Stephen Root, who won the Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for playing Wyck on Apple TV's "Widow's Bay," said his top request for the show's second season is more backstory for its characters.
Root shared the wish in an exclusive interview with E! News backstage at the Emmys on September 14. He could not reveal any plot details for the upcoming season, but he was clear about what he wants to see.
"I asked for more backstory," he said. "I love having more information about the characters. Mine included, but everybody's."
Root Wants Wyck's Turn From Skeptic to Hero Explained
"Widow's Bay" was created by Katie Dippold and centers on the residents of a superstitious, secret-filled town. Root's character, Wyck, spends much of the series' start delivering foreboding rants about a curse on the island that other characters dismiss as drunken nonsense. It turns out he was right about nearly all of it.
"It's like, how do we get to the place where the town drunk says, 'That's enough, I'm gonna help people,'" Root said. "So, I want to know how that came about earlier on."
Root, an alum of the HBO series "Barry," said viewers often question Wyck's reliability early in the show before coming around on him.
"I've had people come up and say exactly the same thing," he explained. "'What kind of guy is this? I don't know if I want, oh, he actually is trying to do good for the people of the island. He means well. He does listen.'"
A 'Get Out' Homage for Season Two?
"Widow's Bay," which also stars fellow Emmy winners Matthew Rhys and Kate O'Flynn, has drawn on classic horror influences throughout its run. Asked which scary movie the show should tip its hat to next, Root had one idea.
"I did a little film called Get Out, heard of it?" the 74-year-old joked. "Maybe something like that."
Widow's Bay Swept the Comedy Categories
Root's win came as part of a big night for "Widow's Bay" at the 2026 Emmys. Rhys took home outstanding lead actor in a comedy series, O'Flynn won outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series, and guest star Betty Gilpin won outstanding guest actress in a comedy series. Dippold won outstanding writing for a comedy series, and the show itself was named outstanding comedy series, beating out "Abbott Elementary," "The Bear," "Hacks" and "Nobody Wants This," among others.
Root said the scale of the show's recognition left him briefly speechless when he took the stage.
"The show has been recognized amazingly, last week and this week and right now," he said. "When I got up on stage, it was an out of body experience. So, I forgot everything I was going to say."
He added that the slip did not bother him. "It's okay," he said, "because I get to hug all those people and enjoy them tonight."
Other Big Winners at the 2026 Emmys
The comedy sweep for "Widow's Bay" came on a night that also saw "The Pitt" win outstanding drama series, with its star Noah Wyle taking outstanding lead actor in a drama series and Rhea Seehorn of "Pluribus" winning outstanding lead actress in a drama series. "DTF St. Louis" took outstanding limited or anthology series, and "The Traitors" won outstanding reality competition program.
