Jean Smart is an American actress known for her roles on stage and screen. She has received eight Primetime Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards as well as nominations for a Grammy Award and a Tony Award.
Smart has received 15 Primetime Emmy Award nominations for her diverse work on television. She won two consecutive awards for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her recurring role as Lana Gardner, a former classmate and love interest of Frasier Crane on the NBC sitcom Frasier in 2000 and 2001. She won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series playing a dysfunctional mother in the ABC sitcom Samantha Who? (2008).
She won five Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy awards for her role as stand-up comedienne Deborah Vance in the HBO Max comedy series Hacks (2021, 2022, 2024, 2025, 2026). She set a record in being the only woman to win an Emmy for every season of a TV series. The role also earned her two Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy and three Screens Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series.
Smart was also Emmy-nominated for her diverse roles as Detective Sherry Regan in the CBS crime drama The District in 2001, Martha Logan in the Fox action drama series 24 in 2006–2007, Roseanna Remmick, a ruthless District Attorney in the NBC legal comedy-drama series Harry's Law in 2012, Floyd Gerhardt in the FX anthology crime series Fargo in 2016, Laurie Blake in the HBO superhero limited series Watchmen in 2020, and Helen Fahey, the mother of a police detective in the HBO crime drama miniseries Mare of Easttown in 2021.
On film, she earned an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female nomination for her performance as a concerned mother in the drama film Guinevere (2000). She played a gossip columnist in Damien Chazelle's Hollywood epic Babylon (2022) and was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the 29th Screen Actors Guild Awards.
On stage, she was also nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance as Lorraine Sheldon in the Broadway revival of the George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart play The Man Who Came to Dinner (2001).
Major associations Emmy Awards
Year Category Nominated work Result Primetime Emmy Awards2000 Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Frasier (season 7) 2001 Frasier (season 8) Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series The District 2006 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series 24 2007 Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series 2008 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Samantha Who? (episode: "The Girlfriend") 2012 Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Harry's Law (episode: "The Rematch") 2016 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Fargo (season 2) 2020 Watchmen 2021 Mare of Easttown Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Hacks (episode: "1.69 Million") 2022 Hacks (episode: "The Click") 2024 Hacks (episode: "Yes, And") 2025 Hacks (episode: "I Love L.A.") 2026 Hacks (episode: "Hacks")
Golden Globe Awards
Year Category Nominated work Result 2022Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy Hacks (season 1) 2023 Hacks (season 2) 2025 Hacks (season 3) 2026 Hacks (season 4)
Grammy Awards
Year Category Nominated work Result 2016 Best Spoken Word Album Patience and Sarah
Screen Actors Guild Award
Year Category Nominated work Result 2007 Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series 24 (season 5) 2022 Outstanding Female Actor in a Limited Series or Television Movie Mare of Easttown Outstanding Female Actor in a Comedy SeriesHacks (season 1) Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series 2023 Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture Babylon Outstanding Female Actor in a Comedy SeriesHacks (season 2) Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series 2025 Outstanding Female Actor in a Comedy SeriesHacks (season 3) Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series 2026 Outstanding Female Actor in a Comedy SeriesHacks (season 4) Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series
Tony Awards
Year Category Nominated work Result 2001 Best Actress in a Play The Man Who Came to Dinner
Miscellaneous awards Organizations Year Category Work Result AACTA International Awards2022 Best Actress in a SeriesHacks 2023 Best Supporting Actress Babylon 2025 Best Actress in a SeriesHacks 2026 AARP Movies for Grownups Awards2022 Best Actress (TV/Streaming)Hacks 2025 2026 American Comedy Awards 2001 Funniest Female Guest Appearance in a TV Series Frasier Astra TV Awards2021 Best Actress in a Streaming Series, Comedy Hacks Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Mare of Easttown 2022 Best Actress in a Streaming Series, Comedy Hacks 2024 2025 Best Actress in a Comedy Series Best Cast Ensemble in a Streaming Comedy Series 2026 Best Actress in a Comedy Series Best Streaming Comedy Ensemble Dorian TV Awards2020 Best Supporting TV Performance - Actress Watchmen 2021 Best TV Performance Hacks Best Supporting TV Performance Mare of Easttown 2022 Best TV Performance Hacks Best TV Musical Performance Hacks 2024 Best TV Performance - Comedy Hacks 2025 GALECA TV Icon Award Best TV Performance - Comedy Hacks 2026 Gotham Awards2021 Outstanding Performance in a New Series Hacks Independent Spirit Awards2000 Best Supporting Female Guinevere Satellite Awards 2006 Best Supporting Actress – Television 24 2022 Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy Hacks Best Supporting Actress – Television Mare of Easttown 2023 Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy Hacks Best Actress in a Supporting Role Babylon 2025 Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy Hacks 2026
Theater awards Organizations Year Category Work Result Drama Desk Award1981 Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Last Summer at Bluefish Cove Outer Critics Circle Award2026 Outstanding Solo Performance Call Me Izzy
Critics awards Organizations Year Category Work Result Critics' Choice Awards2016 Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries Fargo 2020 Best Supporting Actress in a Drama SeriesWatchmen 2022 Best Actress in a Comedy Series Hacks Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries Mare of Easttown 2023 Best Actress in a Comedy Series Hacks 2025 2026 Television Critics Association Awards 2021 Career Achievement Award Individual Achievement in Comedy Hacks 2022 2024 2025 2026
Honorary awards Organizations Year Category Work Result Hollywood Walk of Fame 2022 Television Television Hall of Fame 2026 Inductee
References