Matthew Rhys has made Emmy history by becoming the first Welsh person to win the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. The 41-year-old actor, who was born in Cardiff, received the honour at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Monday night.
Rhys won for his portrayal of Philip Jennings, a KGB spy living undercover in America during the Cold War, in the FX series The Americans. The show, which concluded its six-season run earlier this year, also earned Rhys a Critics' Choice Television Award and a Television Critics Association Award during its run.
His sister, Rachel Rhys, told BBC Wales: "We're so proud of him. It's been a long time coming and he's worked so hard for this." She added that the family had been following his career since his early days at the Welsh-language youth theatre group Urdd.
Rhys began his career on Welsh television before moving to the United States. He is also known for his roles in Brothers & Sisters and the BBC drama Death Comes to Pemberley. He is currently filming the Mr. Rogers biopic You Are My Friend, in which he plays journalist Tom Junod opposite Tom Hanks.
The Emmy win places Rhys among an elite group of Welsh actors who have achieved international success, including Anthony Hopkins and Michael Sheen. His victory was celebrated across Wales, with First Minister Carwyn Jones offering his congratulations on social media.
