The Emmys 2024: What You Didn’t See on TV

The Emmys 2024 put on a pretty good show for the TV-viewing audience at home—but if you were there in the room, of course, you caught so much more. After the Emmy winners were done giving their speeches and the crowd made their way to the after-parties, VF’s Natalie Jarvey and Joy Press were on hand to watch it all unfold. And in the pressroom backstage, Kara Warner caught Niecy Nash-Betts and Quinta Brunson reflecting on their emotional acceptance speeches, and Sir Elton John receiving a very joyful FaceTime. Catch up on all the details below.

Anthony Anderson’s Mom Works HardThe star of the night was undoubtedly Doris Bowman, host Anthony Anderson’s mom. She greeted attendees in the theater with a video detailing the proceedings for the show: telling people how to get to the stage, that they only have 45 seconds, and that only one person can speak. As audiences did see, she even stayed true to her word and would signal to winners to wrap up their speeches. Thanks to Doris, the show ended on time and very successfully—and in the process, Fox also reminded America that Anderson and his mom are the hosts of its new singing competition series, We Are Family.

Meanwhile, in the Lobby…We spotted Harrison Ford waiting in line for concessions (and getting asked for selfies in the process), and Henry Winkler listening raptly to RuPaul’s acceptance speech. Near the end of the broadcast, Meghann Fahy and Leo Woodall waited in line for last-minute refreshments before the vendors shut down for the night. Commercial breaks were the best opportunity to snag a snack or a drink; as Joy put it during one break, “Watching celebs rush up the aisles in gowns and tuxes to the Price Is Right theme song during a commercial break might be my favorite moment of the night.”

Niecy Nash-Betts Takes a Moment for HerselfHer acceptance speech for her role in Dahmer: Monster—The Jeffrey Dahmer Story was already one of the highlights of the night, but backstage in the press room Nash-Betts went even further in explaining why one of the people she thanked in her speech was herself. “I was known for a long time in this town as a comedic actress only, and I really wanted to be able to prove to my peers and my industry that I got some other tricks up these beautiful sleeves,” the former Reno 911! star said. “I’m the only one who knows what it costs me. I’m the only one who knows how many nights I cry because I couldn’t be seen for a certain type of role. I’m the one who knows what it’s like to go through divorce on camera and still have to pull up and show out, and you still got to go home, and you have children and a whole life. And so I’m proud of myself. I’m proud that I did something that people said I could not do because I believed in me. And sometimes people don’t believe in themselves, and I hope my speech was a delicious invitation for people to do just that.”

Ayo Edebiri makes it a Family AffairIn the press room after her big win, The Bear star talked about the fun of having her parents with her in attendance. “My parents are here, they’re not in the cheap seats – they are not next to me, I was next to Carson Daly, he’s holding my stuff. I think Carson Daly still has my stuff. They’re in the row behind me, a little to my right.” She was also asked about her viral commentary on Letterboxed and if she has heard from any of the people in the films and TV shows she reviews: “I’m a comedian, anything I say online I think I should say to someone’s face. I have a Letterboxed because I love this industry – movies, TV, I know how hard it is to make something. My dad also has a Letterboxed, he’s poppin around, he’s networking right now.”

Bella Ramsey and Ariana DeBose Bury the HatchetAriana DeBose’s reaction to Bella Ramsey’s presentation at the Critics Choice Awards was a major viral moment of the Sunday night ceremony, but 24 hours later, DeBose didn’t seem to be holding a grudge. She and the Last of Us nominee were spotted hugging in the aisles at the Emmys. If Ramsey wanted to blame the writers for writing the odd crack about DeBose’s singing ability, they had the sense to keep it to themselves. 

Elton John FaceTimes InElton John wasn’t present when his special, Farewell From Dodger Stadium, won for best live variety special—meaning he was officially an EGOT winner. He was at home in the UK recovering from knee surgery, but the team behind the special thought it was worth waking him up. “We FaceTimed him—we woke him up in the middle of the night in the UK,” said David Furnish, an executive producer on the series who also happens to be John’s husband. And how did Elton react? “He screamed out loud, was really happy, incredibly honored.”

Quinta Brunson’s Emotional EveningBackstage in the pressroom, best-actress-in-a-comedy winner Quinta Brunson was asked about her emotional acceptance speech. “I was just surprised in general,” Brunson said about her speech, which came shortly after host Anthony Anderson’s opening tribute to classic TV shows. “I’ve been emotional the whole night. Honestly, as soon as they started playing The Facts of Life, I was emotional. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’ve gotten to meet so many comedic heroes of mine tonight.” She went on to name several nominees in her category, including Rachel Brosnahan, Christina Applegate, and Natasha Lyonne, as well as her Abbott Elementary costars.

Paul Walter Hauser Explains His Onstage Chewing and Rapping“I had the good fortune of getting to take home a trophy for this performance at the Critic’s Choice and Golden Globes and I had done the regular thank you speech so I thought ‘I’m just going to have fun,’” Hauser told reporters in the press room after his win. “I love writing lyrics, I actually do rap music under the name Signet Ringer, it’s on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Music, I have an EP with like six tracks. I enjoy rapping.” Hauser was also asked why he appeared to be still chewing when he arrived on stage, which was also part of his Emmys plan: “Me and my manager and agent, we love mangoes, so that was a thing where my agent at CAA Ryan Luchie(sp?) came up and handed me a bag of dried mango as a good luck charm and I was like, ‘I’m going to eat this whether I win or not, on camera.’”

Kieran Culkin Comes Clean about Putting His Wife on BlastIn the press room the Succession star shared the backstory behind his public declaration for wanting more kids: “I’ve been asking for a while and my wife Jazz said, ‘Maybe if you win the Emmy.’ And I didn’t bring it up for months. And then when I won the Globe, I said, ‘You remember what you said?’ And she was like, ‘What? No, what did I say? I don’t remember this.’ I told her and it all came back to her. So then she spent the whole week being nervous and instead of just talking to her in private, like a human, I just blasted her on stage, which was very rude. That’s it. That’s the whole story.” Culkin added that the baby, should they have another, will NOT be named Roman or Emmy or Shiv.

A Shoes-Optional Governor’s GalaMoments after the Emmys ended, Jenna Ortega walked into the gala next door, shoes in hand, and made a beeline to congratulate newly minted Emmy winner Paul Walter Hauser. Later in the night, after Netflix’s Bela Bajaria was seen hugging Beef winner Steven Yeun, Hauser could be spotted holding his shoes too as he posed barefoot for a photo with his wife.

The Bear and the BeefAt the Walt Disney Company party, where The Bear’s stars were surrounded by well wishers from the moment they arrived until they left, servers were passing around themed food items and apps, one of the most popular being trays piled with beef sandwiches inspired by the multi-award-winning show.

Partying OnThe celebrations carried on late into the night, as winners and losers alike made their way to after-parties. Succession and White Lotus stars swarmed the HBO exclusive event at San Vicente Bungalows, where Este Haim DJ’d. Netflix’s soiree at Downtown LA’s Ristorante Per L’Ora was Beef central, while at Disney’s event, the gang from Fleishman Is in Trouble—including Claire Danes, Lizzy Caplan, Adam Brody, and creator Taffy Brodesser-Akner—held down one corner of the room. The Bear’s three Emmy-winning stars Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach mingled their way through the crowded event, as did Tom Hiddleston, Quinta Brunson, Diego Luna, and Jimmy Kimmel.

Listen to Vanity Fair’s Little Gold Men podcast now.