Writer Named Will Smith Jokes 'Despite My Name, I Come in Peace' After Win at 2024 Emmys

‘Slow Horses’ creator Will Smith referenced movie star Will Smith’s infamous slap from the Oscars in 2022

Will Smith — no, not that Will Smith — is a winner at the 2024 Emmy Awards!

At the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, Slow Horses creator Will Smith won the award for outstanding writing for a drama series. Accepting his award, he cracked a joke about movie star Smith’s infamous slap at the 2022 Oscars.

“First of all, relax — despite my name, I come in peace,” Smith said to open his speech, referencing the moment when Academy Award winner actor Will, 55, slapped Chris Rock onstage shortly before he won his first Oscar for his role in 2021’s King Richard. The joke earned laughter from the audience as Slow Horses’ Smith, who adapted the Apple TV+ series from author Mick Herron’s Slough House spy novels, continued on with his speech.

Slow Horses received six total nominations at Sunday’s awards ceremony; Smith won for his work writing the show over fellow nominees Peter Morgan and Meriel Sheibani-Clare (The Crown), Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner (Fallout), Francesca Sloane and Donald Glover (Mr. & Mrs. Smith) and Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, who were nominated for two separate Shōgun episodes.

will smith — Chris Rock and Will Smith at the 2022 Oscars. ABC

Slow Horses creator Smith is also known for his work on series like Veep, The Thick of It and Avenue 5 . The writer and producer has been nominated for five total Primetime Emmy awards and won two other times, in 2016 and 2015, for producing HBO’s Veep.

In his speech, Smith thanked many of his collaborators across Slow Horses, including acting nominee Gary Oldman “and all the cast,” as well as “all the crew for making the very best version of the script.” Oldman, Jack Lowden and Jonathan Pryce were each nominated for their roles in the series, along with the show’s nominations for outstanding directing in a drama series and outstanding drama series.