Jason Sudeikis lassoes his first career Emmy win

Jason Sudeikis lassoes his first career Emmy win

Jason Sudeikis just scored the first Emmy win of his career.

At Sunday's ceremony, the Ted Lasso co-creator and star (and EW cover subject) took home the trophy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

"Heck of a year," said a non-hoodie-wearing Sudeikis during his acceptance speech. "I would say this show is about family, this show is about mentors and teachers, this show is about teammates. And I wouldn't be here without those three." Among the people Sudeikis proceeded to thank were his parents, sisters, children, and the not-in-his-seat-at-the-moment Lorne Michaels, "who went to go take a dump now, perfect," joked Sudeikis of his former boss at Saturday Night Live. "He's going to get home; he's going to watch it. He loves watching the Emmys at home. It's fine, it's fine. Which home is the big question?"

Sudeikis then acknowledged his current teammates, saying of his Lasso costars, "I'm only as good as you guys make me look, and so really it means the world to me to be up here and just be a mirror of what you guys give to me and we reflect back and forth on each other."

Emmy Awards
Emmy Awards

Cliff Lipson/CBS via Getty Images Jason Sudeikis at the 2021 Emmys

Sudeikis had never been nominated for an Emmy before scoring four nominations this year for the multiple hats he wears on Apple TV+'s heartwarming series. Earlier in the night, Sudeikis, who was up for two separate episodes, came up short in the Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series category. He and the rest of the Lasso team are also up for the yet-to-be-announced Outstanding Comedy Series (Brett Goldstein and Hannah Waddingham swept the supporting comedy actor categories).

"Gandhi said, 'Be the change you want to see in the world,' and this creates the change you want to see," Sudeikis told EW last year about crafting his warm, bubbly, and ever-optimistic coach. "Create the world where being nice, being uncynical, being egoless, being empathetic, and promoting forgiveness is not something that is weak and happens without consequences. Ted does see the best in people and he really is the best version of myself. He's like me after two beers on an empty stomach on a bright sunny day, just like, 'With all of us together, what can't we do?'"

Sudeikis earned the Lead Actor victory over Black-ish's Anthony Anderson, The Kominsky Method's Michael Douglas, Shameless' William H. Macy, and his former SNL castmate, Kenan's Kenan Thompson (what's up with that, indeed).

Check out the full list of Emmy winners.

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