The Awesome Way Donald Glover Showed Up To The Emmys
Did you notice an unusual looking fellow in the front row at the 2018 Emmys? Well, that guy you were wondering about was probably actor Donald Glover in disguise.
On Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, Glover arrived at the 2018 Emmy Awards at Los Angeles' Microsoft Theater in costume. Donning facial prosthetics, a black wig, and white makeup, the former Community star appeared in the audience as, well, a creepy white dude — specifically the Atlanta character Teddy Perkins.
And, understandably, people watching the awards show flipped. "Did I just see Donald Glover as Teddy Perkins at the Emmys?!?" one Twitter user asked. Another tweeted out, "Why is nobody talking about the fact that Donald Glover (or someone) showed up to the #Emmys as Teddy Perkins from Atlanta?!"
While it's believed that Glover was behind the Teddy Perkins mask at the Emmys, it hasn't been officially confirmed that it was indeed him. However, considering that Glover didn't walk the red carpet before the big event, it'd seem like a good bet that he was getting ready to make his shocking appearance. Plus, Glover, who goes by the stage name Childish Gambino when releasing and performing his music, was later seen at the Emmys sans costume, so it'd appear that he quickly changed out of the look after the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, for which he'd been nominated, was given to Barry star Bill Hader (via Us Weekly).
Hader, who received a hug from the mysterious Perkins character, wasn't even too sure who was dressed as the man with the mask-like face. "I don't know who that was I hugged but it was the guy from Atlanta, he showed up," Hader later remarked, as reported by Variety.
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Perkins previously appeared in one episode of the second season of Atlanta during a more horror-inspired episode predominantly featuring series regular Lakeith Stanfield. The episode, which was directed by Hiro Murai and had aired in April 2018, has been praised as one of the most innovative episodes of the FX series.
Though the Perkins character was originally left uncredited, it was soon revealed that Glover had portrayed him. Actor Derrick Haywood, who played Perkins' brother Benny Hope in the episode, later told Vulture that he had no idea that Glover was underneath all that makeup when they filmed their scenes together. "I was on set, and the director [Hiro Murai] called 'Teddy' to come over and said, 'Let's see what Teddy thinks.' I'm like, "Okay, who is this Teddy guy and why is his opinion so important?" Because I had never heard of the guy before," he shared. "Later, going through and watching, when I say this guy was in character the whole time on set — it was just amazing the commitment he brought to the character."
Stanfield, who's another possible contender for who could have been dressed as Perkins at the Emmys, also revealed that he was "creeped out the whole time" while filming the "Teddy Perkins" episode, noting that he had no clue that Glover was playing the titular role. "I had no idea what was going on and it was very much a trip," Stanfield told Entertainment Weekly. "The way Darius felt was quite similar to the way I felt — uncomfortable throughout the duration of shooting it." During the June 2018 interview, he added that he still wasn't too sure that Glover played Perkins, as he'd never gotten official confirmation from the Atlanta creator himself.
We imagine the entire filming process was one of the most unusual on-set experiences Haywood and Stanfield have ever had ... and maybe Glover too.
While we're happy for Bill Hader for snagging the Emmy for Outstanding Actor, we can't help but wonder what exactly would have happened had Glover won the award. Would he have given his entire acceptance speech in character, speaking in a high-pitched voice? We'll never know.