During her acceptance speech for Best Actress in a Comedy Series at the Critics Choice Awards, Jean Smart captivated the audience with a heartfelt tribute to showrunner Lucia Aniello, who directed the series while in the early stages of labor.
Smart kicked off her speech with customary acknowledgments, including a shoutout to her co-star Mia Thompson, humorously stating, “half of this is yours.” However, she had a more significant story to share. “On Friday morning, our director Lucia went into labor, so we had to make it work,” Smart recounted. “She was literally at home on her laptop, directing us between contractions.”
“I’m not kidding; this woman is my idol,” she added. “Just yesterday, she and Jake Reynolds became parents for the first time to a beautiful baby boy.” In addition to welcoming a new child, Aniello also won a Director’s Guild of America award that weekend. Smart raised her award high, dedicating it to Lucia, Jake, and their newborn.
Together with co-creators Jen Statsky and Jake, Aniello has been pivotal in creating the acclaimed series. They received the inaugural Variety Showrunner Award earlier this year for their work on the HBO Max hit.
This recognition is just the latest for ‘Hacks,’ which saw Aniello take home two Emmys in September for her directing and writing. Smart has also swept the Best Actress category this awards season, claiming the Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG award, and Critics Choice for her role as comedian Deborah Vance.
Smart was accompanied to the awards by her youngest son, Leo, who shared his thoughts on why his mom deserves the accolades. “She’s working like 13, 16 hours a day, every Monday through Friday,” the teenager said. “The one time she had a day off since December, she chose to spend it with me.” Leo concluded, “She works really hard for, like, everything.”
The dedication and commitment of both Smart and Aniello to their craft and motherhood is truly inspiring! For more insights into home insemination, be sure to check out this post.
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Summary: Jean Smart dedicated her Critics Choice Award acceptance to ‘Hacks’ showrunner Lucia Aniello, who directed while in labor. Smart’s heartfelt tribute highlighted Aniello’s commitment to her craft, alongside her recent achievement of becoming a new mother.

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