In Brief:
- Betty Gilpin, 40, won her first Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for Apple TV's "Widow's Bay."
- She played Sarah Westcott Warren and earned three earlier nominations for Netflix's "GLOW," her 2017 breakout.
- Gilpin made her Broadway debut as Mary Todd Lincoln in "Oh, Mary!", replacing creator Cole Escola for eight weeks.
Betty Gilpin: Betty Gilpin finally has an Emmy. The 40-year-old actor won Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.
It is her first win. She earned it for Apple TV's "Widow's Bay."
Gilpin played Sarah Westcott Warren. The role came in an episode set in 1702. The New Yorker reported the details of her win.
Gilpin has been busy across every stage and screen. Her credits include "GLOW," "Death by Lightning," "The Social Reckoning," and "The Lowdown."
She also made her Broadway debut in "Oh, Mary!"
A Career That Started Early
Acting runs in her family. Her parents are actors Jack Gilpin and Ann McDonough. She graduated from Fordham University in 2008. She began working professionally the same year.
Her big break arrived in 2017. She played Debbie Eagan in Netflix's "GLOW." The role changed her career.
Martin Cid reported that "GLOW" earned her three Emmy nominations. All three were for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Production on the planned final season was halted.
A Memorable Night
Gilpin attended the Creative Arts Emmys with Alison Brie. She called the night a memorable experience.
Her acceptance speech was memorable too. "To be cringe and elitist, which you're free to find fault in / Let's all lean toward Sam Shepard and less toward Sam Altman," she said.
From Screen to Broadway
Gilpin has taken on a wide range of roles. She played Lucretia Garfield in "Death by Lightning." She also played Mary Todd Lincoln in "Oh, Mary!"
In that Broadway show, she stepped in for creator Cole Escola. The run lasted eight weeks.
It marked a major stage milestone after years of screen work.
"'Oh, Mary!' felt like a crazy culmination of everything that I never thought was possible," Gilpin said.
She told BroadwayWorld that she had never performed on Broadway before. She viewed the chance as unexpected.
"I was shocked when that call came in, but it was this amazing fluke," Gilpin said.
Honest Talk About Broadway
Gilpin also spoke candidly about the business side of theater. Broadway faces commercial pressure. Filling seats is a real challenge.
"While I have done my time as, say, wife in a miniseries about the invention of the windshield wiper on a streaming network no one has heard of, my star meter does not always support, like, doing Hamlet at the Lunt-Fontanne," Gilpin said.
What Else She Has Done
Her recent projects span several platforms. They include Netflix's "American Primeval," Starz's "Three Women," and Peacock's "Mrs. Davis."
She is also an author. Her essay collection, "All the Women in My Brain," was published in 2022.
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