Jean Smart wins the award for lead actress in a comedy for “Hacks,” her sixth Emmy overall
Jean Smart won the Emmy for Best Comedy Actress for her portrayal of Las Vegas stand-up legend Deborah Vance in “Hacks.”
This is her third Emmy for her role in the Max comedy, but her sixth overall. She previously won twice for guest actress in “Frasier” and for supporting actress in a comedy for “Samantha Who?”.
“It’s really a great honor and I appreciate it because I just don’t get enough attention,” Smart joked as he accepted the award Sunday night at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
She also thanked “Hacks” showrunners Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky, as well as her agent Scott Henderson, who she worked for for over 30 years and who “is retiring and breaking my heart.”
“Scott, I love you and I wish you all the best. He’s going to ride his bike through France because that’s better than representing me,” she continued in her Deborah Vance-inspired acceptance speech.
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Smart beat out last year’s winner, “The Bear” star Ayo Edebiri, preventing the FX comedy from taking off in the top comedy categories. With production delayed due to the two Hollywood strikes, “Hacks” didn’t compete in 2023, but the show returned to Max in May for a third season, its most critically acclaimed yet. Created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky, the series follows the testy relationship between Deborah Vance, an old-fashioned, Joan Rivers-esque comedian, and Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), the much younger writer who helps Deborah polish her stale act.
In Season 3, Deborah’s career soared as she competed for a coveted job as a late-night host. However, the character was also held accountable for insensitive jokes from her past and her relationship with Ava faced new challenges.
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“Hacks” was a late-career breakthrough for Smart, a veteran actress who first rose to prominence as naive Charlene on the CBS sitcom “Designing Women” and has been nominated for 13 Emmys to date.
“Hacks” was nominated for 17 Emmys this year, including comedy series.
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
