As the Gold Derby odds currently stand, it looks like Jean-Marie Schneider (“Hacks”) and Ayo Edebiri (“The Bear”) are in a tight fight for the Best Actress in a Comedy award, and for good reason. Smart is a two-time winner in the category for the first two seasons of “Hacks,” and returns after missing the Emmys last year due to production delays. Edebiri is the reigning winner in the Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy category, and was bumped up this year to compete in the Best Actress category.
If I were Smart, though, I’d feel pretty good about reclaiming my title in this category. Here are five reasons why Jean Smart will win her third Emmy for “Hacks.”
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1. She has proven herself to be a favorite for comedy in the acting industry.
In her decades-long television career, Smart has been nominated for an Emmy a total of 13 times, winning five times. However, she has won all of her awards in comedy, where she remains undefeated. She won two Emmys for Guest Actress in a Comedy Series on “Frasier” (2000 and 2001), one for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series on “Samantha Who?” (2008), and two Best Actress awards for her current role as legendary stand-up comedian Deborah Vance on “Hacks.” This is proof that the acting industry loves Smart for her comedic work above all else, and after all the praise for her performance in Season 3, they’re sure to give her the win again.
2. ““Hacks” had its most acclaimed season yet.
Since its premiere in 2021, “Hacks” has been a big hit with the television academies. Season 1 received 15 nominations, including three major awards: Best Actress for Smart, Best Writing, and Best Director. It almost certainly finished second in the Best Comedy Series category to “Ted Lasso.” For Season 2, the show’s total nominations rose to 17, and Smart was again named Best Actress. After missing the Emmy cycle last year, Season 3 came back with 16 nominations (likely due to the smaller number of guest actors nominated this year) and received its highest critics score on Metacritic. More importantly, “Hacks” returned with nominations in every major category, proving that Emmy voters still love the series! All of this points to a very likely third consecutive win for Smart.
3. She submitted a stunning episode.
Smart chose “Yes, And” as her episode entry. It’s true that episode entries aren’t as important these days since the ribbon voting system was eliminated in 2014. Still, this episode is a pivotal moment for Deborah Vance as she returns to her alma mater to accept an honorary degree, where she is forced to address old problematic comedic moments from her heyday that infuriated several of the campus students. This moment in Vance’s life brings out both a theatrical and emotional side in her, leading to major character development as well as a life-changing offer at the end of the episode. It’s one of the best acting performances Smart has given on the series so far, and this episode will be key to her win on Emmy night.
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4. Most of her competitors cannot compete with her.
Kristin Wiig received her first nomination for Best Comedy Actress this year for “Palm Royale”, but since Wiig and Carol Burnett (Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy) are the only best acting nominations for this series, it looks like the nomination will be the award. Maya Rudolph is a six-time Emmy winner with multiple nominations this year (she already picked up a win on Saturday for “Big Mouth”), including Best Comedy Actress for “Loot.” However, as she is the only nominee for the Apple TV+ series, it is highly unlikely that she will prevail. All good things come in threes for Selena Gomez for “Only Murders in the Building,” but given that she wasn’t nominated for the first two seasons, during which the show received above-average awards in all other major categories, it seems inconceivable that she will emerge as the winner here. Quinta Brunson is the reigning champion in this category for Abbott Elementary, but a large part of her victory last year was probably due to Smart’s absence and not very strong competition. As for Ayo Edebiri, that brings me to my final point.
5. “Last year’s Bear sweep is likely to hurt his chances this year.
If there is one nominee in this race that can compete with Smart, it is last year’s winner of the Comedy Supporting Actress category, Ayo Edebiri. Although Edebiri has moved up to the Lead Actress category, she is not as dominant in Season 2 as she was in Season 1, or as Smart was in “Hacks” overall. And Smart’s role is much more exciting and what actors are usually drawn to. Plus, it is unprecedented for a series to pull off a clear win two seasons in a row in the current voting system. Right now, “The Bear” is the favorite to tie its wins in the Best Comedy Series, Best Comedy Actor (Jeremy Allen White) and Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). Given how well Hacks performed in the acting categories, the acting industry may want to spread the wealth around. When it comes to Best Comedy Actress, they’ll most likely vote for another show they’ve already shown enthusiasm for. All of this paves the way for Smart to win her third Emmy for her role as Deborah Vance.
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