Jean Smart Makes Emmy History As Matthew Rhys Claims Two Lead Acting Awards
Jean Smart Makes Emmy History as Matthew Rhys Claims Two Lead Acting AwardsJean Smart and Matthew Rhys made Emmy history at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, with Smart securing a fifth consecutive win for her starring role in Hacks while Rhys became the first man to win two lead acting categories in the same year. The ceremony, held Monday at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and hosted by Law & Order SVU star Mariska Hargitay, celebrated the year’s biggest achievements in television. Smart won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance as Deborah Vance in Hacks. It was her fifth consecutive victory in the category, meaning she has won the award for every season of the HBO Max comedy. The achievement gave Smart eight acting Emmys overall, tying her with Cloris Leachman and Julia Louis-Dreyfus for the most acting Emmy wins. The fifth-season victory was particularly significant because Hacks concluded its run in May 2026. Rhys had an equally remarkable night, winning Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Widow’s Bay and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for The Beast in Me. The double victory made Rhys the first male performer to win lead acting Emmys in two different categories in the same year. His achievements also completed a rare sweep across the three lead acting categories, following his previous drama victory for The Americans. Widow’s Bay emerged as the night’s biggest winner, taking home 14 Emmys, a record for the most awards won by a comedy series in a single year.The Apple TV series won Outstanding Comedy Series, while Rhys also collected the lead actor award. Kate O’Flynn won supporting actress, Stephen Root won supporting actor, and the series also collected directing and writing honours. The Pitt claimed Outstanding Drama Series for the second consecutive year. Its star, Noah Wyle, also won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, while Tom Pelphrey took home the supporting actor award for Task. Rhea Seehorn won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Pluribus.
- Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series DTF St. Louis
- Lead Actress, Limited Series or Movie: Sally Field, Remarkably Bright Creatures
- Supporting Actress, Drama Allison Janney, The Diplomat
- Supporting Actor, Drama Tom Pelphrey, Task
- Reality Competition Program The Traitors
- Variety Series The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
- Lead Actress, Drama Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus
- Lead Actor, Drama Noah Wyle, The Pitt
The ceremony also featured a special honour for Michael J. Fox, who received the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award for his philanthropic contributions. The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards produced several landmark achievements, but Smart’s perfect five-season run and Rhys’ double lead-acting triumph stood among the night’s most notable moments. With Hacks now concluded and Widow’s Bay establishing itself as the dominant comedy of the year, the 2026 Emmys closed with a celebration of television performances and productions that reshaped the awards record books.
