Leslie Bibb missed out on The White Lotus‘ epic Emmy booking last year, but now a guest spot on Hacks could bring the actress her first nomination, per the Gold Derby data.
Bibb plays Monica, the wife of Cherry Jones‘ Kelly Kilpatrick, in the instant-classic episode titled “Montecito,” which streamed May 7 on HBO Max. “Montecito” finds Jean Smart’s Deborah Vance and Hannah Einbinder’s Ava Daniels pretending to be a lesbian couple so that Deborah can acquire Carol Burnett’s iconic white outfit from her final show, which Kelly purchased years ago. The two couples spend the weekend together, where Ava quickly finds herself attracted to Monica. Unfortunately for Ava, Deborah’s fake gay persona is monogamous, and she forbids her young “lover” from stepping out on her.
Jones is also a major contender for this episode. The veteran star has ranked among the favorites even before “Montecito” aired, thanks to her Emmy pedigree as a three-time winner for 24 (2009), The Handmaid’s Tale (2019), and Succession (2020).
Emmy Awards Nominations 2026
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In the week following the episode’s airing, Bibb has climbed 8% in the Best Comedy Guest Actress odds. She’s now in eighth place with a 22% chance of receiving her first career bid. Jones remains in the No. 3 position with an 85% shot of garnering a nomination.
The projected lineup is led by Hacks scene-stealer Kaitlin Olson at 92%; she has already been nominated twice for playing DJ, Deborah’s high-strung daughter. Other top contenders in the race include Candice Bergen (Shrinking), Jamie Lee Curtis (The Bear), Amy Poehler (Saturday Night Live), and Cobie Smulders (Shrinking).
Showrunners Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky explained in the Hacks post-show that Bibb improvised her “makes me feel sick” line at the end of the episode. “Such a joy to work with them,” Aniello added about Jones and Bibb. “They made that episode one of our favorites — definitely of the season, if not of the series.”
Hacks has dominated Best Comedy Guest Actress since its debut four seasons ago, earning wins for Laurie Metcalf (2022) and Julianne Nicholson (2025), and scoring noms for Jane Adams, Harriet Sansom Harris, Robby Hoffman, and Olson. Above the line, Smart has won Best Comedy Actress all four times she was eligible, and Einbinder claimed victory last year for the first time in Best Comedy Supporting Actress.
Bibb previously received Emmy buzz for Season 3 of The White Lotus, though it didn’t translate to a nomination. However, her husband and co-star, Sam Rockwell, was nominated for Best Drama Supporting Actor. Post-Emmys, they were both recognized at the Actor Awards as members of The White Lotus ensemble.
Emmy Awards Nominations 2026
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Only Murders in the Building
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Margo’s Got Money Troubles
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Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat
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The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins
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Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair
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Deli Boys
Hulu
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DMV
CBS
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English Teacher
FX
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Stick
Apple TV+
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Sunny Nights
Hulu
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Gen V
Prime Video
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Leanne
Netflix
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Twisted Metal
Peacock
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Tulsa King
Paramount+
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Shifting Gears
ABC
Hacks is currently No. 1 in Gold Derby’s Best Comedy Series predictions, which could give Bibb an additional leg-up. The other projected series nominees are Shrinking, Abbott Elementary, Only Murders in the Building, The Comeback, The Bear, Margo’s Got Money Troubles, and Nobody Wants This.
The 2026 Emmys nominations will be announced July 8.
