Entertainment

Elisabeth Moss Cheering On Her 'Handmaid's Tale' Co-Star's Super Emotional Speech Is So Freaking Cute

by Lia Beck
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

During the 2017 Emmys, Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale was nominated for 13 awards in a variety of acting and behind the scenes categories. And one star from the show who won an award was Ann Dowd, who gave an emotional Emmys speech upon accepting the statuette for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Aunt Lydia. Her speech was super sweet overall — and she was clearly overcome with emotion because her eyes teared up — but one of the cutest parts of the speech occurred when Dowd gave her Handmaid's Tale co-star Elisabeth Moss a shoutout.

About midway through the speech, the actor said, "Lizzie, you're here in the front row, I think. I love you, doll." At this, the telecast cut to Moss' reaction, and she was clearly overjoyed for her co-star because she beamed up at her and mouthed "I love you" back.

Of course, seeing any co-stars react emotionally to an award win is going to be touching for fans, but, considering the parts these two play opposite each other on The Handmaid's Tale, the shot of Moss in the audience was even more poignant. On the show, Moss stars as June, a handmaid who was kidnapped by the new oppressive government so her sole purpose could become bearing children for the society's elite. Dowd, on the other hand, plays Aunt Lydia, one of the leaders of the handmaids, who uses terrible violence and disturbing psychological tactics to keep them in their place. Basically, you would never see June make this face at Aunt Lydia:

CBS

Upon her name being called as the winner, Dowd looked like she couldn’t believe she was making her way up to the stage. Her speech seemed to be made up on the spot, as she mostly kept calling people things like "lovely" and making sure the names of the people she was thanking were clear. She said in full:

"Hello, everyone. Well, I think this is a dream, you know. I know it's an actor's dream, and I'm deeply grateful to you. I've been acting for a long time and that this should happen now, I don't have the words and so, I thank you. The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood. Thank you, Margaret. Bruce Miller, Warren Littlefield. And Hulu — they're very lovely, Hulu. And MGM. Lizzie, you're here in the front row, I think. I love you, doll. My beautiful cast and all who were nominated. I wouldn't have a career if my manager, Marsha McManus, hadn't been in my life. She gave me a chance when I couldn't put two sentences together and that was many years ago. Gary Gersh is my agent. He's very lovely and smart. I thank you — innovative, you know. My husband is here. I love him so. He’s Larry Arancio. And my children. I have some beautiful children, and their names are Liam, Emily, and Trust, and I love them to pieces. Thank you so very much."

In the video of Dowd's speech below, you can catch Moss' reaction at minute 1:50.

Dowd was up against a strong showing of fellow actors in her category, including one of her Handmaid's Tale co-stars. Her fellow nominees were: Uzo Aduba for Orange Is the New Black, Samira Wiley for The Handmaid’s Tale, Millie Bobby Brown for Stranger Things, Chrissy Metz for This Is Us, and Thandi Newton for Westworld.

Season 2 of The Handmaid's Tale is on the way, which means more Emmys could be in the future for Dowd, her co-stars, and everyone working behind the scenes. The second season is set to premiere in 2018.