There are certain nights you dream about long before you know exactly how you are going to get there.
For me, the 78th Annual Emmy Awards streamed live on NBC were one of those nights.
I drove nearly five hours from Palo Alto to Los Angeles two nights before the ceremony, and what started as a work trip quickly turned into one of those experiences I know I will be thinking about for a very long time.
I wasn’t just there for the red carpet. I wanted to experience Emmy Week — the events, the people, the conversations, the energy and the behind-the-scenes world surrounding one of television’s biggest nights.
And I wanted to see what I could learn from being in the room.
Emmy Week in Los Angeles: Saturday
Before the ceremony, I made my way through several Emmy Week events and gifting suites that sent me VIP invitations, including The McCord List in Manhattan Beach where I was gifted a bottle of wine I got to dip in red wax from Joe the Wine Maker along with a case of mocktails by Revelre.
For the evening party hosted by WME at Avra seafood restaurant in Beverly Hills I changed into this Tweed Pleated Mini Dress and a Netflix pre-Emmy party at Sunset Tower.
WME had a thoughtful take-home activation, including a personalized engraved lighter, key clip and engraved mirror, but what really stood out was the photo booth. It felt more like walking onto an actual production set than a typical event photo booth.
One of my favorite things about these events was seeing just how many different people make the entertainment industry work. Producers, writers, publicists, executives, actors, stylists, photographers, brand teams and creators were all moving through the same spaces.
I had conversations with producers, writers and publicists, as well as executives connected to some of the biggest television companies and shows. I even spoke with a producer from Netflix’s The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
It reminded me that what we see on television is only the very front-facing part of an enormous ecosystem of people working together behind the scenes.
That became one of the biggest themes of the entire weekend for me.
Sunday: BAFTA Tea Party at The Maybourne Beverly Hills.
The BAFTA TV Tea Party presented by Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic was sponsored by Maison Perrier. North America’s annual TV Tea Party drew nominees and past winners to the hotel terrace, while fans, as usual, huddled outside hoping to catch a glimpse of the action.
Inside we ordered drinks alongside Riz Ahmed, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Jessica Williams while we hung out near Michael Urie, Rufus Sewell, Sarah Pidgeon, Christopher McDonald and Elaine Hendrix over canapés and cocktails.
Then Apple TV and. WB at BOA steakhouse
Getting Ready for the Emmys: Monday
On Emmy night, I got into a black car and headed to the Peacock Theater in downtown L.A.
For the ceremony, I wore a strapless wrap style tunic set from ASTR THE LABEL, paired with a burgundy vintage Chanel bag and matching shoes. I added my two-tone diamond-encrusted Rolex, and my beauty prep was all about keeping everything polished but still feeling like me.
My skin was prepped by REMEDĒ, my hair was done by Marissa at Social Salon in Palo Alto and I got my tan from Bree at Glow San Carlos. I used to work as a celebrity makeup artist so I wanted to do my own and kept it simple with a red lip from Crunchi and lashes from Lashify.
I also loved that the dress felt special without feeling like I was trying to dress like someone else. It was feminine, polished and a little unexpected — exactly what I wanted for the night.
The Blue Carpet
Once I arrived at the Peacock Theater, the energy changed immediately.
I was on the blue carpet and suddenly I was seeing people I had spent years watching on television and following through their careers.
I saw Zendaya, Elle Fanning, Selena Gomez, Kristen Bell, Lance Bass, Timothy Simons, Sarah Michelle Gellar, LL COOL J, Nicole Kidman, Jon Hamm and members of The Bear all walking to their seats.
And then I walked into the theater.
That was the moment it really hit me that I wasn’t watching the Emmys from home anymore. I was sitting inside the actual ceremony.
I was seated across from Ayo Edebiri, who looked incredible in Chanel. Harrison Ford was at the table over from us. I chatted with Martin Short, who was nominated that night, and I saw Nicole Kidman at a nearby table with several women I recognized.
Then Jason Segel said hello and remembered me from the Apple TV+ party the night before.
And speaking of the night before, I had also met Michael J. Fox in an elevator.
I don’t think you could write a more surreal sequence of events.
Watching the Winners From Inside the Room
Inside, champagne was flowing, popcorn was on the tables and Emmy statuettes started piling up as the night went on.
But honestly, one of my favorite parts of the evening was watching the winners celebrate these incredible moments in the room.
Seeing The Pitt (my favorite new show!) take home Outstanding Drama Series for the second consecutive year was a huge moment. I was also thrilled to see Noah Wyle win Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for the show.
Then there was Rhea Seehorn, who won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Pluribus, followed by Vince Gilligan taking home Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for Pluribus.
The Television Academy’s official recap confirmed that The Pitt and Pluribus each finished the telecast with two wins, with The Pitt taking the night’s top drama prize. (Television Academy)
Seeing these wins happen in the room, surrounded by the people who actually created these shows, felt completely different from watching the results at home.
There were incredible presenters, performances and tributes throughout the evening, including a beautiful tribute to Dolly Parton featuring Reba McEntire performing “Appalachian Memories.”
And Mariska Hargitay was such a fun host. The ceremony was held at the Peacock Theater and broadcast live on NBC, with the ceremony streaming on Peacock.
