LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Julia Louis-Dreyfus picked up outstanding lead actress in a comedy series at the Emmy Awards on Monday - and got more than she bargained for.

The Veep star, resplendent in a red dress that has already gained widespread popularity on the Twitter world after her striking appearance on the red carpet, engaged in a full-on kiss on the lips with Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston as she went up to fetch her statuette.

Cranston, up for best lead actor in a drama at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, sat down and wiped his lips with his fingers after the apparent re-enactment of their kiss during a joint appearance on long-running series Seinfeld. "Um, yeah he was on Seinfeld," the flustered actress said when she got to the microphone. Cranston had portrayed a dentist on Seinfeld from 1994 to 1997.

The four to five-second kiss drew loud applause - and a Twitter frenzy, where Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Veep were soon trending.

It was Louis-Dreyfus' third consecutive Emmy in the political comedy.

Jim Parsons was named best lead actor in a comedy series for his portrayal of a brilliant scientist on The Big Bang Theory.