The 65th Primetime Emmy Awards are underway, with Game of Thrones, Behind the Candelabra and American Horror Story leading the way with the most nominations.
Neil Patrick Harris, star of How I Met Your Mother, returned as host of the annual awards show honoring TV's biggest names. Elton John is set to make his Emmy debut, while Carrie Underwood will perform a rendition spotlighting the year 1963. The telecast also features a special In Memoriam segment, with tributes to James Gandolfini, Glee's Cory Monteith, Gary David Goldberg, Jean Stapleton and Jonathan Winters.
Here are what the winners had to say backstage after their wins:
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory, lead actor in a comedy series: "I think that is the key in most mediums, but with TV, writing is the lynchpin of what works and what doesn't -- a the quality of the writing and the commitment of the writers to keep the show fresh for seven year," the Big Bang Theory star said backstage. "It's been nothing but a pleasure. It's never been a harrowing challenge. The whole cast is here, which is phenomenal, that's the joy of having the show nominated because it changes the size of the celebration. And after parties are an afterthought to me. I prefer to read in bed, because I'm 100."
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep, lead actress in a comedy series: The Veep star snagged her latest Emmy for her portrayal of Selina Meyer on the HBO comedy, telling reporters that the victory "means a ton," noting that she's "lost many more times than I've won ... so it's delicious to win." When asked where she'll put her Emmy statuette, Louis-Dreyfus offered this quip: "I'm going to sleep with it."
Tina Fey, 30 Rock, writing for a comedy series: "It was a labor of love, and thankfully our friends at NBC never tried to change the tone of the show," the 30 Rock creator said of a possible reunion five or 10 years down the line. "It's so lovely that anybody remembered us. We went off the air in January. There will be a reunion. It will be an IMAX movie, one-minute long and play in the American Museum of Natural History."
Merritt Wever, Nurse Jackie, supporting actress in a comedy series: The actress, who won her first Emmy for her turn as Zoey in Showtime's Nurse Jackie in two tries and failed to have a speech prepared, was still noticeably flustered backstage. "I wanted to thank a lot of people," Wever said backstage. "I wanted to thank everybody at Showtime. I wanted to thank Edie Falco." Even Wever was shocked to win, admitting: "It was unexpected. I have therapy next week so ..." For the full story, go here.
Tony Hale, Veep, supporting actor in a comedy series: "It's nuts. I've completely left my body. It's so surreal. I'm so thankful to be working, and to have this is completely mind-blowing. My wife has an Emmy for makeup, so I'm just catching up to her."
Gail Mancuso, Modern Family, directing for a comedy series: Mancuso, who won best director for a comedy series for Modern Family, said she learned a lot from TV as a child. "My parents let me watch as much TV as possible, and I drew from a lot of programs," she said backstage, adding that she also learned a lot about comedy from her family. "My father was a really funny guy, and my brothers were really funny. This seemed to be a natural progression."
Tracey Wigfield, 30 Rock, writing for a comedy series: "I'm probably going to get drunk with my parents, who are here. It's going to be a nice finale to an awesome experience."
