Jean Smart | |
|---|---|
 Smart in 2018 | |
| Born | Jean Elizabeth Smart (1951-09-13)September 13, 1951 (age 74) Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Washington (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Works | Full list |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Full list |
Jean Elizabeth Smart (born September 13, 1951)[1] is an American actress.Her work includes both comedy and drama, andher accolades include sevenPrimetime Emmy Awards, threeScreen Actors Guild Awards and twoGolden Globe Awards, with nominations for aGrammy Award and aTony Award.
Smart first gained prominence for her leading role as Charlene Frazier Stillfield on theCBSsitcomDesigning Women, in which she starred from 1986 to 1991. She went on to win sevenPrimetime Emmy Awards for her roles asLana Gardner in theNBC seriesFrasier (2000–2001), Regina Newley in theABC sitcomSamantha Who? (2007–2009), and Deborah Vance in theHBO Max comedy seriesHacks (2021–present). She was Emmy-nominated for her roles inThe District (2000–2004),24 (2006–2007),Harry's Law (2011),Fargo (2015),Watchmen (2019), andMare of Easttown (2021). She also acted inFX'sLegion (2017–2019) and voicedAnn Possible in theDisney Channel animated seriesKim Possible (2002–2007).
Smart's film credits includeFlashpoint (1984),The Brady Bunch Movie (1995),Sweet Home Alabama (2002),Garden State (2004),I Heart Huckabees (2004),Youth in Revolt (2009),The Accountant (2016),A Simple Favor (2018), andBabylon (2022). She received anIndependent Spirit Award nomination for playing the mother of a rebellious student in the dramaGuinevere (1999).
On stage, she made herBroadway debut portrayingMarlene Dietrich in the biographical playPiaf (1981). She starred in the revival of theGeorge S. Kaufman andMoss Hart playThe Man Who Came to Dinner (2000), for which she was nominated for theTony Award for Best Actress in a Play. She returned to Broadway in theone-woman playCall Me Izzy (2025).
Smart was born and raised inSeattle, Washington,[2] the daughter of Kathleen Marie "Kay" (Sanders) and Douglas Alexander Smart, a teacher.[3][4] She is the second of four children. Smart was diagnosed withtype 1 diabetes when she was 13 years old.[5] Her father was a first-generation Scottish-American.[6] On season 10 of the television showWho Do You Think You Are?, Smart discovered she is a maternal descendant ofDorcas Hoar, one of the last women convicted of witchcraft during theSalem witch trials.[6]
She is a 1969 graduate ofBallard High School in Seattle; there, she gained an interest in acting in the drama program. She graduated from theUniversity of Washington Professional Actors Training Program with aBachelor of Fine Arts.[3]
After graduating from college, Smart began her career appearing in regional theater throughout thePacific Northwest, including in Washington,Alaska, andOregon.[7] She performed with theSeattle Repertory Theater, as well as theOregon Shakespeare Festival inAshland, Oregon.[3] In the mid-1970s, she moved to New York City with college friend and fellow actress, Elizabeth Wingate (Lavery), and began working inoff-Broadway and professional regional productions.[7] In 1980, she appeared asLady Macbeth at thePittsburgh Public Theater oppositeTom Atkins as Macbeth andKeith Fowler as Macduff. In 1981, Smart was nominated for aDrama Desk Award for her performance in the off-Broadway playLast Summer at Bluefish Cove.[3] In February 1981, Smart appeared in theBroadway production ofPiaf playingMarlene Dietrich,[7] a role which she later reprised for the 1984 television version.[3]
In addition to theater, Smart began working in television in several smaller to midsized guest parts in the late 1970s and early 1980s, appearing onThe Facts of Life,Alice, andRemington Steele, among several others.[3] According to Smart, after roles on the short-lived seriesTeachers Only andReggie in 1983, "casting directors just decided I was funny. When that happens, you usually get pigeonholed, but I was fortunate. I got to move back and forth."[7] The following year, she had a supporting part in the thrillerFlashpoint (1984).[8]
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In 1985, Smart was cast in the starring role of Charlene Frazier Stillfield on the comedy seriesDesigning Women,[9] a role she played from the show's beginning in 1986 through its fifth season. After leavingDesigning Women, her work mainly concentrated on made-for-television films and supporting film roles. Notably, she portrayedserial killerAileen Wuornos in the television filmOverkill: The Aileen Wuornos Story (1992), followed by a supporting part in theblack comedyMistress (1992), oppositeRobert De Niro andEli Wallach.[10] CriticRoger Ebert praised the film and called Smart's character portrayal "calculating".[11] The following year, she appeared in the family dramaHomeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993), and as Ory Baxter in a television version ofThe Yearling (1994). She was then cast as Sally Brewton in the television miniseriesScarlett (1995), and appeared in a supporting role inThe Brady Bunch Movie (1995).[12] She also appeared in the television thriller filmA Stranger In Town (1995) oppositeGregory Hines.[13]
