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Entertainment | 09/22/2008 9:25 am

Emmy Awards and Glenn Close Prove That 40+ Women Are Winning in the New Hollywood

By The Staff at wowOwow.com
Credit: Getty Images
Despite the youth obsession among many in the entertainment industry, a preponderance of last night’s 2008 Emmy Award statuettes went to actresses representing Hollywood’s surprising new power group: the 40+ woman.  

As wowOwow’s Liz Smith previously reported, women 40+ dominated the pool of Emmy-nominated actresses. And at last night’s ceremony, many of them walked away with the gold in the key performance award categories:

Glenn Close, 61, won for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Patty Hewes in the FX Network’s "Damages." In her acceptance speech, Close took note of the many 40+ female nominees and winners this year by saying, "I think we’re proving complicated, powerful, mature women are sexy, high entertainment and can carry a show. I call us the sisterhood of the TV drama divas."

Dianne Wiest, 60, won for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series as Dr. Gina Toll in HBO’s "In Treatment."

Jean Smart, 57, won for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Regina Newly in the ABC’s "Samantha Who?"

Laura Linney, 44, won for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for her role as Abigail Adams in HBO’s "John Adams."

Dame Eileen Atkins, 74, won for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for her role as Miss Deborah Jenkyns in PBS’s "Cranford."

The only actress under 40 to win a major performance award was Tina Fey, 38, for her role as Liz Lemon in NBC’s "30 Rock."

