CBB Member Frederick E.O. Toye became part of TV history last Sunday when he won an Emmy for Best Director of Drama Series for his work on Shogun. The FX hit series swept the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards last Sunday (September 15th) with a record-setting 18 awards.
In his remarks, Toye thanked influences including the legendary Japanese director Akira Kurosawa.
Not only does the show’s sweep of the Emmy awards represent a big win for FX (and parent company Disney), but it’s a significant moment for Asian representation and non-English language TV. Shogun is the very first majority non-English-language series to win in the outstanding drama series category (Netflix’s Korean sensation Squid Game was nominated in 2022 but lost to HBO’s Succession), and stars Hiroyuki Sanada (also the show’s co-creater and producer) and Anna Sawai are the first Japanese actors ever to win Emmys.
Shogun, which wrapped up its first season this year, is a retelling of the 1975 James Claville novel about the struggle for power in 1600s Japan.
In addition to his work on Shogun, Fred Toye has also directed TV episodes for The Boys, Fallout, The Terminal List, The Walking Dead among other hits.
Here he is making some remarks after the awards:
Below are some snaps that Sandy Toye sent us from the Emmy Awards…
Fred and Sandy Toye with their three daughters, Jayna, Sabrina, and Melody.
The Toye Family with Shogun star Anna Sawai, winner of the best actress Emmy (center).
Fred Toye and Hiroyuki Sanada, who won two Emmys for his work as the star and co-creator/producer of Shogun.
The Toye Family with Shogun star Moeka Hoshi (second from right).