In 1995, Smart was cast as the lead in the comedy seriesHigh Society, which co-starredMary McDonnell and ran for 13 episodes,[3] followed by a role oppositeNancy McKeon in another short-lived CBS sitcom,Style & Substance. Her other roles included a part inNeil Simon'sThe Odd Couple II (1998) and as Deborah Sloane in the dramaGuinevere (1999).[3] She had a lead role in the comedyForever Fabulous (1999) as an aging beauty queen.[14]
In 2000, Smart was cast asLana Gardner in the critically acclaimedNBC comedy seriesFrasier, acting oppositeKelsey Grammer, set in her hometown of Seattle. She went on to win twoPrimetime Emmy Awards forOutstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.[15] Reflecting on the role, Smart said: "I had loved that role onFrasier so much, particularly that first episode. It's nice to get nominated and win for something you were particularly proud of. At the time, I was a little bit snobby about doing guest parts. Based on what I don't know. It wasn't something I was seeking. But my agent said, 'You have to read this.' I thought it was hilarious, and the show was brilliant, so I didn't even hesitate. I remember when we did the table read with the rest of the cast, we could hardly get through it we were laughing so hard."[15]
The same year, she was in the company of the second Broadway revival production ofThe Man Who Came to Dinner, which earned her aTony Award nomination.[16] Soon after, she landed roles in several high-profile films includingSweet Home Alabama (2002), playing the mother-in-law ofReese Witherspoon,[17] and in the comedyBringing Down The House (2002), oppositeQueen Latifah.[18] She also had a supporting role in the independent dramaGarden State (2004). Between 2000 and 2004, Smart played the role of Supervisor of Detectives and ex-wife toChief Jack Mannion of the Metropolitan Police Department onThe District.[19] From 2002 to 2007, she voiced Dr. Ann Possible inKim Possible, and also provided the voice of the alcoholic chain-smoking, Pickles Oblong, onThe Oblongs. In 2004, she reprised her voice role as Reba Heyerdahl in an episode of theNickelodeon seriesHey Arnold!.[20] The same year, she was cast in a lead role in the short-livedCenter of the Universe.[21] She also had a supporting role inDavid O. Russell'sI Heart Huckabees (2004).[22][23]
In January 2006, Smart joined the cast of theFox series24, playing the mentally unstableFirst Lady of the United States,Martha Logan, to actorGregory Itzin's PresidentCharles Logan.[24] She received back-to-backEmmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama for the role in 2006 and 2007.[15] She also appeared in several films between 2006 and 2010, including theCurtis Hanson drama,Lucky You (2007), oppositeDrew Barrymore;Youth in Revolt (2009); and the independent comedyBarry Munday (2010).[25] Smart won her third Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for portraying Samantha's overbearing mother in the sitcomSamantha Who?, oppositeChristina Applegate,[26] which she played from 2007 to 2009. She later was cast as Hawaii Governor Pat Jameson during the first season of the CBS-TV remake ofHawaii Five-0.[27] In 2012, Smart was nominated for aPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her role inHarry's Law.[28] She then had a supporting role in theLifetime filmCall Me Crazy: A Five Film (2013).
In 2015, Smart starred in thesecond season of theFX television seriesFargo asFloyd Gerhardt. Floyd's husband heads Fargo's most prominent organized crime syndicate, and she is forced to take over after her husband suffers a debilitating stroke. She later finds herself having to lead the Gerhardt dynasty and deal with her sons, who are vying to replace their father. For her performance, Smart won theCritics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries and was nominated for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie. She worked with Hawley again onLegion, in which she played Melanie Bird, a therapist who works with theeponymous character. In 2016, Smart had a role in the thrillerThe Accountant, oppositeBen Affleck,Anna Kendrick, andJohn Lithgow.[29] In 2018, Smart played a guardian angel, to co-starCandace Cameron, in theHallmark Channel television filmA Shoe Addict's Christmas, which aired Sunday November 25, 2018.
