She has been quietly building a well-respected career over the past two decades.
And on Monday, Kate O’Flynn’s efforts paid off as she picked up the Best Supporting Actress gong at the 2026 Emmys in LA.
It’s a remarkable achievement for the British star, who has gone from being relatively unknown on the showbiz scene to the toast of Hollywood.
While she made reference to having a husband and child in her speech, Kate lives an extremely private life, having come from humble roots and choosing to eschew publicity.
Born in Bury, a small market town in Greater Manchester, Kate was raised by her dentist father and French teacher mother, who was a long-term member of the local Summerseat Players amateur dramatic society.
Inspired by her mother’s love of the arts, Kate attended the youth theatre at the Royal Exchange in Manchester in her teenage years, before going on to train at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, where she developed the craft that would underpin a career spanning theatre, television and film.
Kate O’Flynn’s journey to winning an Emmy: How Widow’s Bay star grew up in Bury and quietly built a respected career over two decades as she scoops top prize at the awards ceremony
The star, 40, won the award for her performance as Patricia in the Apple TV comedy series during the 78th ceremony
She spent time at the school with Phoebe Waller-Bridge, known for her seminal drama Fleabag.
Her first job after leaving Rada was in 2008 in Mike Leigh’s Happy-Go-Lucky as one of the central characters’ sisters, Suzy.
During her time working with Mike, he offered advice that stayed with her throughout her career.
She recalled: ‘The most important thing he said to me was, ‘You’ve got to be in the real world, not just talking about acting and being boring all the time.’
In drama school, you spend three years talking about acting, talking about yourself, navel-gazing, and you have absolutely no perspective when you come out.’
Later that year, her performance in The Children’s Hour with the Royal Exchange Theatre Company won her the 2008 TMA Theatre Award for Best Supporting Performance in a Play.
The Guardian wrote at the time that ‘the one to watch is the outstanding newcomer Kate O’Flynn’.
She went on to star in the comedy drama Kingdom with Stephen Fry and later with Russell Tovey at London’s Royal Court Theatre in Molly Davies’ A Miracle.
In 2011, she played Elizabeth Gough in the TV film The Suspicions of Mr Whicher and as Liz in the comedy Up There, which won the Best Feature Film award at the 2012 British Academy Scotland Awards.
The following year she performed at the National Theatre in its production of Port, with her performance winning her a Critics’ Circle’s Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer.
Kate then returned to the National Theatre for its 2014 production of Shelagh Delaney’s A Taste of Honey.
The following year, she starred in The Children’s Hour with the Royal Exchange Theatre Company won her the 2008 TMA Theatre Award for Best Supporting Performance in a Play
Away from stage, Kate went on to play the co-lead Fiona Lewis in Channel 4’s apocalyptic comedy Everyone Else Burns, starred alongside Olivia Colman and David Thewlis in HBO and Sky’s acclaimed true crime drama Landscapers (pictured), and appeared as DC Dinah Kowalska in Paul Abbott’s police drama No Offence
Upon accepting the role of Jo, the actress was slightly worried that she would end up typecast in native northern roles.
She told The Stage: ‘Obviously I was never going to say no to A Taste of Honey, but I was worried – was I always just going to be playing tough but damaged northern people?
‘But then I got to do The Trial, in which I played six characters, none of whom were northern, so it’s not a worry any more.’
Kate went on to play the co-lead Fiona Lewis in Channel 4’s apocalyptic comedy Everyone Else Burns, starred alongside Olivia Colman and David Thewlis in HBO and Sky’s acclaimed true crime drama Landscapers, and appeared as DC Dinah Kowalska in Paul Abbott’s police drama No Offence.
Film audiences also know her from Bridget Jones’s Baby, in which she played Alice.
Her latest role as Patricia in Widow’s Bay introduced Kate to an even wider international audience.
Despite the hectic schedule, Kate always finds time to travel home.
She told The Great British Life: ‘I do love Lancashire and I love to get back every six weeks or so. I crave open spaces and friendly faces so I have to come back for a fix of Lancashire and walk in the Ribble Valley.
‘I‘ve been in London for a decade but the draw back home is still there.’
Away from work, Kate is good friends with Bridgerton and Wicked star Jonathan Bailey.
In an interview with The Times in 2018, Jonathan called Kate his ‘all-time bezzie’, and even revealed their plans to trek to Everest Base Camp.
They’ve often been pictured supporting one another at the opening nights for their various West End productions over the years, after starring together in the 2009 stage play The House of Special Purpose.
Widow’s Bay came into the Emmys ceremony with 19 total nominations, winning a record-breaking 14 (pictured with co-star Matthew Rhys)
Meanwhile, Kate is extremely private about her personal relationships and hasn’t publicly documented any former flames.
She also doesn’t use or actively maintain personal social media accounts.
But after her Emmys win on Monday, the star used her speech to pay tribute to her loved one, in which she confirmed she was married and had a daughter.
While accepting the award, she said: ‘This is the role of a lifetime.’
Kate thanked ‘my friends and family back home, mum and dad, and the loves of my life, my darling husband and our darling daughter, another sassy broad in the making’.
‘This is for all the Patricia’s out there. See you at Sunset Cocktails to celebrate.’
She and her co-star Matthew Rhys led the British winners at the star-studded ceremony at the Peacock Theatre, with their show going on to win a record-breaking 14 trophies.
