringing it more than I’ve ever brought it. So then you guys need to bring it too.”
Then she was asked if the scripts were coming.
And without hesitation, Zimmer said:
“No. Scripts are not coming. The opportunities are not there. And you know, I just think that has to change… 70% of the female nominees were women over 45. So, we’re doing something right and we need to show those stories.”
Throughout the ceremony, we watched so many of those age 45+ nominees also take home the win. Jean Smart, 75, for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series (Hacks). Allison Janney, 66, for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (The Diplomat). Rhea Seehorn, 54, for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Pluribus). Linda Cardellini, 51, for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited/Anthology Series or Movie (DTF St. Louis). Kate O’Flynn, 40 (okay, a few years shy of 45), for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Widow’s Bay). Not to mention that Katie Dippold, 46, is the creator and now Emmy Award-winner behind Widow’s Bay, which won the most Emmys overall, securing a total of 14 awards and setting a new record for the most wins ever for a single season of a comedy series.
And the entire ceremony was hosted and led by my beloved girl crush Mariska Hargitay, 62. The first woman to do it in fifteen years, in the same week she picked up two Emmys of her own for her documentary, My Mom Jayne.
Shit, even the Emmy ceremony herself turned 78 this year.
All night long, we saw a room full of women who’d been told, at some point in the last two decades, that their most interesting years were behind them.
And all night long, we saw proof positive that this is a load of crap.
But here’s what a good night at the Emmys doesn’t fix: we want more. We NEED more. We HAVE more to give. The industry has not run out of women of a certain age who can carry a show in front of the screen or fuel its success behind the scenes. And one historic ceremony is proof of appetite, not proof of supply.
I’m laser focused on being part of the solution that continues to fill that void. Not only as the co-creator and head writer for a dark comedy scripted series, but as a writer who very intentionally anchored this show with two female leads, both over the age of 40. Not somebody’s mother, girlfriend, wife, or sidekick bestie. Juicy roles with real depth and complexity.
We’re currently shopping the series now, so more when I can say more, but let’s just say I fully intend to be on that Emmy stage for the 80th annual event in 2028 (2027 will of course be when we premiere).
In the meantime, cannonball in, everybody. The water’s warm.
XO,
SG
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