Jean Smart didn't shy away from the moment at the 2026 Golden Globe Awards – but she was deliberate about where she chose to say what mattered most. The Hacks star, who took home the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy TV Series for her performance on the HBO show, used the red carpet to voice her concerns about the current political climate.
Speaking ahead of the ceremony, Jean was initially asked how filming was going on the upcoming fifth season of Hacks. "Good," she replied, before quickly acknowledging the wider context hanging over the night in an interview with ET.
"Everything's kind of overshadowed by everything that's going on right now in our country," she said. "I feel like we're kind of at a turning point in this country, and I hope people can keep their heads – because that's actually really the hardest thing, I think, is to keep our heads. It's going to take a lot of courage and concern, but I think that's important.
"I feel like there are certain entities that would like us to fight back and possibly… I don't know. It's very concerning."
Anticipating criticism that actors shouldn't use awards season as a platform for political commentary, Jean addressed it head-on. "I know that there are people who find it annoying when actors take opportunities like this to talk about social and political things," she said. "But I'm not here right now speaking as an actor. I'm here speaking as a citizen and a mom, and I hope people understand that."
She echoed those sentiments in a separate red carpet interview with Variety, where she acknowledged feeling less optimistic than in years past. "I'm not as optimistic about things these days, about the world these days," she said. "But I just hope people realise how important what's going on is right now. This is a moment of reckoning, I think, in this country."
Jean was also careful to stress that she wasn't claiming her voice mattered more than anyone else's. "I know people that go, 'Oh God, who cares what you think? You're an actress,'" she said. "But I don't think my opinion matters more than anybody's. If you feel strongly about something and you have the chance to share your feelings or encourage people, you should do it."
Later in the night, wearing a white gown adorned with a small "Be Good" pin, Jean kept her acceptance speech intentionally restrained. "There's just a lot that could be said tonight," she told the audience. "I said my rant on the red carpet, so I won't do it here. But thank you. Let's all do the right thing. I think everybody in their hearts knows what the right thing to do is – so let's do the right thing."
Jean wasn't alone in making a quiet statement. Fellow attendees including Mark Ruffalo and Wanda Sykes were also seen wearing "Be Good" pins on their lapels, a subtle protest highlighting concerns around Immigration and Customs Enforcement – proving that, for some stars, the most powerful statements didn't require a long speech at all.