Kate was up against co-star Dale Dickey, as well as Hannah Einbinder (Hacks), Janelle James (Abbott Elementary), Michelle Pfeiffer (Margo’s Got Money Troubles), Megan Stalter (Hacks) and Jessica Williams (Shrinking).
Horror-comedy Widow’s Bay follows Mayor Loftis as he tries to revive the economy of his struggling New England island town.
While turning it into a tourist destination, the island’s long-rumoured curse begins to come true, and he and the locals find themselves confronting a series of increasingly bizarre supernatural horrors.
In August, series creator Katie Dippold told Deadline that the writers’ room for Season 2 was already underway.
Emmy Awards 2026 winners
Outstanding Drama Series
The Diplomat
The Gilded Age
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Paradise
The Pitt – WINNER
Pluribus
Slow Horses
Your Friends and Neighbors
Noah Wyle led The Pitt to an Outstanding Drama Series honor
Outstanding Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary
The Bear
Hacks
Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Nobody Wants This
Only Murders in the Building
Shrinking
Widow’s Bay – WINNER
Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
All Her Fault
The Beast in Me
Beef
DTF St Louis – WINNER
Love Story: John F Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age
Chase Infiniti, The Testaments
Keri Russell, The Diplomat
Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus – WINNER
Zendaya, Euphoria
Rhea Seehorrn was recognized for her work in Pluribus
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Sterling K Brown, Paradise
Gary Oldman, Slow Horses
Mark Ruffalo, Task
Rufus Sewell, The Diplomat
Noah Wyle, The Pitt – WINNER
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Taylor Dearden, The Pitt
Fiona Dourif, The Pitt
Allison Janney, The Diplomat – WINNER
Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt
Sepideh Moafi, The Pitt
Julianne Nicholson, Paradise
Karolina Wydra, Pluribus
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Patrick Ball, The Pitt
Billy Crudup, The Morning Show
Shawn Hatosy, The Pitt
Gerran Howell, The Pitt
Jack Lowden, Slow Horses
Tom Pelphrey, Task – WINNER
Carlos-Manuel Vesga, Pluribus
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
Elle Fanning, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback
Jean Smart, Hacks – WINNER
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Wonder Man
Steve Carell, Rooster
Matthew Rhys, Widow’s Bay – WINNER
Jason Segel, Shrinking
Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
Dale Dickey, Widow’s Bay
Matthew Rhys became the first actor to win two leading actor awards in one night
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
Janelle James, Abbott Elementary
Kate O’Flynn, Widow’s Bay – WINNER
Michelle Pfeiffer, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Megan Stalter, Hacks
Jessica Williams, Shrinking
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Colman Domingo, The Four Seasons
Paul W Downs, Hacks
Harrison Ford, Shrinking
Nick Offerman, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Stephen Root, Widow’s Bay – WINNER
Michael Urie, Shrinking
Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Claire Danes, The Beast in Me
Sally Field, Remarkably Bright Creatures – WINNER
Carey Mulligan, Beef
Sarah Pidgeon, Love Story: John F Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette
Sarah Snook, All Her Fault
Sally Field was a surprise winner for Remarkably Bright Creatures
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Riz Ahmed, Bait
Jason Bateman, Black Rabbit
Charlie Hunnam, Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Oscar Isaac, Beef
Matthew Rhys, The Beast in Me – WINNER
Outstanding Reality Competition Program
Dancing With the Stars
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Survivor
Top Chef
The Traitors – WINNER
Outstanding Variety Series
The Daily Show
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert – WINNER
Saturday Night Live
Stephen Colbert earned an Emmy for his now-canceled talk show
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
The Diplomat (Peter Akerman and Debora Cahn for ‘Amagansett’)
The Pitt (Kirsten Pierre-Geyfman & R. Scott Gemmill for ‘1pm’)
The Pitt (Valerie Chu for ’12pm’)
Industry (Mickey Down and Konrad Kay for ‘Dear Henry’)
Pluribus (Vince Gilligan for ‘We Is Us’) – WINNER
Slow Horses (Will Smith for ‘Scars’)
Task (Brad Ingelsby for ‘A Still Small Voice’)
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary (Quinta Brunson for ‘Team Building’)
The Chair Company (Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin for ‘Life goes by too f**king fast, it really does’)
The Comeback (Michael Patrick King and Lisa Kudrow for ‘Valerie Does It All’)
Hacks (Lucia Aniello, Paul W Downs, and Jen Statsky for ‘Hacks’)
Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat (Anthony King for ‘Mergers and Acquisitions’)
Widow’s Bay (Katie Dippold for ‘Welcome to Widow’s Bay’) – WINNER
Katie Dippold had a massive night as she also earned an outstanding writing win
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
The Gilded Age (Salli Richardson-Whitfield for ‘My Mind Is Made Up’)
Paradise (Hanelle M Culpepper for ‘Exodus’)
The Pitt (Noah Wyle for ’12pm’)
Pluribus (Vince Gilligan for ‘We Is Us’)
Slow Horses (Saul Metzstein for ‘Scars’) – WINNER
Task (Salli Richardson-Whitfield for ‘Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a river’)
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary (Randall Einhorn for ‘Ballgame’)
The Bear (Christopher Storer for ‘Bears’)
The Chair Company (Andrew DeYoung for ‘Life goes by too f**king fast, it really does’)
Hacks (Lucia Aniello for ‘Hacks’)
The Ms Pat Show (Mary Lou Belli for Give It Arrest)
Widow’s Bay (Hiro Murai for ‘Welcome to Widow’s Bay’) – WINNER
Widow’s Bay’s Hiro Murai earned Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
