SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS -- To no one’s surprise, Tambor, the star of Amazon’s Transparent, was honored as best lead actor in a comedy for his thoughtful, nuanced portrayal of a man’s late-in-life transition into a woman.
It was the first Emmy for Tambor, who grew up in San Francisco and graduated from San Francisco State, where he studied acting.
“I had a teacher who used to say that when you act, you have to act like your life depends on it,” he said in his acceptance speech. “Now I’ve been given the opportunity to act because peoples’ lives depend on it.”
Tambor, mostly known for playing goofy eccentrics before landing the Transparent role, went on to dedicate the award and his performance to the transgender community. “Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your courage,” he said. “Thank you for your stories. Thank you for your inspiration. Thank you for letting us be part of the change.”
Tambor’s victory marked the first time a streaming site managed to nab an Emmy win in a major category.
Photo: courtesy of Amazon