Emmys 2012 Best Actor In A Drama Won By Damian Lewis

In a surprise upset, British actor Damian Lewis bagged the best actor trophy at the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards held on September 23, 2012 at the Nokia Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles, California.

Damian Lewis accepting his best actor award (Youtube, ABC)

The award is for his outstanding performance as Nicholas Brody, an American soldier who returns home after spending years in captivity in Iraq and who is suspected of becoming an al-Qaeda agent, in Showtime's terrorism thriller "Homeland."

It is the first time that Lewis was nominated for and won an Emmy. He edged out hot favorites Bryan Cranston of "Breaking Bad" and Jon Hamm of "Mad Men," as well as Steve Buscemi of "Boardwalk Empire," Michael C. Hall of "Dexter," and Hugh Bonneville of "Downton Abbey."

Lewis’s win also broke Cranston’s three-year winning streak in that category.

Apart from Lewis's best actor award, "Homeland" also upstaged the more established dramas in three other categories - Best Actress, Best Drama Series, and Best Writing.