Edie Falco, Jim Parsons win lead comedy acting Emmys

Edie Falco, Jim Parsons win comedy acting Emmys

LOS ANGELES — Edie Falco of “Nurse Jackie” and Jim Parsons of “The Big Bang Theory” were honored Sunday with Emmy Awards for their comedy series lead roles.

Falco’s trophy for her role as a tough but troubled nurse came after her hallmark role as a mob boss’ wife in “The Sopranos,” for which she won three best drama actress Emmys.

“Oh, this is the most ridiculous thing that has ever happened in the history of this awards show. I’m not funny!” Falco said.

Parsons won for his portrayal of a scientist as nerdy as he is brilliant. He ended fellow nominee Alec Baldwin’s two-year winning streak for “30 Rock” and beat out other heavyweights including Tony Shalhoub, nominated for the final season of “Monk” and a three-time winner, and Steve Carell of “The Office.”

“Now I know how much I didn’t think this was going to happen. Some of you apparently voted for me. That was very sweet,” Parsons told the theater audience.

Eric Stonestreet of “Modern Family” and Jane Lynch of “Glee” were honored for their comedy-series supporting roles.

“All I wanted to be was a clown in the circus when I was a kid growing up,” said Stonestreet, who plays a boisterous gay dad and partner. He thanked his parents for their support and promised to send his trophy home with them.

Lynch also thanked her folks along with her wife, Lara Embry. The pair married in Masschusetts in May.

“This is outlandish. … I want to thank my lord and creator, Ryan Murphy, for creating his role,” Lynch said, paying tribute to the “Glee” executive producer.

Host Jimmy Fallon opened the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards on a musical note, performing a song-and-dance number with the cast of “Glee” and a wildly mismatched group of celebrities including Betty White, Jon Hamm, Kate Gosselin and Randy Jackson.

Much of the group ended up on the Nokia Theatre stage to kick off the awards with a high-energy version of “Born to Run,” with Fallon on guitar.

“Tonight we’re going to celebrate your work,” Fallon told the audience. “So let’s have some fun tonight.”

Last year’s host, Neil Patrick Harris, was a presenter Sunday and took the time to rib Fallon.

“I want to thank the (TV) academy for allowing a gay man to host the Emmys two years in a row. Congratulations, Jimmy, you’re doing a good job,” Harris said, smiling.

“Glee,” the hit musical-comedy show about a high school glee club, was a leading nominee, including bids for best comedy series and cast members Matthew Morrison, Lea Michele, Lynch and Chris Colfer.

“Modern Family” was another freshman comedy front-runner, while “30 Rock” was trying for its fourth consecutive best comedy series Emmy and “Mad Men” competed for its third drama series trophy.

Others defending their title included Bryan Cranston of “Breaking Bad” and Glenn Close of “Damages,” who claimed drama series acting honors last year, and, on the comedy side, Toni Collette of “The United States of Tara” and Alec Baldwin of “30 Rock.”

The public had a hand in writing some of Fallon’s material. He planned to bring many celebrity presenters onstage with introductions submitted through Twitter.

Other Emmy contenders included Conan O’Brien’s short-lived “Tonight,” which was nominated as best variety, music or comedy series while the show with Jay Leno back in charge was snubbed. David Letterman’s “Late Show” also missed out on a nod, but 2009 winner “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” was nominated.

The final season of “Lost” competed for best drama series and for acting honors for star Matthew Fox and supporting cast members Terry O’Quinn and Michael Emerson, chosen as best supporting drama actor last year.

HBO came into the ceremony as the kingpin after claiming 17 awards at the Aug. 21 creative arts Emmys, followed by ABC with 15 and Fox with nine. CBS, NBC and PBS each claimed seven.

“The Pacific,” the World War II miniseries produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, was the top nominee and captured a leading seven creative arts awards, which recognize technical and other achievements.

Ratings for the awards have increased importance: The TV academy’s contract is up for renewal with the four major networks that had been airing the show in rotation for eight years, and the academy hopes last year’s 8 percent audience increase is a trend after an all-time low in 2008.

The show’s live nationwide broadcast and scheduling could be factors. The Emmys typically have aired immediately before TV’s mid-September kickoff, but NBC pushed up the awards telecast to avoid a conflict with its Sunday night National Football League games that begin Sept. 12.

But fewer people tend to watch summertime TV, and the 5 p.m. PDT pre-primetime slot for the Emmys on the West Coast also tends to draw a smaller audience.

Online:

wwww.emmys.tv

www.nbc.com