Jean Smart Makes History With Fifth Best-Actress Emmy Win for ‘Hacks’

Deborah Vance is having the last laugh. Hacks star Jean Smart has won at the 2026 Emmys for best actress in a comedy series and made history in the process, becoming the first female performer ever to win TV’s highest honor for every season of a series. Smart has now taken home the trophy for all five seasons of Hacks, which wrapped its run this past spring. She has also tied Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Cloris Leachman for the all-time record of Emmy wins by an actress, with eight, having previously won twice for her guest role in Frasier and once for her supporting turn in Samantha Who? When taking the stage, Smart quipped for all the men to stay standing and women to sit down given they are dealing with Spanks, “shoes that are cutting your toes off“ and having to stand up because she‘s old. In her speech, Smart thanked her reps who she described as “the best in the business“ and her children who are her “anchor.“ She then gave a special thank you to Hacks creators Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky: “It all begins and ends with them… What a ride!“ Smart was thought to face fresh competition from Lisa Kudrow, on her third nomination and first in a decade for a very different HBO final season, in The Comeback. She also beat out returning category nominees Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary), Ayo Edebiri (The Bear) and Elle Fanning (Margo’s Got Money Troubles). Hacks has been an Emmy darling going back to its very first season, when in addition to Smart, the HBO Max comedy, which explored the relationship between a legendary Vegas comic (Smart) and her young new writer (Hannah Einbinder), took home awards for both writing and directing. Its Emmy run peaked in season three, when Hacks pulled off a stunning upset for best comedy over returning champ The Bear. For its fifth and final season, the show has been locked in a tight Emmys 2026 race with breakout freshman Widow’s Bay. Smart herself has joked about her historic awards run for Hacks. “What can I say — I’m a greedy bitch,” she cracked while accepting her third Golden Globe for the show earlier this year. “I’m one of luckiest people in not this room, but the entire business. … I’m just surrounded by so much support.” The 2026 Emmys aired live on Monday from the Peacock Theater at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles. Mariska Hargitay hosted. See the red carpet looks here.