Jean Smart Wins Fifth Emmy for Hacks, Ties All-Time Record

Jean Smart won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series on Monday night for the fifth and final season of HBO Max's "Hacks," completing a historic five-for-five sweep for the role. The victory at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards marks Smart's eighth acting Emmy overall, tying her with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Cloris Leachman for the most acting Emmys won by a performer. Smart, 75, defeated fellow nominees Quinta Brunson for "Abbott Elementary," Ayo Edebiri for "The Bear," Elle Fanning for "Margo's Got Money Troubles," and Lisa Kudrow for "The Comeback." She is the first performer in television history to win an Emmy for every season of a series with three or more seasons. "What a ride this has been!" Smart said in her acceptance speech, dedicating the award to "Hacks" creators Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky. She began her remarks by joking, "Just the men stay standing, the girls get to sit down." Smart's win for the role of stand-up comedian Deborah Vance extends her own record as the oldest winner in the Best Comedy Actress category, a mark she first set the previous year at age 73.