Jean Smart Takes a Jab at HBO Max Name Change in Emmy Acceptance Speech: ‘Just What We Needed, Another Network’

Jean Smart won the award for best lead actress in a comedy series at the 2024 Primetime Emmys . The actress, who won her second Emmy for her role as Deborah Vance on the Max (formerly HBO Max) comedy Hacks , quipped about the network’s name change in her acceptance speech during the award show .

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“Thank you so, so much, so humbling, I really appreciate this because I don’t get enough attention,” joked Smart as she accepted the award presented 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 everybody at HBO … Max … no, I’m sorry,” she added to a roar of laughter. “Just what we needed, another network.”

Smart then went on to acknowledge her longtime agent during her speech.

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“I’m going to honor tonight my agent, Scott Henderson, of 30-plus years, who is retiring and breaking my heart. The most amazing, supportive, cultured, tasteful, funny, kind, loving man who never tried to talk me in or out of things I really didn’t feel great about. Scott, I love you and I wish you all the best. He’s going to bicycle through France because that’s better than representing me? I don’t know. But thank you. Thank you all,” she added as she appeared to hold back tears.

The award for best lead actress in a comedy marks Smart’s sixth Emmy win from 13 career nominations. She previously won the Emmy for her role as Vance in 2022.

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