Cristin Milioti won her first Emmy on Sunday night for lead limited series actress for her role as Sofia Gigante in HBO’s The Penguin, then briefly lost the trophy after taking a tumble while arriving at an afterparty.
Milioti, 40, was named the winner at the Emmys ceremony at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, beating nominees including Michelle Williams, Rashida Jones, Meghann Fahy and Cate Blanchett. She was escorted to the stage by Penguin co-star Colin Farrell and made an emotional acceptance speech in which she said, "It's very hard to make sense of being alive right now in this world, so I'm deeply grateful for the bright spots," and later thanked her family for "supporting your strange kid."
Hours after the ceremony, Milioti attended a star-studded afterparty at the home of influencer Vas J Morgan. Photographs and accounts from the event show the actress had changed out of her red gown into a black mini dress and leather jacket when she tripped at the door, sending the Emmy onto the pavement. A friend and the venue doorman helped her to her feet and retrieved the trophy. Milioti appeared uninjured and was later photographed holding the award inside the party and dancing with guests.
Inside the event she posed for pictures with other winners, including Noah Wyle, and socialized with colleagues such as Abbott Elementary actor Chris Perfetti. Earlier in the evening her name was greeted with surprise and applause at the ceremony, marking the first Emmy nomination and first Emmy win of her career.
Milioti began her career in theater and won a Tony Award in 2012 for her portrayal of Girl in the Broadway musical Once. She later found television recognition portraying Tracy McConnell, known as the Mother, on How I Met Your Mother, and has appeared in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street and episodes of Black Mirror. Her work on The Penguin has also earned her a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination and a Critics’ Choice Award win.
Her acceptance remarks at the Emmys reflected on the work behind the series and the experience of inhabiting a complex character. "Making this show with our incredible cast and crew, and getting to inhabit this woman was a bright spot for me," she said. Those comments, coupled with her visible composure after the afterparty fall, closed a night that combined professional recognition with a moment of levity as Milioti celebrated among peers.
The Emmy ceremony continues to draw attention for both winners and the gatherings that follow, where winners and nominees often mark the night with private celebrations. Milioti’s victory adds a major television award to a career that spans stage and screen, and the brief mishap outside the afterparty did not prevent her from enjoying the evening with colleagues and friends.