Hannah Einbinder didn’t just walk away with her first Emmy on Sunday night. She lit up the stage with one of the most talked-about speeches of the 77th Emmy Awards.
The Hacks star, who won for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy, wrapped her acceptance with a line that got her censored on live TV: “I just wanna say, go birds, f— ICE, and Free Palestine.” The “go birds” shout-out was for her beloved Philadelphia Eagles, but the rest of it had the internet buzzing.
Host Nate Bargatze had the tough job of stepping back onstage after Einbinder’s mic drop. He joked to the audience, “She also cursed, and—let me tell ya—I’ll start a swear jar so fast.”
This was Einbinder’s fourth nomination for Hacks, but the first time she actually took home the statue. Later, she confirmed to Variety that the HBO hit will end after its upcoming fifth season. “It’s nice to do something as many times as it should be done,” she said. “Not overstay your welcome. Rip it and do it and laugh and cry.”
Her speech stood out even more because Bargatze had promised to steer clear of politics during the night. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly before the show, he explained, “I know there’s heartbreaking stuff that’s been happening right now, but I want this night to be an escape, and I think that’s why I was brought on.” He added, “I don’t wanna break that trust that I have in them, and just make the night be a fun night.”
Einbinder, however, leaned directly into the global conversation. For months, she’s been outspoken about the war in Gaza. Back in March, while being honored by the Human Rights Campaign, she condemned Israel’s actions following the October 7 attacks.
“As a queer person, as a Jewish person and as an American, I am horrified by the Israeli government’s massacre of well over 65,000 Palestinians in Gaza,” she said at the time. “I am ashamed and infuriated that this mass murder is funded by our American tax dollars. It should not be controversial to say that we should all be against murdering civilians.”
That message carried over to the Emmys, where her blunt words stood in sharp contrast to the glitzy, upbeat vibe of the night. Some praised her for speaking out. Others criticized her for bringing politics into an awards show. Either way, her moment was impossible to ignore.
As Hacks prepares for its last run, Einbinder’s career is clearly only heating up. With an Emmy in hand and headlines following her every move, she’s cemented herself as one of TV’s boldest new voices—on and off screen.