In 2019, Smart portrayed Laurie Juspeczyk, the formerSilk Spectre, in theHBOsuperhero dramalimited seriesWatchmen based on characters from thegraphic novel of the same name.[30] Smart's performance was singled out by critics including Eric Deggans ofNPR who described her performance as "compelling" and "the always-excellent Jean Smart [playing] a cynical, heroically-damaged middle-aged version of Laurie Juspecyk."[31] The series received critical acclaim, winning 11Primetime Emmy Awards, includingOutstanding Limited Series. Smart was nominated forPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie and received theCritics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her performance.
In 2021, Smart appeared in the seven-episodeHBOcrime drama limited seriesMare of Easttown set in a small town inPennsylvania. The series starsKate Winslet as a grizzled detective with a supporting cast that includesGuy Pearce,Julianne Nicholson, andEvan Peters. Her role as Winslet's mother has earned her critical acclaim, with Jackson McHenry ofVariety writing, "It's one of those essential truths of TV, asWatchmen andLegion displayed recently, that if you need a tough-as-nails broad, you hire Jean Smart. Smart has the voice and the timing to play a stern matriarch, and whenever she's onscreen inMare of Easttown, she wrenches away the spotlight like she's grabbing a juice box."[32]
She also stars as the lead in theHBO Max dark comedy seriesHacks (2021–present), playing a legendary Las Vegas comedy diva looking to appeal to a younger audience.USA Today declared Smart, at the age of 69, "The Queen of HBO", after appearing inWatchmen,Mare of Easttown, and nowHacks. Glen Weldon ofNPR praised Smart's performance in his review, writing, "I don't know if the role of Deborah Vance was written for Smart, but she certainly makes it seem like it was...Smart's also convincing as a standup, performing Deborah's vaguely hokey routines with a naturalistic flair as if she was born to it."[33] She won two consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards forOutstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (2021 and 2022), followed by additional victories in 2024[34] and 2025.[35]
In 2021, Smart co-starred in the romantic comedy filmSenior Moment withWilliam Shatner andChristopher Lloyd.[36] In 2022, she played Peg, the grandmother ofKiernan Shipka's character Bea Johnson, inWildflower.[37] In 2022, Smart appeared inDamien Chazelle's 1920speriodcomedy-drama filmBabylon asgossip columnist Elinor St. John.[38] On September 28, 2024, she hosted the season 50 premiere episode ofSaturday Night Live.[39] Zach Vasquez ofThe Guardian wrote of her hosting duties, "Smart is no slouch – a great dramatic and comedic actor of stage and screen, she nails her monologue, delivering jokes like the pro comic she plays onHacks, before singing a rendition ofCole Porter’s "I Happen to Like New York."[40]
Smart had acameo role in theeighth episode ofThe Studio, which premiered on May 6, 2025.
Smart returned to Broadway in June 2025 in the one-woman playCall Me Izzy written by Jamie Wax atStudio 54.[41][42]
Smart was married to actorRichard Gilliland for 33 years until his death in March 2021 after a brief illness.[43][44] They met while working on the set ofDesigning Women (1986–93), where he played J.D. Shackelford, the boyfriend ofAnnie Potts's character, Mary Jo Shively. Smart also worked with her husband inseason five of24; he played Captain Stan Cotter in one episode, while she starred in the main cast role of First Lady Martha Logan.[45]
They have two sons; they had their first child in 1989 and adopted their second in 2009.[3][46]
In a 2025 interview, Smart admitted she has a boyfriend, who "is a wonderful actor" without stating his name.[47]
She is the recipient ofnumerous awards, including sevenPrimetime Emmy Awards and nominations for aTony Award andGrammy Award. Smart has been nominated for fourteenPrimetime Emmy Awards for her work in television, winning twice for her comedic performance in a guest-starring role inFrasier (2000, 2001), once for her performance inSamantha Who? (2008), and four for her performance inHacks (2021, 2022, 2024, 2025).[48] She was also nominated for theTony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance in theBroadway revival of theGeorge S. Kaufman playThe Man Who Came to Dinner (2001).[49] In 2016, Smart was nominated for theGrammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album forPatience and Sarah.[50]
In 2000, she earned anIndependent Spirit Award nomination forGuinevere and in 2007, she earned aScreen Actors Guild Award nomination along with theensemble cast of the drama series24. Smart consecutively won theCritics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series forHacks in 2022 and 2023, and then once again in 2025. Smart is the most awarded performer at theCritics' Choice Television Awards, with five wins from six nominations. Smart is only the second actress, afterBetty White, to win all three comedy Emmy nominations – comedy lead, supporting, and guest categories.[51]
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