emmys 2018

Ryan Murphy Finally Feels Like He’s ‘In the Club’ After His Versace Emmy Win

Ryan Murphy. Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

At the Emmys Monday night, Ryan Murphy won his second award for directing, and like Sally Field winning her second Oscar, he’s thrilled that the Television Academy likes him right now. “It’s always such an honor to be nominated but I’ve never felt embraced by that peer group — which is obviously all about me and not about them,” Murphy told Vulture at the Fox/FX Emmy party after his win for directing Versace: American Crime Story. “I’ve lost that category five times in a row. I won for Glee but I never felt like I belonged in the club.” He continued, “I always felt I was an outsider but if you look at tonight and you look at Versace and RuPaul and Drag Race and Queer Eye, I feel like the business is much more embracing of all types of people than they were when I was coming up. So I was very moved.” But is this a club he wants to belong to? “Yes, because I feel like everyone I was nominated against is a true artist — David Lynch — and I looked at the directors in all the other categories and I watched all the shows and they’re all great talents. I’m so honored. I was so so shocked — I just can’t even believe that I won.”

In addition to a win for directing a limited series, American Crime Story also won Outstanding Limited Series, and an acting Emmy for its lead Darren Criss. “I would never have done that project without Darren and I offered him that project before we even had a script,” Murphy said. “I’ve been with him a lot since 2009 and I’ve seen his evolution as an artist and a man and I thought he put himself through a lot to play that part … It’s hard for a young male actor to win that category because they usually reward veterans and people who have been around the block, so the fact that the Academy saw him and what he was capable of — it was like my child had won.”

Ryan Murphy Feels Like He’s ‘In the Club’ After Emmy Win