Jean Smart Jokes About Emmys Win: ‘I Need More Attention’

Jean Smart had an unforgettable night at the Emmys on September 15, 2024! The “Hacks” star won the award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series. Starting her speech with, “Thank you. Thank you so, so much. It’s very humbling, it really is,” Smart then joked, “I appreciate this because I just don’t get enough attention,” causing the audience to laugh. She was up against other nominees like Ayo Edebiri, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Quinta Brunson, and Selena Gomez.

Jean Smart Biography

Jean Smart won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role on Hacks in both 2021 and 2022. In total, she has won six Emmys out of 13 nominations.

Smart, who plays comedian Deborah Vance on Hacks, shared that when she first read the script, she felt it was perfect for her next role. She wanted to make sure real comedians would believe she could play one convincingly, and she thinks she succeeded.

Edebiri has earned her second Emmy nomination for playing chef Sydney Adamu on “The Bear,” a role she won an Emmy for last year. Besides acting, she also directed an episode of the show’s third season.

Other Nominees

At the 2024 Met Gala, she told Vogue she enjoys directing because it lets her see both sides of the camera. She’s thrilled to work with the “The Bear” cast in new ways and finds it exciting to see their talents from a different perspective.

In “Palm Royale,” Wiig plays Maxine Simmons, who wants to join the high society of Palm Beach in 1969, alongside Carol Burnett.

At the show’s premiere in Los Angeles in March, Wiig, 51, told PEOPLE that Carol Burnett has become a close friend. “We have dinner together, talk, and text a lot. She’s really funny,” Wiig said. “We did press together yesterday, and she had everyone laughing.”

Maya Rudolph, 52, plays Molly Wells, a wealthy philanthropist, on the Apple TV+ show Loot. In a chat with Deadline, she explained why she was excited about the role.

It’s a mix of being silly and having heart, which are my two favorite things. I feel lucky to get to balance both in this role, even though they don’t always go together.”

Brunson plays Janine Teagues, a school teacher, in the ABC series she created, writes for, and executive produces. The 34-year-old actress shared that season 3 lets her show a new side of Janine.

She joked with The Hollywood Reporter that Janine spent the summer watching YouTube tutorials, learning makeup tricks, and getting a style update with her friend Erika.

Brunson emphasized that while Janine has evolved from earlier seasons, her past self was still important and beautiful. It’s all about growth, not criticizing the past.

Gomez, 32, got her first Emmy nomination this year for playing Mabel Mora on Only Murders in the Building. She gives credit to the show’s writers for keeping the stories exciting and surprising. But every time the writers share the storyline with me, they show how each character will develop, and I’ve seen my character grow a lot.”

Catch all the action from the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards live on ABC from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

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