• me and my emmy

Me and My Emmy: Oz Rodriguez

The director reflects on formative career milestones on his way to Emmy.

EMMY TALLY: One

HOW HE GOT THE GOLD: As coexecutive producer of Creating Saturday Night Live, which won Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series in 2019.

NOW FOR THE NOMS: Rodriguez was nominated for the same series in 2017 and 2018.

GUIDING LIGHT: “I keep my Emmy statuette on a shelf in my office. It’s still a bit surreal to have won one. When the light is hitting it just right, it draws my eye, and I must take a second to reflect on what it stands for.”

THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM: “I did not think that [winning an Emmy] was an attainable dream. I grew up in the Dominican Republic, a galaxy far, far away from the Television Academy.”

TRIPPY EXPERIENCE: “That year [we won], Saturday Night Live had a lot of nominations. Being at the event with friends from the show made everything less overwhelming. When they announced that we won, my main concern was making it to the stage. I was wearing shoes I don’t normally wear, and I kept thinking to myself, ‘Don’t trip!’”

CREDIT CHECK: “We won our Emmy for a short documentary series about the many departments that help bring SNL to live television every week — the amazing artists in hair and makeup, production design and the control room. All Emmy winners. It was a pleasure to showcase the best in the business.”