‘The Bear’ fame Liza Colón-Zayas won the award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series at the 2024 Emmys, making her the first Latina actress to win in this category. She earned the award for her role as Tina in the hit FX series The Bear.
She was nominated alongside Meryl Streep for ‘Only Murders in the Building,’ Sheryl Lee Ralph and Janelle James for ‘Abbott Elementary,’ Carol Burnett for ‘Palm Royale,’ and Hannah Einbinder for ‘Hacks.’
As she took to the stage, she delivered a heartfelt speech thanking her husband David Zayas, who encouraged her to prepare a speech, even though she hadn’t expected to win. The Emmy award was presented to her by It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia stars Kaitlin Olson and Rob McElhenney. She expressed her overwhelming feelings about being nominated and beating the cutthroat competition, which included acting legends like Meryl Streep, Carol Burnett, Janelle James, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Hannah Einbinder, among other admired nominees.
Colón-Zayas, who won for her role as Tina on The Bear, acknowledged the cast of the FX comedy, saying, “Thank you for giving me new life with this show.” In her speech, Colón-Zayas gave special mention to Latinas: “Keep believing in yourselves, and make use of your voting rights,” she urged. “Vote for your rights,” she exclaimed, waving her hand with a high level of passion.
Colón-Zayas played the determined and tough Tina in The Bear, a show set in the intense world of the restaurant business. She earned high praise for her performance in the episode ‘Napkins’ from the third season, which revealed her backstory and how she first joined the sandwich shop.
This is the first Emmy nomination and win for Colón-Zayas. In an interview before the event, she talked about how huge the recognition felt, calling it “epic” not just for her, but for women and others who look like her.
The Bear had an impressive night at the 2024 Emmys, as co-stars Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Jeremy Allen White also walked away with acting awards, and creator Christopher Storer took home Best Directing in a Comedy. Altogether, the show won four awards, setting a record with 11 wins in one season and beating last year’s tally of 10. Co-hosted by Eugene and Dan Levy, the live Emmy Awards from the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles celebrated a night of outstanding performances and historic milestones during the 76th Emmy Awards.