Penn State alumnus Don Roy King on Sunday night brought home an Emmy in Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series for directing “Saturday Night Live”. This is King’s seventh Emmy since becoming director of the iconic show in 2006.
King graduated from Penn State in 1969 with a liberal arts degree and was selected last fall to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest honor alumni can earn from the university.
The victory came against a field of nominated directors that included Derek Waters and Jeremy Konner of “Drunk History,” Andy Fisher of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” Paul Pennolino of “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” and Jim Hoskinson of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”.
According to the Los Angeles Times, King took only one question in the press room following his win.
Why is comedy so important in the current fraught political climate?
“I have been proud of the show…which I think is designed to make people laugh. But this year it felt different, more important, like we were holding people accountable, doing some healing,” he said.
“It felt like we were soothing some frayed nerves, and for that reason it felt even more important…more cutting-edge and valuable.”
King was at the University Park campus in June to be honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award. As part of his visit, he took part in a question and answer session with visiting alumni. Watch the session in full below.
