Additional Coverage:
**Jean Smart Wins Emmy for ‘Hacks’ Amid Stiff Competition**
Jean Smart took home the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series at the 2024 Emmy Awards, held on Sunday, September 15, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Winning for her role in “Hacks,” Smart, 73, expressed her gratitude and humorously noted, “I appreciate this because I just don’t get enough attention.”
This win marks Smart’s third Emmy for her portrayal of Deborah Vance in “Hacks” and her sixth Emmy overall. During her acceptance speech, she joked about the show’s transition from HBO Max to Max after its second season, which garnered a laugh from the audience. “Just what we needed, another network,” she quipped.
Smart faced tough competition from Quinta Brunson (“Abbott Elementary”), Ayo Edebiri (“The Bear”), Selena Gomez (“Only Murders in the Building”), Maya Rudolph (“Loot”), and Kristen Wiig (“Palm Royale”). Brunson, who previously won the award in 2023 for her role in “Abbott Elementary,” praised the opportunity to live her dream of acting in comedy.
Previously, Smart had won this category in 2021 and 2022 for her role in “Hacks.” During her 2021 speech, she paid tribute to her late husband, Richard Gilliland, who passed away earlier that year.
Other notable mentions include Ayo Edebiri, who had previously won her first Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for “The Bear” and submitted her performance in the lead actress category for the 2024 awards. Veteran actress Maya Rudolph had already accumulated six Emmys, while Kristen Wiig and Selena Gomez had 11 and three additional Emmy nominations, respectively, outside of their lead actress nods.