Jean Smart ‘slams’ HBO during Emmy winning speech for show on their network

Hacks actor Jean Smart 'hilariously mocked' HBO Max during her acceptance speech at the Emmys.

Yesterday (September 15), the 2024 Emmy Awards ceremony took place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

The ceremony saw 73-year-old Smart win the award for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy for her role as Deborah Vance in HBO Max series Hacks.

After accepting her sixth Primetime Emmy award presented by Candice Bergen, Smart thanked everyone and called the win 'so humbling'.

"I really appreciate this because I don't get enough attention," she joked.

Smart continued: "I have so many people to thank, starting with our brilliant showrunners. Jen [Statsky], Paul [W. Downs] and Lucia [Aniello]. I will never be able to thank you enough for thinking of me.

"Casey [Bloys] and everybody at HBO… Max… No, I'm sorry. Just what we needed, another network."

And it hasn't taken long for fans of the star to flood to social media to weigh in.

Jean Smart won the award for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

One Twitter user said: "Jean Smart not knowing whether to call her show HBO, HBO Max or Max is all of us."

Another responded: "She is also one of the few who can get away with slamming her own network with her amazing humor."

A third commented: "Jean Smart gagging HBO Max here a bit I always wind up stanning the right people."

A fourth added: "Jean Smart roasts her own network in her win for HACKS.'"

Someone else wrote: "Emmys 2024: Jean Smart hilariously mocks HBO/Max confusion in best comedy actress acceptance speech."

And a final user resolved: "Congrats to Jean Smart!!! Btw that was hilarious when she called Max HBO Max and calling them out for changing their name haha, XD!"

Indeed, in May 2023 HBO Max underwent a name change and became simply Max.

And Smart's speech didn't end there.

Viewers found Smart's joke about HBO Max 'hilarious' (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Smart continued her speech on a more heartfelt note by honoring the award to her agent, Scott Henderson, who she explained has been by her side during her career for '30-plus years'.

The actor said Henderson is 'retiring' and subsequently 'breaking [her] heart'.

"The most amazing, supportive, cultured, tasteful, funny, kind, loving man who never tried to talk me in or out of things I really didn't feel great about," she continued. "Scott, I love you and I wish you all the best."

Smart resolved: "He's going to bicycle through France because that's better than representing me? I don't know. But thank you. Thank you all."