Murray Bartlett Wins First Emmy For 'The White Lotus' Role

Murray Bartlett has taken home the trophy!

The White Lotus star won the Emmy tonight for Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for playing resort manager Armond.

He beat out his White Lotus costars Jake Lacy and Steven Zahn in the category, as well as Dopesick actors Will Poulter, Peter Sarsgaard, and Michael Stuhlbarg, and Pam & Tommy’s Seth Rogen.

Bartlett had previously won the Critic’s Choice Award for the role, and was nominated for the SAG Award.

In his speech, he thanked The White Lotus’ bisexual creator Mike White for “giving me one of the best experiences of my life.” He also thanked the rest of the cast, and his family and friends, specifically shouting out his “P-Town family” and his partner Matt for “being my sanctuary.”

In the end, he thanked his mother for giving him a foundation of unconditional love and inspiring him.

One of Armond’s most talked-about scenes was when he was caught eating his employee Dillon’s (Lukas Gage) ass. According to Bartlett, the scene was improvised.

“It was written that something sexual was happening between us, and it was shocking to Shane and Belinda. [Writer and director Mike White] didn’t want us to do anything that we weren’t comfortable with, but we were sort of left open as to what the scene would actually be,” he explained. “Lukas and I came up with some different ideas and we both really liked that one because it’s unusual and very shocking. When we suggested it to Mike, he looked at us with terror and glee at the same time and said, ‘Can we do that?’ And then we did it!”

And that is how you win an Emmy!

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