American actor Judith Light’s win of her first Primetime Emmy at the 75th annual Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Saturday night was a turning point in her career, according to People.
She won Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy or Musical for her role in Peacock’s Poker Face.
The category also included Ted Lasso standouts Becky Ann Baker, Sarah Niles and Harriet Walter, as well as Quinta Brunson for her gig hosting Saturday Night Live and Taraji P. Henson for Abbott Elementary.
“What a way to start a new year!” Light exclaimed during her brief acceptance speech.
In addition to thanking her fellow nominees, Light–who won two Daytime Emmys in 1980 and 1981 for outstanding lead actress for her work on the ABC soap opera One Life to Life – praised the creators of Poker Face for creating a memorable character in Irene Smothers, a resident of a retirement home and one half of a duo with S. Epatha Merkerson that had a taste for murder.
“This win is everything. It’s about this Academy, which has acknowledged me in this way,” she told the press afterwards. “I’ve been in the business a long time, so this is quite a gift… For so many areas of my life, it means so many different things.”
This was Light’s fifth Primetime Emmy nomination, having previously been nominated three times for outstanding supporting actress in Transparent, as well as outstanding guest actress in a comedy series in 2007 for Ugly Betty, reported People.