Two nominated rivals during this awards season have taken the popular phrase “give them their flowers while they’re alive” to the literal sense.
Shōgun star Anna Sawai, who has been competing against Matlock’s Kathy Bates for best actress in a TV drama at various award shows, exclusively revealed to PEOPLE that she and Bates, 76, each gifted one another something special — and still keep in touch.
“Kathy Bates and I met for the first time at the Emmys, and she sent me flowers when I won and I sent her flowers when she won for the Critics’ Choice [Awards],” Sawai, 32, explains at Vanity Fair and Instagram’s 2025 Vanities Party on Feb. 25. “And we started texting, so I think she’s someone who I can very much rely on if I need any advice.”
Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty
Anna Sawai with her Emmy on Sept. 15, 2024
Related: Patrick Schwarzenegger Shares Video of Tearful Moment He Told His Family He Landed His White Lotus Role: ‘I Started Crying’
Sandwiched between Sawai’s Emmys win in September and Bates’ Critic’s Choice Awards victory on Feb. 7, Sawai won the Golden Globe in January for best performance by a female actor in a television series and thanked the Shōgun team — as well as Bates — in her acceptance speech.
“I have so much people to thank, but I’m gonna keep it short. Thank you to the voters for voting for me even though I would vote for Kathy Bates any day,” she confessed, eliciting laughter from the star-studded audience.
Notably, when Sawai’s name was announced as the winner, Bates was caught on camera jokingly ripping up a piece of paper, presumably a planned acceptance speech that she no longer needed after losing.
With Sawai’s revelation to PEOPLE that Bates sent her flowers after the Emmys, this paper-ripping moment now has an added layer in the grand scheme of this awards season between the two competing actresses.
Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty
Kathy Bates with Antony Starr (left) and Giancarlo Esposito (right) at the 2024 Emmys
Related: Tyler James Williams Reveals What Matters to Him More Than Looks While Dating in His 30s (Exclusive)
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Most recently, at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Feb. 23, Sawai won the outstanding performance by a female actor in a drama series award, beating out Matlock’s Bates, Bridgerton‘s Nicola Coughlan and The Diplomat‘s Allison Janney and Keri Russell in the category.
In FX’s Shōgun, Sawai plays Toda Mariko, the mysterious translator to Lord Yoshii Toranaga (played by Hiroyuki Sanada).
Shōgun season 1 is available to stream on Hulu. People can also watch the 10 episodes if they’re signed up for its affiliate bundles like Disney+.
Read the original article on People