27 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Rainbow Power
If I could be half the actress Glenn Close is, I would become an actress. At my age, that would be staggering, but one never knows. Look how many times we must “carry the show” in our homelife.
By Rainbow Power on 09/22/2008 9:03 am
Jeannot Kensinger
Long live” the sisterhood of the drama divas”
By Jeannot Kensinger on 09/22/2008 9:51 am
elizabeth cassidy
Tina may only be 38, but she’ll love joining us all in a few years! We’ll keep a light on for her and all the other women who will discover that it all gets even better when you can look forward with confidence because you did so many great things in the past to get us here
By elizabeth cassidy on 09/22/2008 10:30 am
Lorraine Bates
I’d rather be Glenn Close than a Gossip Girl - talk about a woman of substance, intelligence, humor, and looks!
By Lorraine Bates on 09/22/2008 11:00 am
Buh- Bye
Last night’s Emmys were a travesty. Celebrating TV excellence with the worst writing, production and hosting ever had to be a new low. For the very first time in my award show TV watching history I switched off the program mid-show (and unfortunately missed Glen Close and Paul Giamatti’s speech.) It was excruciating to watch. You’d have thunk that the writers’ strike was still on. From Oprah’s dull opening monologue (yawn - would it ever stop! Can’t remember word one of what she said.) to the next even more disastrous segment with five reality hosts standing and delivering a relentless bit informing us they had nothing prepared and had nothing to say… really… we don’t… really… Guess what, we noticed. Finally when we did see some TV actors (at last) their brief little acceptance speeches were cut short. CUT SHORT… so we could listen to more endless badly written or possibly improved bits by the reality hosts. Television has done itself in with reality programming. Audiences have defected to other avenues of entertainment because of the shortsightedness of the networks going for cheapo quickie entertainment. Now, as audiences continue to diminish they think the answer is even more cheaply produced reality programming. You’d think that somewhere in the bowels of the corporate machine there would be one or two bean counters who could put together a graph and demonstrate to the higher ups that audience numbers diminished with the increase of crap TV. It’s no surprise that women over 40 grabbed the statues last night. These performers cut their teeth on the good ole days when quality entertainment had legs. If network executives were paying attention they might come to the realization that they have been programming for the wrong audiences. The youth audience has gone to the net. It’s the 40-80 group who were weaned on the 3 big networks and still have loyalty to them. They should be programming more quality drama and comedies for mature audiences - who btw, still have tons of disposable income and are the target market for the pharmaceuticals. Of course, as long as the 20 somethings are running the networks, it’s a lost cause.
By Buh- Bye on 09/22/2008 11:15 am
Sandbee (FB) 54
You’ve got it right about the reality shows, which of course are not “real” in any way. The networks think they are saving themselves money with those shows but are costing thenselves so much more in the long run.
By Sandbee (FB) 54 on 09/22/2008 12:54 pm
Frannie Em
My Alias I agree. I don’t usually watch, because I don’t really watch the shows. I catch them once in a while, but I have given up a lot of TV. It doesn’t hold me as much as it used to. So, I with you, after the intro, and they pulled Heidi’s clothes off, saw two awards, and then just turned it off. I have to admit, that WOWOWOW is the reason I tuned into it. I knew there was conversation. Later when I saw that John Adams had won so much and Paul Giametti had won for best actor, I was glad I didn’t watch. He was the only reason I didn’t like the series, that and the fact that since they couldn’t include everyone in the story, they would combine characters and they gave one statesman’s words to another, although in history, those two hated each other. So much for History. Paul, the hunched over brooding street fighter, just didn’t capture me. I tried, maybe I will rent the series again and give it another go.
By Frannie Em on 09/22/2008 3:13 pm
Brooklyn Gal
Frannie, I hated the opening and thought Howie was not on script and made it worse. I wanted to see Kyra and Kevin since The Closer is one of my all time favs. I just love her character…”Thank you, Thank you very much” Southern drawl. Did you like Paul Giametti’s in Sideways? I did like his performance as Adams. Watch it again, he will grow on you. Recount was a fabulous film. Just to keep up with that dialogue. West Wing was like that too. Don Rickles was funny because he went off script as did Tommy Smothers. The 60th Anniversary should have been better polished. Instead it was an embarrassment. The new season of Boston Legal is on tonight, and yes I will be watching Dancing.
By Brooklyn Gal on 09/22/2008 5:58 pm
Emcye Edwards
That’s entertainment? Thud. How to explain last night’s television awards? Sure, you could “use the news.” (Ironic, when you think where the news comes from.) But the election, the economy and the wars can only be credited in part for for the cringe-ful travesty that was the Emmy’s. The elephant in THAT room was anti-depressants. Such talent. And not one shimmering moment - no whimsy nor sharp flick of wit. The expectation on contender’s faces as they watched from the audience seemed not for their own glory or recognition - but for an instant of emotional relief. From John Adams or Mr. Warmth to the TV-classics show sets, clips and music, every hopeful moment was derived from the past. Alec Baldwin gravely lauded Tina Fey as this generation’s Elaine May. Tommy Smothers dolefully tried to remind us what it was to be feisty. That opening bit - “we got nothing” - was Harvey Mandel’s furtive, furtive attempt at political satire. Jeff Probst apologized at the close for not listening when Jimmy Kimmel warned them it wasn’t gonna fly. And the big gag of the night was Captain Kirk stripping the SUIT off a good-looking, go-getting, got-it-all Gal. Clearly, the fresh, future-y narrative of Sarah Palin has kicked the industry’s ass, it’s fallen and it can’t get up. Anti-depressants are hardly the answer. Tom Cruise aside: Thank heavens Edith Piaf never took anti-depressants. Or Will Rogers. We don’t stop laughing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop laughing. And singing, story-telling. Without laughing, singing and story-telling, we grow old - inside - and weak. Hah! - Did someone steal Tina’s Fey’s purse from under her seat when she went up to take one of her many awards? By now, her cell phonebook and scribbled script ideas have been smuggled to the GOP or posted on some interWeb. Come on! It’s a plot from Casablanca. The economy is headed toward a distopic scenario straight from Road Warriors. What’s happening in our nation is no laughing matter. But it’s happening because of masterful storytelling. Good old American bogosity. Fiction or fact, the American masses have been soaking up the material. This is a war of minds. But notice, it’s mostly remakes; old plotlines are holding sway. And Hollywood’s “got nothing?” (Ironic, when you think where all this good old American story-telling came from.) It’s pilot season. Enough awfulizing - it’s worse than nothing. Cue the new guy - and no more remakes.
By Emcye Edwards on 09/22/2008 4:49 pm
Step away from the BLOG!
Emcye, How very Preston ‘Sullivan’s Travels’ Struges of you. Didn’t see it, but yes ai think there are a lot of anti-depressants going around. Although something a little more Bastille Day Part Duex would be a more effective way of dealing with the Bush Admin incompetence and criminality.
By Step away from the BLOG! on 09/22/2008 7:45 pm
Buh- Bye
Emyce, looks like Hollywood is indeed “over.” It killed itself. Networks are still feeding off the reality teat and the milk’s gone long sour. Cable is starting to age already. An associate of mine said last week that the reason HBO lost its edge was because they became total star f***ers and wouldn’t look at anything that wasn’t originated by huge names regardless of how fresh it was. Suppose this is why Showtime was able to gain an inroad, picking up the slack and offering fare like Weeds and Californication. Sounds like you were able to hang in there for the whole nasty show last night. I missed all the “big” awards. Couldn’t withstand the cringe-factor one more second. Staring blankly at the dark ceiling in my bedroom waiting for sleep to take hold was far more riveting. Sorry I missed seeing the end credits tho, to find out who was responsible for the production.
By Buh- Bye on 09/22/2008 8:26 pm
Barbara Cooper
My Alias, You hit the nail on the head dear, this was the worst awards show I have ever seen it stunk to high heaven. I also agree that the good old Network Boys better change their toons or there won’t be anyone at the dance. TV writers where are you? I can’t think of more than 3 shows on TV worth watching and I think they are on Cable.
By Barbara Cooper on 09/25/2008 6:32 pm
Buh- Bye
Barbara don’t blame the writers (except for that Emmy award show writing). Blame the studio and production co. development executives. Writers are throwing their hands up in the air everywhere. They can’t get past the suits, who live in some bizarro-land where sequels are king and people squeezing their bodies through a hole in an advancing styrofoam wall is considered prime time entertainment. Penny-wise, pound-foolish programming.
By Buh- Bye on 09/28/2008 12:23 pm
Vivvy Stewart
I watched about the first 25 minutes, and would rather have been having my boobs squshed in a mammogram machine! Whoever made the decision to have the five reality show hosts on should be forced to run naked down Hollywood Blvd at high noon…no sunscreen on delicate parts. I truly don’t think it could have gotten worse, including Oprah. I did check in occasionally and was fortunate enough to catch Don Rickles with Kathy Griffin and Candace Bergen saying she could present any damn award she wanted! Loved it. Wouldn’t you like to be listening in on the wrap up meetings this morning. If their is justice, some serious ass is being chewed. Mary Tyler Moore, please eat something and wear sleeves next time. Thank you.
By Vivvy Stewart on 09/22/2008 1:38 pm
Buh- Bye
Vivvy, “I watched about the first 25 minutes, and would rather have been having my boobs squshed in a mammogram machine!” ROFL
By Buh- Bye on 09/22/2008 1:59 pm