Watch out for ‘Hacks’ scene stealer Megan Stalter at the Emmys
Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder are the two actresses who have received the majority of plaudits for HBO Max’s comedy series “Hacks” but the cast is packed with players who deserve more attention, including Megan Stalter.
The series follows a legendary standup comedian (Deborah, played by Smart) and her young protege, an up-and-coming comedy writer (Ava, played by Einbinder). Stalter is a stand-out as Kayla, the self-assured but self-unaware assistant to the agent (played by Paul W. Downs) of Deborah. Stalter shines every moment she is on screen.
The fact that she has been promoted to the main cast for this season after being a recurring actor in the first two seasons is proof of Stalter’s growing talent. Many critics have name-checked her as one of the best things about season three.
Joel Keller (Decider) declared Stalter the show’s “sleeper star” but then went on to write: “Can Megan Stalter be considered a sleeper anymore? We love her manic energy, and now that Kayla can exasperate Jimmy at will, she’ll be even more fun to watch.”
Melanie McFarland (Salon) observed: “As ever, ‘Hacks’ episodes hum along with a fine-tuned comic cadence, buoyed by the stars’ performances along with that of Downs and Stalter.”
Brian Tallerico (Roger Ebert) explained: “The regular supporting players largely remain the same, including solid turns from show-grounding Carl Clemons-Hopkins and goofy laugh-generating Megan Stalter.”
As a result, Stalter is now in serious contention to earn her first-ever Emmy nomination. And there are several reasons to believe that this could happen. Firstly, Stalter is an up-and-coming star making a name for herself with her show — Emmy voters love this profile of actress with the likes of Ayo Edebiri (“The Bear”), Aidy Bryant (“Saturday Night Live”), Yvonne Orji (“Insecure”), Betty Gilpin (“GLOW”), and Zazie Beetz (“Atlanta”) all receiving citations in recent years.
Plus, we know that Emmy voters admire shows that depict or concern the entertainment industry itself. Several actresses have reaped bids in this category for such shows, including Alex Borstein (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), Sarah Goldberg (“Barry”), and Jane Krakowski (“30 Rock”).
And don’t worry about the fact that Stalter will be competing against her own co-star (Einbinder) for a nomination in this category. Emmy voters are more than open to nominating two or more stars from the same show in the same category. In fact, there have been at least two shows with at least two stars nominated in this category in each of the last 10 years.
Recent such examples include Juno Temple, Hannah Waddingham, and Sarah Niles (“Ted Lasso”); Janelle James and Sheryl Lee Ralph (“Abbott Elementary”); Bryant, Kate McKinnon, and Cecily Strong (“Saturday Night Lives”); Borstein and Marin Hinkle (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”); and Sian Clifford and Olivia Colman (“Fleabag”). Stalter, Einbinder, and “Hacks” could soon join that list.
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