Jean Smart made history with her win at the 2021 Emmy Awards on Sunday (September 19).
The 70-year-old actress picked up Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Deborah Vance on HBO Max’s Hacks.
During her speech, Jean paid tribute to her late husband, Richard Gilliland, who passed away six months earlier.
“I would not be here without him, without him putting his career on the back burner so that I could take advantage of all the opportunities that I’ve had,” she shared on stage after a standing ovation for her win.
She thanked HBO Max and his team for “for working through a pandemic. You’re all so creative and brave.”
Jean also made history with her win, as she became the second actress to win Emmys for Best Lead, Best Supporting Lead and Best Guest Star in a comedy. Betty White is second.
Hacks also won Emmys for Outstanding Directing and Outstanding Writing on a Comedy Series.
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