Move over, Mad Men. There’s a new best drama series in town.
Denying the HBO hit series a record-setting fifth drama Emmy, Homeland — the breakout TV thriller about an American military officer turned terrorist — gave Showtime its first series win ever at Sunday’s 64th Primetime Emmy Awards.
Ahead of its second season kicking off this week, Homeland snagged four statuettes, with Claire Danes and Damian Lewis wining best lead actress and actor in a drama, respectively.
But Homeland‘s big-time Emmy success was no shock to series star Navid Negahban. “I was biting my nails, but I wasn’t surprised,” he told Celebuzz at the awards ceremony, held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. “I had a feeling. Let’s say I was hoping. But deep down you have some kind of feeling. To me, I love everyone. It’s fantastic.”
What did he think of his costars’ wins?Negahban — who plays Al Qaeda’s solitary and slippery leader Abu Nazir in Homeland — was overjoyed to watch as Danes and Lewis accepted their awards. “I was so happy,” he said. “Both well-deserved. I mean, the whole team. My God, that was great.”
The actor — who had a recurring role on 24 — was over the moon about response to the Showtime series. “You know how it feels, you’re working, you’re going through it and then all of a sudden, you sit back and you [realize] people appreciate it,” he explained. “That’s a great feeling. It [is] fantastic.”
And most of all, it’s the viewers’ praise that hits home for Negahban. “The biggest reward we could get is the way the audience is responding to us,” he said. “I appreciate [the Emmys] that they gave us. We have it.”
“But do you know what it means when people tell me, ‘Oh my God, I love the show. I can’t wait for the next episode,’” he continued. “Or, ‘I sat down and watched the whole series in one sitting.’ I’m glad I’ve been part of something beautiful.”
Do you think Homeland deserved to beat Mad Men and Breaking Bad for best drama? Sound off in comments.
