After six attempts at winning TV’s most prestigious prize, the seventh try was the luckiest for legendary actor Christina Pickles at the 2018 Creative Arts Emmys. Nominated five times for her work in St. Elsewhere and once for Friends, Pickles won her first Emmy – as Outstanding Actress In A Short Form Comedy or Drama Series – for her unforgettable performance as the crotchety but caring former starlet “Biz” Brantley in season 2 of the acclaimed sitcom Break A Hip.
The ceremony took place on September 8th in Los Angeles. Witnessing Pickles’ achievement in person were Break A Hip creator Cameron Watson, writer/producer Steve Cubine, and producer Maggie Biggar. Pickles, who also produces Break A Hip with Watson, Cubine, Biggar and co-star Mason McCulley, recently spoke to Snobby Robot about the exhilarating moment of her first Emmy win.
Christina Pickles (actor, “Biz Brantley”/producer, Break A Hip): Winning the Emmy was very nice, and (it) gave me such a warm feeling. To be honored by my peers and (to be) ‘part of it all’ is very heartwarming and reassuring. I have been nominated a lot, and the actor who wins is the actor who has the best script. It all begins and ends with the words. So, thank you Cameron Watson and Steve Cubine for writing Break A Hip, and (for) giving Biz such wicked and wonderful words. Now it’s my deepest wish that Break A Hip is embraced by a network, cable outlet, or (a) larger platform that gets us!
Watson and Cubine relived the joy of Pickles’ remarkable victory for this recap, praising the veteran thespian while also noting the rich impact that Pickles’ Emmy-winning characterization of “Biz” still makes on Break A Hip and its gifted storytellers. As they plan for the sitcom’s third season, Pickles, Watson and Cubine are all enthusiastic about Break A Hip’s future potential as their beloved star – and series – now celebrate an Emmy Award triumph.
Cameron Watson (director/writer/producer, Break A Hip): I was sitting with Christina when she won the Emmy. When her category came up, she and I grabbed hands and watched all of the nominated performances on the giant screens as they were announced. Then we hear, “and the Emmy goes to…Christina Pickles!” We were both stunned in the moment, I think. I looked at her and said, “you won! You won!” I’ll never forget that moment of the two of us looking at each other in complete awe and shock and joy and excitement.

Christina Pickles celebrates her first Emmy Award win for her depiction of “Biz” Brantley in BREAK A HIP.
Her winning means a great deal to me for many reasons. First, it is a much deserved nod to an actress who has worked a lifetime in the business and is a beloved woman by all in the industry. Her creation of Biz in Break A Hip is a masterwork. Truly. She hits layers and layers of this very complicated woman with such a deft touch. I watch scenes and am still amazed at the complexity of her work.
Finally, as a friend, this means the world to me because Christina and I have been on a very long journey together that started years ago. I am just so proud of her, as Christina, my friend. I have great hope that this Emmy win will help with the visibility of our show and draw the attention and interest of a studio, network or platform that will want to partner with us to take the series to the next level. That would be an amazing next step in the already wonderful journey we are on.
Steve Cubine (writer/producer, Break A Hip): Christina winning the Emmy for Break A Hip was a dream come true. Not only did she deserve it because of her beautifully crafted and funny performance, but it showed the power of our show. We call ourselves ‘the little show that could.’
Made on a shoestring budget, we gathered the most talented people — on-camera and behind the scenes — and were collectively driven by a passion for telling great stories and exploring this beautiful relationship between a young man (Wincy, played by Britt Hennemuth) just starting out his life and this older woman (Pickles) who’s entering her golden years.
It warms my heart that Emmy voters got it. We have all been on this beautiful journey together for a long time and to receive such a wonderful validation is very encouraging. We all believe we have something very special here and (we) are excited to take our show to a broader audience as we continue to tell stories about an underserved group – older people.
Watch seasons 1 and 2 of the Emmy-winning BREAK A HIP at:
www.breakahip.com