Jean Smart Makes Emmys History as Hacks Ends at 78th Emmys

Jean Smart closed out Hacks with television history at the 78th Emmy Awards.

Smart won best actress in a comedy series for Hacks at the live telecast from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The win made her the first female performer to win an Emmy for every season of a series, all five seasons, and tied her with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Cloris Leachman for the all-time record of eight Emmy wins by an actress, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Hacks wrapped its run after five seasons in spring 2026. That farewell gave the night its clearest through-line: a long-running crew saying goodbye with one last trophy.

The drama and limited-series acting prizes went elsewhere. Rhea Seehorn won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Pluribus, as listed by the Television Academy. Matthew Rhys won lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie, a category for a story told in one closed season, for Widow's Bay. Rhys stars in Widow's Bay, which had been named among the pre-show favourites. Sally Field took Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, while Rob Reiner won Outstanding Guest Actor and Kate O'Flynn took the first award presented on the night.

Host Mariska Hargitay set the tone early. She opened with a spoof of Nicole Kidman's AMC Theatres ad, then returned in a pre-taped Law & Order: Special Victims Unit sketch as Olivia Benson. That sketch included a surprise cameo from Taylor Swift. Swift did not attend the telecast in person.

The presenters supplied one of the loudest reactions. Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz reunited to present Rhys's category on the 30th anniversary of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. On stage, the pair criticised Hulu's decision to pull the planned Buffy reboot.

Music and memorial mixed later in the evening. Noah Kahan performed during the In Memoriam segment. Comic Marcello Hernandez had special invites for Zendaya and Harrison Ford as part of the show. The Traitors won best reality competition, as tracked by The New York Times.

What makes this stand out is the arithmetic. Five nominations for five seasons. Five wins. Eight career Emmys in total. For fans, this means Hacks leaves finished, with its lead performance recognised start to finish and its final season in the record books.

The complete winners list for the 78th Emmys was compiled by Ernst & Young LLP.