The Michael J. Fox Moment
One of the most emotional moments for me was seeing Michael J. Fox receive the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award.
Remember, I had met him in an elevator the night before.
There is something about seeing a person in a completely ordinary moment and then watching them be honored on a stage like that the next night that makes the whole experience feel strangely full-circle.
What stayed with me wasn’t just the award. It was his commitment to philanthropy and giving back.
I’ve always believed that success is much more meaningful when you can use it to help other people, and watching someone who has built such an extraordinary legacy continue to focus on giving back was incredibly inspiring to me.
It made me think about what I want my own version of success to look like.
And Then I Ended Up on Television
At one point during the ceremony, I went to get something from the concession area.
When I came back, Mariska Hargitay was introducing the Charlie’s Angels celebration.
And somehow, I ended up sitting in the background of the shot to her left.
So yes — I came home from the Emmys with photos, videos, memories and apparently a little television cameo.
I also got to hold an actual Emmy.
That was pretty surreal.
What Happened After the Ceremony
After the ceremony came the Governors Ball and then the Disney after-party.
I brushed shoulders. with Jimmy Kimmel all night who was there with his wife, (who was wearing a stunning sequined gown), and the entire room was buzzing with people celebrating their wins.
One of the coolest details was the winners’ circle of Emmy statuettes. The awards had bracelets and charms attached so winners could identify their statuettes before they were engraved.
It was one of those behind-the-scenes details you would never think about when watching the ceremony from your couch.
Everywhere I went, the level of production, styling and attention to detail was incredible.
But honestly, something else stood out even more. People were nice.
What I Really Took Away From the Emmys
Everyone was dressed beautifully. Everyone was styled. Everyone was accomplished.
But what I noticed most was how many people were genuinely happy for each other.
People were smiling. Saying hello. Congratulating one another. Celebrating each other’s wins.
And then I listened to the acceptance speeches.
Again and again, people thanked their families, friends, producers, writers, directors, agents, teams and supporters.
Not one person got up there and acted like they had done it completely alone.
That really stayed with me.
One of my favorite stories from the night was hearing about an actress who sent flowers to another actress who had been nominated alongside her, with a message essentially saying that they were not a consolation prize — they were both great.
That is the kind of energy I want more of in my life.
Not competition for the sake of competition.
Community. People who want to see each other win. People who are ambitious but still generous.
People who understand that there is room for more than one person to succeed.
I Didn’t Grow Up With This World Around Me
I think part of why this experience affected me so much is because I didn’t grow up with access to this world.
I didn’t have a built-in network of successful people.
There wasn’t a roadmap showing me how to get into these rooms or how to build relationships with people operating at this level.
I have had to figure a lot of that out myself.
And the truth is, I don’t want to be an actress or a movie star.
I want to learn.
I want to be around people who are exceptional at what they do. I want to ask questions. I want to understand how they built what they built. I want to create meaningful media around the people and companies doing interesting things. That’s why I started the world’s first clean beauty podcast over 8 years ago.
And I want to continue to use my own platform to contribute something valuable to the world.
That is what Clean Living Magazine was for me.
It isn’t just about covering an event.
It’s about creating a reason to be in the room, having something meaningful to say once I’m there, and building relationships that continue long after the event ends.
LL COOL J Said Something That Stayed With Me
On the blue carpet, LL COOL J was asked about his hidden talent.
His answer was essentially that his hidden talent was consistently achieving his dreams.
That really hit me.
Because I have a lot of dreams that I have manifested into reality including my dream husband, dream child, dream home (I live in Tim Cooks past home), dream neighborhood.. I can go on and on.
Some of the future dreams are bigger than what I can even articulate right now.
I began writing a book about manifesting and achieving your dreams — not in a cliché way, but about what happens when you follow your instincts, stay curious, keep showing up and put yourself in proximity to people and experiences that expand what you believe is possible.
The Emmys reminded me that sometimes you have to enter a room before you feel completely ready for the room.
You have to introduce yourself. You have to ask. You have to create something worth sharing. You have to keep showing up.
And then one day, you look around and realize you’re sitting across from Ayo Edebiri, Harrison Ford is at the table next to you, Jason Segel remembers you from the night before, you’re holding an Emmy and you’re watching some of the biggest names in television celebrate their wins.
What’s Next
I don’t want this to be a one-time experience.
My goal is to cover the Emmys in a much bigger capacity next year — potentially interviewing talent on the red carpet, covering backstage, creating more editorial and social content from inside the experience and finding meaningful ways to bring value to the television companies, talent and audiences I’m covering.
I want to create coverage people actually want to share.
I want to build relationships with the publicists, producers, executives and talent teams who make these events happen.
And yes, I want to continue expanding into other major awards shows, premieres and entertainment events.
The Emmys showed me that there is a place for someone like me in this world — not because I have a traditional entertainment-industry background, but because I am curious, I pay attention, I genuinely appreciate people and I know how to tell a story.
I’m leaving Los Angeles with a lot of gratitude.
And a lot of new ideas.
Most importantly, I’m leaving with an even clearer understanding of the kind of people I want around me and the kind of success I want to build: ambitious, generous, collaborative, creative and rooted in community.
I have a lot more dreams.
And I think I’m just getting started.
78th Emmy Awards Recap — Television Academy
Official website of Cassandra McClure