Rami Malek has picked up the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor for his role in "Mr. Robot," paying tribute to the reclusive nerds of the world and proving once and for all that hacking pays.
Taking to the stage at the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards in LA on Sunday night, Malek had the perfect Elliot line to deliver: "Please tell me you're seeing this too."
It was the first Emmy nomination and win for the relative newcomer, who has won praise from the tech world and Hollywood alike for playing the socially-awkward and reclusive hacker-turned-vigilante Elliot Alderson in the acclaimed series "Mr. Robot". It's not the only geek cred Malek boasts -- he's also provided voices for a number of video games including Until Dawn and Halo 2.
There's no doubt that it was the nerds' time to shine at the 2016 Emmys. Before Malek won his award, the kids of "Stranger Things"got their time in the limelight, handing out sandwiches for the crowd. Later, "Game of Thrones" won the award for Most Outstanding Drama series, the show's 38th Emmy.
In accepting his award, Malek paid credit to the creators of Mr. Robot, including "pure visionary" director Sam Esmail and the "absurdly gifted" cast and crew. But most of all, he tipped his hat to the recluses and nerds of the world.
"I play a young man who is, like so many of us, profoundly alienated," he said of his character, who lives with social anxiety disorder and clinical depression in the show. "And the unfortunate thing is I'm not sure how many of us would want to hang out with a guy like Elliot.
"But I want to honour the Elliots, cause there's a little bit of Elliot in all of us."