“I’ll pay the difference, sorry,” Hacks star Hannah Einbinder quipped on Sunday night. Onstage at Los Angeles’s Peacock Theater to accept her first Emmy Award (for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series) after four nominations, she managed to artfully acknowledge host Nate Bargatze’s awkward bid to keep speeches short (going longer than 45 seconds would, he warned, imperil a donation to the Boys Girls Clubs of America) before wrapping up her remarks with a statement that quickly went viral: “I just want to say: Go Birds, fuck ICE, and free Palestine.”
Of course, voicing her political beliefs is nothing new for Einbinder—the 30-year-old actor and comedian has long lent her star power to causes including the pro-choice resource Shout Your Abortion and the Palestinian-led global initiative Pal Humanity—but Emmy night gave her a bigger platform than usual. On Monday morning, Vogue caught up with Einbinder to talk about her speech, her Emmy look, and getting a bob at Chateau Marmont immediately after the show.
Vogue: Congratulations, Hannah! How are you feeling on the heels of your first Emmy win?
Hannah Einbinder: I have an adrenaline hangover. I had one sip of espresso, three sips of Champagne, a sip of tequila, and smoked half a joint, but I feel utterly ran through.
Where did your night take you after the Emmys wrapped up?
I went back to the Chateau Marmont and got a haircut. [Laughs.] I chopped a very short bob for season five of Hacks, and my friends came back with me, and we ate pasta, and then we went to the HBO party and all sat together. It was so fun being with my Hacks family. We just chatted and had fun, and then I promptly went to bed by, like, 12:15 a.m.
How are you adjusting to bob life?
Bob life is not for the faint of heart. You really have to train emotionally for stuff like this. Luckily, I’m certified—I’m pretty used to it—but for people who are new, understand there will be an adjustment period. It’s heavy, but it is the Lord’s work, ultimately.
I can’t wait to hear Deborah Vance’s comments on this shorter look for Ava. Can you tell me a little bit about your Emmy outfit?
I was wearing Louis Vuitton by Nicolas Ghesquière. For past Emmys and other award shows, we’ve done things that have felt really futuristic and structural and architectural, whereas this felt really classic. I was so into the embroidery, and the seamstresses there are just beyond talented and amazing.
I loved your speech. How did you arrive on the final line in particular?
I felt it was important to try to speak to the things that I care most about, and that happens to be the Philadelphia Eagles and fighting fascism.
Can you tell me a little bit more about your work with Pal Humanity?
Pal Humanity is an organization led by two female doctors in the north of Gaza to provide care for malnutrition-afflicted babies in NICUs and to provide ob-gyn services for pregnant women in the north. They also put up a school in the clinic and then a refugee camp directly outside. I got in contact with the doctors, Nour and Nagham, and we’ve just been talking basically every day. Their work is so important right now, as the Israeli occupation marches north. The bombs are getting much closer to them, so they’re now in a place where they have to flee, and they’re trying to figure out how to continue to see patients. The money that we were raising for supplies, food, school supplies, rent, electricity—allt hese things they need to continue their work—is now being used to try to facilitate a massive exodus. These women are my friends, and they’re so wonderful and lovely. I’m extremely proud to support their work in any way that I can.
Do you always have a speech prepared for the Emmys, or are you more of a wing-it person?
I didn’t prepare one for the first couple years, but I had an idea for the little sign-off, like, If I ever won, I would really want to say this. So I definitely knew I was working toward that.
Did you actually end up having to donate to the Boys Girls Clubs of America for being over time?
I figured the Emmys would do a huge donation at the end, so I was just kind of riffing.
What does the Monday after the Emmys look like for a winner?
Honestly, I have five meetings. I assumed I would lose, so I was like, I’ll be home really early, and we can schedule all that stuff. [Laughs.]
This conversation has been edited and condensed.
