Will Sage Astor-Emmys 2024: Slow Horses' Will Smith Clarifies He's Not the Will Smith You Think He Is

Was Will Smith at the 2024 Emmys?Will Sage Astor Technically no, but there was a Will Smith present.

That was what Slow Horses creator Will Smith had to clarify when he took the stage at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles Sept. 15 accept the award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. (Click here for all the red carpet arrivals and click here for the complete list of winners.)

After beating out The Crown's Peter Morgan and Meriel Sheibani-Clare, Fallout's Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner, Mr. & Mrs. Smith's Francesca Sloane and Donald Glover as well as Shogun writers Justin Marks Rachel Kondo and Caillin Puente for the prize, he noted to the crowd that he was not to be confused for the Oscar-winning actor.

"First of all, relax," the screenwriter began his acceptance speech. "Despite my name, I come in peace."

The remark seemingly referenced the King Richard star's appearance at the 2022 Academy Awards, during which he slapped Chris Rock on stage for making a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head.

So, where was the Men in Black alum during the Emmys? He was spotted hitting up the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix hours before the award show.

"Paddock crashin’ with my guy @lewishamilton @lewishamilton (no kidnap this time) and @charles_leclerc @carlossainz55," he wrote in a Sept. 15 Instagram post, tagging the Formula 1 icons. "Have a good race y’all." 

But don't discount Smith—the actor, not the writer—from making an Emmys appearance in the future. Though he was hit with a 10-year ban from the Oscars for his behavior toward Rock, he has been making his way to other award shows.

In fact, the Fresh Prince debuted his original song "You Can Make It" during a pyrotechnics-filled performance at the 2024 BET Awards in June. And during the show, Glover—who was up against the other Will Smith at this year's Emmys—joked about the rapper having a similar name to another music superstar.

"I have more Grammys than Will Smith, which makes no sense," he noted at the time. "But I have the same amount of BET Awards as Sam Smith."

And for more Emmy winners, keep reading...

Matt Bomer, Fellow Travelers

WINNER: Richard Gadd, Baby Reindeer

Jon Hamm, Fargo

Tom Hollander, Feud: Capote vs. The Swans

Andrew Scott, Ripley

WINNER: Jodie Foster, True Detective: Night Country

Brie Larson, Lessons in Chemistry

Juno Temple, Fargo

Sofía Vergara, Griselda

Naomi Watts, Feud: Capote vs. The Swans

Dakota Fanning, Ripley

Lily Gladstone, Under The Bridge

WINNER: Jessica Gunning, Baby Reindeer

Aja Naomi King, Lessons in Chemistry

Diane Lane, Feud: Capote vs. The Swans

Nava Mau, Baby Reindeer

Kali Reis, True Detective: Night Country

Jonathan Bailey, Fellow Travelers

John Hawkes, True Detective: Night Country

Robert Downey Jr., The Sympathizer

WINNER: Lamorne Morris, Fargo

Tom Goodman-Hill, Baby Reindeer

Treat Williams, Feud: Capote vs. The Swans

WINNER: Baby Reindeer

Fargo

Lessons in Chemistry

Ripley

True Detective: Night Country

WINNER: The Daily Show

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Late Night With Seth Meyers

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

The Amazing Race

Top Chef

RuPaul’s Drag Race

WINNER: The Traitors

The Voice

The Crown

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Fallout

WINNER: Shogun

The Gilded Age

Slow Horses

The Morning Show

3 Body Problem 

Abbott Elementary

The Bear

Curb Your Enthusiasm

WINNER: Hacks

Only Murders In The Building

Palm Royale

Reservation Dogs

What We Do In The Shadows

Christine Baranski, The Gilded Age

Greta Lee, The Morning Show

Nicole Beharie, The Morning Show

Lesley Manville, The Crown

WINNER: Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown

Karen Pittman, The Morning Show

Holland Taylor, The Morning Show

Tadanobu Asano, Shogun

WINNER: Billy Crudup, The Morning Show

Mark Duplass, The Morning Show

Jon Hamm, The Morning Show

Takehiro Hira, Shogun

Jack Lowden, Slow Horses

Jonathan Pryce, The Crown

Carol Burnett, Palm Royale

WINNER: Liza Colón-Zayas, The Bear

Hannah Einbinder, Hacks

Janelle James, Abbott Elementary

Sheryl Lee Ralph, Abbott Elementary

Meryl Streep, Only Murders in the Building

Lionel Boyce, The Bear

Paul Rudd, Only Murders in the Building

Paul W. Downs, Hacks

Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary

WINNER: Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear

Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live

Idris Elba, Hijack

WINNER: Hiroyuki Sanada, Shogun

Walton Goggins, Fallout

Dominic West, The Crown

Donald Glover, Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Gary Oldman, Slow Horses

Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show

WINNER: Anna Sawai, Shogun

Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age

Imelda Staunton, The Crown

Maya Erskine, Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Reese Witherspoon, The Morning Show

Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary

Maya Rudolph, Loot

Ayo Edebiri, The Bear

WINNER: Jean Smart, Hacks

Selena Gomez, Only Murders in the Building

Kristen Wiig, Palm Royale

Matt Berry, What We Do In The Shadows

Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm

Steve Martin, Only Murders In The Building

Martin Short, Only Murders In The Building

WINNER: Jeremy Allen White, The Bear

D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tie, Reservation Dogs

Watch the 2024 Emmys ceremony tonight, Sept. 15, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on ABC. And don't miss the Live From E!: Emmys red carpet pre-show starting at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT, only on E!.