Host Seth Meyers, left, and Alexi Ashe arrive at the 66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Monday, Aug. 25, 2014, in Los Angeles. PHOTO BY JORDAN STRAUSS/INVISION/AP
LOS ANGELES—Host Seth Meyers has arrived at the Emmy Awards ceremony to cheers and well-wishes from fans—and likely a happy sigh from organizers. After all, the party doesn’t begin until the host shows up.
The host of “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and Jesse Tyler Ferguson of “Modern Family” were two early arrivals Monday on the red carpet. Ferguson showed up in a black double-breasted suit to support his show’s attempt to tie “Frasier” as the all-time sitcom champ with five statuettes.
Others spotted include Colin Hanks, nominated for his FX drama “Fargo,” actress Christine Baranski from “The Good Wife,” Kate McKinnon of “Saturday Night Live” and Kate Mulgrew from “Orange Is the New Black.”
“This is my first Emmys in 40 years. The feeling is indisputably a festive one,” said Mulgrew, whose other famous TV part was as Capt. Kathryn Janeway in “Star Trek: Voyager.”
The 66th prime-time Emmys air at 8 p.m. EDT (0100 GMT) on NBC.
Netflix’s first comedy series nominee “Orange Is the New Black” and sophomore drama series contender “House of Cards” could score breakthroughs as the first online shows to capture top Emmy Awards.
Among other potential history-making wins:
— If “The Big Bang Theory” star Jim Parsons is crowned as best comedy actor, it will be his fourth Emmy and put him in league with Kelsey Grammer and Michael J. Fox.
— A victory for “Breaking Bad” star Bryan Cranston would give him a tie with four-time best drama actor champ Dennis Franz.
— Matthew McConaughey, nominated for the drama series “True Detective,” will join an exclusive club if he wins, according to awards historian Tom O’Neil, joining Helen Mirren, Helen Hunt, Liza Minnelli and George C. Scott as the fifth actor to win both an Emmy and Oscar in a single year. In March, McConaughey nabbed the best actor Academy Award for “Dallas Buyers Club.”
— “Scandal” star Kerry Washington would be in a class by herself if she receives the best drama series actress award, becoming the first African-American to conquer the category.
Although the Emmys are about celebrating the best of TV, they also include “in memoriam” tributes to industry members who died in the past year. Among those who will be remembered: Robin Williams, with Billy Crystal honoring his longtime friend and fellow comedian and actor.–Lynn Elber