Winners Tell What Differences, if Any, That Emmy Has Made in Their Lives

Edward James Olmos said it brought “a lot of joy.” Gary Frank said it “didn’t change my life at all.”

Roxanna Zal said a lot of jobs followed. Isabel Sanford said no additional work materialized.

Winning an Emmy Award is a wonderful honor, past recipients agree, but its impact on the lives and careers of performers varies dramatically.

Several dozen previous winners were honored at a reception last week by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Here’s what some of them had to say about what the Emmy has meant to them.

Roxanna Zal (“Something About Amelia,” 1984): “When I won, I was in shock. My knees were wobbling. I couldn’t remember my speech. It was a big change at first. A lot of good jobs came in after that, and later down the line, it made me well-respected in my work. Now it’s on my dresser in my room, so it’s something special to me, but it doesn’t lead my life or anything. I look back at it every once in a while. It makes me feel happy.”

Gary Frank (“Family,” 1977): “Gosh, that was 11 years ago. Didn’t change my life at all. Made it worse as a matter of fact. I haven’t worked in 11 years. When I look back on it, I have very fond memories about the time that brought me the Emmy. That’s what I hold on to. The Emmy itself has been packed away for the last year somewhere.”

James Woods (“Promise,” 1987): “It gave us a reason to build a mantel over our fireplace, I can tell you that. I think because of the particular performance for which I got it, I think it helped dispel a lot of stereotypical thinking about my work.”

Gail Fisher (“Mannix,” 1970): “It was a very exciting experience and I felt quite honored, of course. No more money and no more parts, unfortunately.”

Edward James Olmos (“Miami Vice,” 1985): “It has brought a lot of joy. I think it grows with dignity sitting on your shelf. Being the highest acclamation this industry can give you, it’s really a humbling thing. I didn’t think I was going to get it, and, when I did, I had no feelings at all. What a great thank you from the Academy.”

John Ritter (“Three’s Company,” 1984): “It made me realize that I must be closer to my higher power and not worship a graven image. (He laughed.) I really feel that it still hasn’t changed my feeling of enjoying comedy and drama. Actually it’s really fun . . . it’s really a kick to be nominated by actors. That makes me real happy.”

Robert Cummings (“Twelve Angry Men,” 1954): “I haven’t thought of that. I guess it did change my life because I was doing comedy shows and I did a drama. . . . I was so amazed that I won the award for the best actor in a single performance. After that I was offered more shows that were dramas. . . . I (had done) a lot (of dramatic acting) before, but people didn’t know it.”

Mike Stokey (first Emmy recipient; “Pantomime Quiz Time,” 1948): “Being presented the Emmy gave me an honor that can never be taken away. I felt great and I still do. At the time, the beautiful thing was that they said with great ceremony, ‘Here is the first Emmy,’ and I read (the inscription) and it said, “Most popular television show, Mike Stokey, ‘Pantomine Quiz’--they misspelled the name of the show. They got red-faced and said, ‘My God, give it back to us,’ and I said, ‘Never.’ And I never did. And I never will.”

Robert Guillaume (“Soap,” 1979; “Benson,” 1985): “I’ve got two of them, and I’m not sure if it has made any difference. When I got it I was making a lot of money and since I’ve had it I haven’t had any more parts, I don’t think. It was quite an honor to get them. I think I’m the only person who’s gotten (Emmys) for both supporting and main principal actor for the same role.”

John Larroquette (“Night Court,” 1985, 1986 and 1987): “They meant my peers have turned to me and said, ‘Not a bad job, Bub,’ and they haven’t really changed my life at all except now I have three more things to move at the moment whenever I change houses.”

Albert Paulsen (“One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich,” 1964): “It raised my salary quite a bit, but that was some years ago. It meant a lot. It meant at the time I won my Emmy (that) it was more of a singular effort because there was no series connected with it. In other words, you had to be an individual performer in a particular show and it was difficult to get one, so it was more honorific at the time, I felt. Now it’s all connected with the series and the soap operas and things, so it’s still nice but it’s all more controlled. . . . It’s not the same anymore.”

Bonnie Bartlett (“St. Elsewhere,” 1986 and 1987): “It was a delightful surprise. It didn’t change my life at all. It was a great tribute, that’s all.”

Isabel Sanford (“The Jeffersons,” 1981): “It made me famous. It hasn’t gotten me more work, though--I’m out of work at the moment. It hasn’t done me any good, but I’m very happy and proud that I won it.”

Roscoe Lee Browne (“Barney Miller,” 1976; “The Cosby Show,” 1986): “It’s done nothing measurable or particular. I got the same amount of offers to work; they came just as regularly and just as irregularly as they did before. It’s nice to have one. I thought it was a nice thing and what a pleasure it was to win it for the show for which I won--’The Cosby Show’--because it’s first class. It’s like the Mets: It’s the best theater in town.”

George Gobel (“The George Gobel Show,” 1954): “There was so much going on at that time and it was my first year in television. I was getting awards from everybody and some were more important than others. Then the Emmy came along and it was frosting on the cake. I wasn’t stunned by it. I thought it was going to last forever. Later on you begin to realize how important these things are. You see them on the piano and people come over and say, ‘Wow, can I hold it?’ But I don’t take credit for it. It just happened.”