Director Glenn Weiss proposes during Emmys acceptance speech
Forget The Handmaid's Tale, Game of Thrones or The Crown.
The most memorable moment during the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards occurred when a director not very well-known outside of Hollywood circles took to the stage to propose to his girlfriend.
American producer Glenn Weiss – best-known for his work choreographing events like the Academy Awards and Tony Awards – took home the gong for outstanding director during Tuesday's star-studded ceremony.
But it was towards the end of his acceptable speech, when he started to thank his girlfriend, that saw Hollywood A-listers' jaws drop to the floor.
"Do you know why I don't like to call you my girlfriend?" he asked his partner, Jan Svendsen. "Because I want to call you my wife."
The director then whipped out his mother's engagement ring before dropping down onto one knee. Svendesen said yes, with the crowd behind them giving them a standing ovation to celebrate.
Viewers at home also went wild, with numerous people taking to social media to post jokes and memes based on celebrities' shocked expressions.
In particular, the cameras zoomed in on Sherlock actor Benedict Cumberbatch, who looked like he was close to shedding a tear.
The proposal also got numerous mentions throughout the rest of the ceremony, with late-night host John Oliver poking fun at at it while accepting the gong for Outstanding Variety Talk Series.
"I'd like to thank Glenn Weiss' fiancée for saying yes," the comedian said. "This could have been a very different evening. Thank you."
Broede Carmody is an entertainment reporter at Fairfax Media.
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