It's official: Jean Smart has finished an undefeated Emmys run and made history in the process.
The star once again won the Emmy for best lead actress in a comedy series on Sept. 14 for her performance as Deborah Vance on the HBO Max show "Hacks."
In doing so, Smart, 75, became the first woman ever to win an acting Emmy for every season of a show. She won the best comedy series lead actress Emmy for "Hacks" five times, one for each season.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus nearly made that history, but she just barely came up short: The "Seinfeld" alum won the Emmy for best comedy series lead actress for HBO's "Veep" six consecutive times, from 2012 to 2017. But for the show's seventh and final season, she lost to "Fleabag" star Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
During an
appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" in August, Smart played down the significance of her potential Emmy record, noting Louis-Dreyfus has more wins overall. "I still kind of think that's a technicality," Smart said. "I've got to give it to Julia Louis-Dreyfus."
Smart's latest Emmy win is also the eighth of her career. Outside of her five trophies for "Hacks," she previously won the guest actress in a comedy series Emmy for "Frasier" twice, and she won best supporting actress in a comedy once for "Samantha Who?".
Smart is now tied with Louis-Dreyfus and Cloris Leachman, who share the record for most acting Emmy wins for a performer. She has also received an impressive 15 nominations.
"Hacks," which follows the relationship between fictional stand-up comedian Deborah Vance and her young writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), debuted on HBO Max in 2021 and ended in May with a well-received series finale.
The show earned plenty of Emmys love throughout its run, with prior wins in categories including outstanding comedy series and best supporting actress in a comedy for Einbinder. In 2026, the show broke the record for most nominations for a comedy series ever.
Since "Hacks" began, the only person other than Smart to win the best lead actress in a comedy series Emmy was Quinta Brunson, who received the award for "Abbott Elementary" in January 2024 at a ceremony where "Hacks" did not have a new season in contention. Smart's competition this time included Elle Fanning for Apple's "Margo's Got Money Troubles" and Lisa Kudrow for "The Comeback."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Jean Smart made Emmys history with her final win for 'Hacks'
