The 2026 Emmys kicked off with a moment nobody saw coming. Host Mariska Hargitay, the first woman to host the show in fifteen years, recreated Nicole Kidman’s viral 2021 AMC Theaters ad during her opening monologue, complete with the dramatic lighting and music that made the original a meme factory. The twist? Nicole Kidman was in the audience, and she was not about to let it slide.“Mariska, come on. That’s mine. That’s my bit, you can’t do that,”Kidman called out. Hargitay’s response?“Zip it movie lady, it’s TV’s turn tonight.”
The crowd went wild, and the internet followed. Hargitay also poked fun at Tina Fey and Amy Poehler reportedly turning down the hosting gig, and joked that she genuinely doesn’t know how to pronounce the word“finale”because“SVU”has never had one. The night wasn’t all jokes though.“The Pitt”leads the nominations with 25, followed by“Hacks”with 24, and the In Memoriam segment will honor Hayden Panettiere, James Van Der Beek, Catherine O’Hara, Chuck Norris, and Dolly Parton.
So the real question: did Mariska just deliver the best awards show opening of the decade? And is anyone else going to hear“that’s my bit”in their head for the next month? Drop your take in the comments.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.