Emmys 2020: Most Bizarre Moments

The countdown to the 2021 Primetime Emmy Awards is on, and as TV lovers look ahead to a night meant to honor the best TV creators in the business, it’s also time to look back at some of the hilarious moments from last year’s awards show. While the 2020 Emmys saw several history-making moments – Zendaya became the youngest-ever winner in the Lead Actress category and Schitt’s Creek became the first series to win every major comedy award – the ceremony also led to plenty of online buzz thanks to the many bizarre moments that arose as host Jimmy Kimmel took the stage at L.A.’s Staples Center.

Although the Emmys are an annual affair, the 72nd annual Emmy Awards faced some notable challenges, namely the coronavirus pandemic. As the pandemic halted life around the globe, the 2020 Emmys went on, though it’s almost entirely remote structure gave fans a glimpse into the homes of their favorite celebs. Part of the remote structure meant that the awards show relaxed the typical black tie dress code, with a letter sent from producers and Kimmel having read, “f you want to be in formal wear, we’d love that, but equally if you’re in the UK and it’s 3 a.m., perhaps you want to be in designer pajamas and record from your bed!” The more casual attire that some celebs opted for proved to be the least buzzed about topic of the night, as moments like interns in hazmats suits in the background and David Letterman’s odd appearance capturing viewers’ attention.

Keep scrolling to blast back in time to the 2020 Emmy Awards. You can catch the 2021 Emmy Awards when they broadcast live from the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles with Cedric the Entertainer serving as host on Sunday, Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

Jennifer Aniston plays firefighter

Jennifer Aniston was the first presenter on the night, as she was called in to present the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Award. Before she could announce the winner, Kimmel insisted the envelope be completely sanitized. This included burning off the germs with fire. Aniston had to use a fire extinguisher to put out the fire, which took longer than expected.

Ramy Youssef shows what it looks like when you lose an Emmy

During the broadcast, the TV Academy had interns rush to nominees’ homes in a hazmat suit with an award. This means that even if you lost, you got to see the award you were not going to be presented with. Ramy star Ramy Youssef shared a viral tweet showing his Emmy being taken away after he lost Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series.

Jason Bateman crashes ‘Friends’ reunion

Jason Bateman had two bizarre moments during the show. He was in the opening, as the only celebrity physically sitting in the audience during Kimmel’s monologue. He later crashed Jennifer Aniston’s Friends reunion with Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow.

Randall Park and an alpaca (not Al Pacino)

Fresh off the Boat star Randall Park presented an award with the help of an… alpaca? If he read his email a little slower, he would have realized he was not going to present with Al Pacino.

David Letterman’s appearance

David Letterman made a rare public appearance during the Emmys. He tried to hitchhike to the Emmys, but his ride-sharing driver refused to put up with him. Letterman also had some jokes on hand, but they were from 1986.

Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon end 2020 early

This year has been a difficult one for everyone, so Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington decided to end it early themselves. The two stars hosted a New Year’s Eve party together since their Hulu show Little Fires Everywhere was up for several Emmys Sunday night. 

Sterling K. Brown’s ‘acceptance speech’ for ‘This Is Us’

One of the stranger moments came at the very end of the night, when This Is Us actor Sterling K. Brown introduced the Outstanding Drama Series nominees. This Is Us was not nominated, but he played a bit pretending it won the award. In reality, Succession picked up the honor. Brown is beloved for his performances in dramas, but he is not known for comedy skills.