Jean Smart tonight won her second straight Critics Choice Award for her starring role in HBO Max’s Hacks. She was not on hand to accept the trophy for Best Actress in a Comedy Series because the five-time Emmy winner had tested positive for Covid, a rep for Smart confirmed to Deadline.
As Deadline reported earlier today, Critics Choice was the first major awards event of 2023 to require a Covid test. The move sidelined a number of nominees and presenters who had planned to attend, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Michelle Pfeiffer.
In Hacks, which has been renewed for a third season, Smart plays Deborah Vance, a legendary — and caustic — comedian who is fighting to stay relevant as she ages. In Season 2, Vance left Las Vegas to take her stand-up act on the road, along with her young writer Ava, played by Hannah Einbinder.
RELATED: Critics Choice Awards Photos: Live From The Red Carpet and Gala Ceremony
Jean, who attended the Golden Globes on Tuesday, has also won two Emmys and a Golden Globe for Hacks.