There was strong competition in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series category at the 2024 Emmy Awards.
Jean-Marie Schneider finally won the prize for Hacking during the ceremony on Sunday, September 15, held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
“Thank you so much,” Smart, 73, said after receiving a standing ovation. “It’s very humbling. I really am. I appreciate it because I just don’t get enough attention.”
Clever — who won her third Emmy for her portrayal of Deborah Vance in Hackingand sixth Emmy overall – earned hearty laughs from the audience when she expressed her exhaustion over her show moving from HBO Max to Max after its second season.
“Just what we needed, another network,” she joked.
Smart competed with Abbott Elementary School‘S Quinta Brunson, The bear‘S Ayo Edebiri, Only murders in the building‘S Selena Gomez, prey‘S Maya RudolphAnd Palm Royale‘S Kristen Wiig in the category.
Before Sunday’s ceremony, Brunson, 34, was the incumbent winner of the award following the January 2023 event, which was postponed due to the writers’ and actors’ union strikes. She was recognized for her portrayal of public school teacher Janine Teagues in the ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary School.
“I love it, Abbott Elementary School so much, and I’m so lucky to be able to live my dream and do comedy,” Brunson gushed during her acceptance speech. “I say it every time, but I just love comedy so much that I’m so lucky to be able to get this.”
Before Brunson’s win, Smart, 73, won the category two years in a row, first in 2021 and then again in 2022. She received the award for her role as stand-up comedian Deborah Vance in the Max series Hacking.
In her 2021 speech, Smart paid tribute to her late husband Richard Gilliland, who died in March of that year after a brief illness.
“I have to remember my late husband, who died six months ago yesterday,” she said at the time. “I wouldn’t be here without him, and without him putting his career on hold so that I could take advantage of all the wonderful opportunities that I had.”
Edebiri, in turn, won her first Emmy in January for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series for her portrayal of chef Sydney Adamu in the Hulu series The bearFor the 2024 awards ceremony, she submitted her performance in the Leading Actress category rather than the Supporting Actress category.
As for this year’s other nominees, Rudolph, 52, had already won six Emmys before Sunday’s ceremony. In addition to their lead actress nominations, Wiig, 51, and Gomez, 32, were nominated for 11 and three other Emmys, respectively.