She’s no hack: Seattle native Jean Smart scored two nominations Tuesday in the 73rd Emmy Awards, the first for lead actress in a comedy for HBO’s critically acclaimed “Hacks,” in which she plays Deborah Vance, a veteran stand-up comic with a residency at a Las Vegas casino who’s coasting on her old material. Her second nod is for supporting actress in a limited series for her turn as the mother of Kate Winslet’s character in HBO’s “Mare of Easttown.”
“I am absolutely thrilled and so over the moon proud of both shows,” Smart said in a statement Tuesday. “They were incredible collaborations. Both characters are survivors in their way, but one has given in to the realities of life and the other is still fighting for everything life still (she feels) owes her.”
Smart was bitten by the acting bug while a student at Ballard High School, from which she graduated in 1969. She went on to study acting at the University of Washington.
Smart, who gets to play both the comedy and the pathos as Vance, said in an interview earlier this year with The Seattle Times that she didn’t model Vance off any one comic but acknowledges she may have borrowed unconsciously from Elayne Boosler, Phyllis Diller and even Sam Kinison.
“I kind of go with my gut instinct,” Smart said, “and the writing is so good that that usually works out.”
And Smart wasn’t the only double nomination with a Seattle tie. Hulu’s “Shrill,” cowritten by and based on the book by Seattle writer Lindy West, earned a lead-actress-in-a-comedy nod for Aidy Bryant, who also received a nomination for supporting actress in a comedy series for NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.”
Other Emmy nominees with local ties include Netflix’s “Bridgerton” — based on the novels by Seattle author Julia Quinn — which received 12 nominations, including outstanding drama series.
Quinn, in an interview last year, said of her set visits: “It was so amazing to see the sheer number of people! Something that started out with just me in my head now is hundreds of people! Your jaw just drops when you realize that. I don’t even have the words to describe it.”
Netflix’s “Cobra Kai,” an expansion of the “Karate Kid” films and featuring Seattle actor, producer and restaurateur Yuji Okumoto, received a best-comedy-series nomination.
Okumoto, who reprised his role of Chozen, the villain in the 1986 film “The Karate Kid Part II,” had said earlier, “I just wanted to make sure that they paid deference to the character and his development. So they sent me the script and initially I thought it needed a little work. But I gave a little bit of input and the writers and also the producers, they really did a great job in capturing the essence of Chozen and how he would probably be after 30-odd years.”
Two reality shows featuring local contestants were recognized. Bravo’s “Top Chef” Portland edition, featuring Seattle chef Shota Nakajima, received five nominations, including outstanding competition program.
Although Nakajima didn’t end up winning, he said after the season finale that “now I have this amazing community of people in the ‘Top Chef’ group that I can call friends for the rest of my life.”
“The Voice,” which featured local contestants including Payge Turner, Halley Greg and Savanna Woods, received seven nominations, including outstanding competition program.
Amazon’s Prime Video received 19 Emmy nominations, including in the categories of outstanding drama and drama writing for “The Boys,” outstanding television movie (“Sylvie’s Love” and “Uncle Frank”) and outstanding limited or anthology series (“The Underground Railroad”). In addition, Amazon received a nomination for outstanding commercial for “Alexa’s Body.”
HBO/HBO Max had the most nominations, 130, with Netflix receiving 129. Apple TV+ received 34 nods and Hulu got 25.
CBS will televise the 2021 Emmy Awards ceremony at 8 p.m. Sept. 19.
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