Michaela Coel has finally been given the recognition she deserves for her enthralling HBO series, “I May Destroy You.”
On Sunday night, “I May Destroy You” won the 2021 Emmy for “Outstanding Writing For A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie.”
Coel wrote and starred in the series and made history by becoming the first Black woman to win the award.
“I just wrote a little something for writers, really,” she said while accepting the award.
“Write the tale that scares you. That makes you feel uncertain. That isn’t comfortable. I dare you. In a world that entices us to browse through the lives of others, to help us better determine how we feel about ourselves, and to in turn feel the need to be constantly visible — for visibility these days seems to somehow equate to success. Do not be afraid to disappear. From it, from us, for a while—and see what comes to you in the silence.”
“I May Destroy You,” tells the story of published author Arabella (played by Coel), a carefree, self-confident Londoner whose world turns upside down when her drink is spiked during a chaotic night out with friends. Arabella works hard to put the pieces of that night (and of her life) back together while frantically trying to figure out who she can still trust in her life.
In February, fans were outraged after the Golden Globes snubbed the show. Emmy has righted a massive wrong.
At the time, Coel said she was overwhelmed by the show’s reception.
“I’ve actually cried [in interviews], because it’s quite overwhelming, especially when you’re working so hard that you don’t often reflect and process. We finished postproduction only really two weeks ago, so I’ve just finished working, so I haven’t really yet had time to really process anything,” she said at the time.
