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Last night, to pretty much no one’s surprise, Elisabeth Moss took home the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama for her work on The Handmaid’s Tale. The win marked the first Emmy for Moss, who was previously nominated six times for playing Peggy Olson on Mad Men. While the evening was certainly a big one for Hulu, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Moss, it was seemingly also a big night for a rather unexpected party – the Church of Scientology.
Moss, who was raised as a Scientologist and generally stays quiet on the subject, seems to escape much of the vitriol and intrigue reserved for high-profile members of the Church like Tom Cruise. Because of her silence, it’s likely that many forget she’s a Scientologist at all, but thanks to Leah Remini, Moss’ name has become more closely associated with the Church over the last few months. Remini’s own Emmy win for Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath implied that Emmy voters may very well have a bone to pick with Moss’ involvement with the notoriously controversial church, but last night proved differently.
The victory claimed by Moss is significant in more ways than one; it’s certainly exciting for Hulu and Moss herself, but it is also perhaps the most prominent award win ever experienced by an active Scientologist. Recently, John Travolta claimed a cast-wide award for his contributions to The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, but this was not an individual acting award for Travolta. In the 1996, Travolta won a Golden Globe for Get Shorty, and has been nominated for a slew of others in addition to his more recent attention to Hairspray. These early accolades, however, occurred during a time before the alleged abuses within the Church were prominently in the zeitgeist.
Cruise, undoubtedly the Church’s most prominent and famous member, has been nominated for three Academy Awards and won three Golden Globe Awards, all for roles he played in the 1990s. Because he doesn’t really ever do any television work, he’s never been nominated for an Emmy, but his lack of recent high-profile wins and nominations may very well speak to his role in the Church or the lack of awards-y films on his resume.
Other known Scientologists like Laura Prepon (Orange is the New Black) have also shared in group victories at proceedings like the SAG Awards, but at the end of the day, Moss does seem to be Scientology’s biggest asset at the moment – and their most likely shot at achieving some kind of social neutrality (or more Hollywood respect). Remini doesn’t seem to plan on stopping her crusade against the Church anytime soon, and as more revelations come to light, Moss’ Emmy victory may soon fade away as more chatter around Scientology’s biggest stars. For now, however, last night’s Emmys remain a definite win for Moss – and a twisted triumph for the controversial Church.
