Jean Smart wins for Hacks

Jean Smart won the award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series at the 2024 Primetime Emmys. The actress, who won her second Emmy for her role as Deborah Vance in the comedy The Max (formerly HBO Max), Hackingjoked about the station’s name change in her acceptance speech during the awards ceremony.

“Thank you so much, this is so humbling, I really appreciate this because I don’t get enough attention,” Smart joked as she accepted the award presented to her by Candice Bergen. “I have so many people to thank, starting with our brilliant showrunners. Jen (Statsky), Paul (W. Downs) and Lucia (Aniello). I will never be able to thank you enough for thinking of me. Casey (Bloys) and everyone at HBO… Max… no, I’m sorry,” she added to a roar of laughter. “Just what we needed, another network.”

In her speech, Smart thanked her long-time agent.

“Tonight I’m going to honor my agent, Scott Henderson, who has worked for me for over 30 years and is now retiring and breaking my heart. The most incredible, supportive, sophisticated, tasteful, funny, kind, loving man who never tried to talk me out of doing things I wasn’t comfortable with. Scott, I love you and wish you all the best. He’s going to ride his bike around France because that’s better than representing me? I don’t know. But thank you. Thank you all,” she added, appearing to hold back tears.

The award for Best Actress in a Comedy is Smart’s sixth Emmy win in 13 career nominations. She previously won the 2022 Emmy for her role as Vance.