Jean Smart, celebrated for her role in Hacks, has spoken out in support of those affected by the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles and surrounding areas. On January 8, the actress took to Instagram, urging the entertainment industry to reconsider its usual celebrations amidst the ongoing disaster.
Smart made a plea to halt the upcoming Hollywood awards season, asking, “I hope any of the networks televising the upcoming awards will seriously consider NOT televising them.” She also suggested that instead of continuing with the usual glitzy events, networks should donate the revenue raised to help the victims of the wildfires and the brave firefighters working to contain the blazes.
Smart’s call for action comes after she won a Golden Globe for her performance in Hacks in the category of Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Series—Musical or Comedy. While awards season continues to unfold, many events have been disrupted due to the widespread fires. The Critics Choice Awards, originally scheduled for January 12, were rescheduled to January 26, and the announcement of the Oscar nominations was pushed from January 17 to January 19. The SAG Awards also canceled their live nominations event, and premieres of films like Unstoppable and The Last Showgirl were called off for safety reasons.
The wildfires, which began on January 7 in the Pacific Palisades, have wreaked havoc, destroying thousands of homes and leaving over 80,000 people displaced as the flames continue to spread.