Jean Smart has broken such an incredible record that it places her as the greatest television actress in history

Although Hacks hasn’t completed its victory lap by winning the Emmy for best comedy series, the fact is Jean Smart, its star, has managed to eclipse any of her competitors. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising if none of them had written a speech, because it was too perfect not to make the most of it: the actress has become the only person in history to win the Emmy for every season of her series. Five straight. That’s no small thing.

She hacked the awards

Besides entering the ranks of the most Emmy-winning performers ever (8, tied with Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Cloris Leachman and Allison Janney, who won her eighth award yesterday too), Smart has achieved what seemed impossible: to be recognized in every season, for no one to tire of her performance and to leave the rest of the nominees with no chance. As she said when she received the statuette yesterday, “What a ride!”.

The only actor who had managed to win for every season of his series, until now, had been the disgraced Bill Cosby for I Spy, but for whatever reason we’ve preferred to collectively forget that awards were given to Cosby like candy. Even so, the actor, comedian and sexual harasser won 3, while Smart has beaten him by two. In fact, the only one right now who can match her feat is Noah Wyle, who seems untouchable on The Pitt.

It’s worth remembering that Smart, before playing Deborah Vance in Hacks, had already won the award for Frasier and Samantha Who?, which add to her many nominations, ranging from 24 (and her unforgettable role as first lady) to Mare of Easttown. When you’re born a diva, you’re a diva forever.