Naturally, Ms. Moore comes to mind during Emmy season. She collected them the way others acquire rare coins: seven in total (The Mary Tyler Moore Show earned 29 Emmys during its seven-year run). VIOLET GREY unearthed a poignant photo of Ms. Moore after her first best actress win — in 1964 for The Dick Van Dyke Show — and asked her to share her memories.  “I was surprised and thrilled,” she recalled — but not unprepared. She had written a speech, just in case. “At first, tears welled up, and I worried that I wouldn’t remember what to say.” She said in a recent television interview that “it’s no wonder that [when] people … get this symbol of achievement, of success, that they weep … It’s not only a recognition of what you’ve achieved, but it’s hope for the future, too.” The evening was made “even more special,” she says, because “we won in five major categories: best show, writing, directing, Dick, and me.” Their giddiness is apparent from the photo: “It was like walking on air.” 

The award was a sign that she had not only arrived but that her career was “zooming,”  she recalled. Launching a new television series is notoriously hard work, but there were lighter moments, too: “Dick used to like to nap during lunch on set. My cast mates and I used to tiptoe around him. When he woke up we made sure he would see all of our faces in front of him.”