Jean Smart, winner of Best Actress in a Comedy for her role in Hacks, used her acceptance speech at the 2024 Emmy Awards ceremony to poke fun at ongoing confusion surrounding HBO Max’s recent rebranding. The 73-year-old star, who has won three consecutive Emmys for her role, began her speech by thanking creators Jen Statsky, Paul W. Downs, and Lucia Aniello for believing in her talents.
Smart next acknowledged executives at HBO Max but added humor into her remarks. “And Casey [Bloys], and Sarah [Aubrey], and everybody at HBO — Max, no, H — I’m sorry,” she said, before quipping “Just what we needed, another network.” This reference comically highlighted the streaming service’s decision in May 2023 to drop “HBO” from its name and rebrand simply as “Max.”
While the service continues offering HBO shows and using the tagline “the one to watch for HBO,” this change has caused uncertainty. Viewers and industry members have struggled to understand the shifting streaming landscape and how service evolutions like rebranded names impact content access.
Smart’s Emmy history also achieved new milestones. Her “Hacks” win marked a third consecutive victory in the comedy actress category, bringing her career total to six Emmy awards earned over decades. The series itself later won Best Comedy Series, cementing its critical acclaim.
Smart faced renowned talents in her category, including Ayo Edebiri, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Quinta Brunson, and Selena Gomez. Her balanced speech captured why she remains beloved in television for blending gratitude and humor. Her remarks highlighted the challenges all face in today’s changing streaming environment, whether viewers navigating services or creators adapting to industry transformations.
