Who Is Hannah Einbinder? ‘Hacks’ Star Detained With Susan Sarandon at Netanyahu Protest
Hannah Einbinder, the Emmy-winning star of HBO’s Hacks, was among the protesters Thursday taken into police custody in New York as demonstrations erupted outside the United Nations ahead of Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech.
Einbinder was detained alongside actress Susan Sarandon and comedian Caleb Hearon as New York police moved to clear demonstrators blocking First Avenue near the UN headquarters. Roughly 100 people were taken into police custody during the protest, according to PIX11 reporting. Footage showed Einbinder being led away by NYPD officers alongside other demonstrators.
The incident has put fresh attention on the 31-year-old actress, who has become increasingly outspoken on political and humanitarian issues.
Ahead of the protest, she said she felt an obligation to speak out “as a Jew, as an American, and as a human being,” according to the Guardian. Video and photographs from the demonstration showed Einbinder being taken away by NYPD officers.
Who Is Hannah Einbinder?
Hannah Einbinder is an American actress and comedian best known for playing Ava Daniels, a young comedy writer, on the HBO series Hacks. The role made Einbinder a major Hollywood name and earned her multiple Emmy nominations. In September 2025, she won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance as Ava.
Einbinder is the daughter of actress and original Saturday Night Live cast member Laraine Newman and writer Chad Einbinder. She was born in Los Angeles in 1995 and studied at Chapman University before pursuing stand-up comedy and acting.
Her career has increasingly extended beyond Hacks, with Einbinder becoming known not only for comedy but also for her public activism.
Hannah Einbinder’s ‘Free Palestine’ Emmy Speech
The latest incident is not the first time Einbinder has used a major Hollywood event to make a political statement. After winning her first Emmy in September 2025, Einbinder ended her acceptance speech with: “Go Birds, f— ICE and free Palestine.” The comment immediately became one of the most discussed moments of the ceremony.
Einbinder later explained her position in interviews, saying she believed she had an obligation as a Jewish person to distinguish Jewish people from the Israeli state. “I feel like it is my obligation as a Jewish person to distinguish Jews from the State of Israel,” she said in an interview after the Emmy ceremony.
Her comments have made her one of the more outspoken Hollywood celebrities on the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Einbinder has spoken publicly about immigration, climate change and the war in Gaza.
In a 2026 interview with the Guardian, she described her political development and said she had gone through a process of “unlearning” the Zionism with which she was raised. She has also repeatedly used award ceremonies and public appearances to advocate for causes she supports.
Her activism has therefore become an increasingly visible part of her public profile alongside her acting career.
