Sometimes, no matter who you are, triumph and tragedy can arrive at the same, heartbreaking moment
Take Jean Smart for example. In an Emmy award-winning career packed with dramas and comedies (including Designing Women, 24, Frasier, Fargo, and Legion), she is riding the crest of what Vanity Fair is calling her “Smartaissance.”
At 69, she is earning raves for three successive HBO shows in a row: Watchman, which cast her as a no-nonsense FBI agent; Mare of Easttown, where she plays Kate Winslet’s nagging mother; and Hacks, where she finally headlines her own series as a Vegas headliner fighting to stay rich and relevant in a changing world after a lifetime at the top.
HBO Max and Crave aired the season finale June 10 and it delivered a fine exclaimation point to a wonderful season. It also touched on the heartache Smart suffered while working on the series. The episode was dedicated off the top “In Loving Memory of Richard Gilliland.” The actor was married to Smart nearly 34 years and died suddenly in March — right before the final scenes of the season finale — which took place a a memorial service — were put before cameras.
Smart’s ablity to carry on at such a remarkable level is a tribute to her courage and professionalism. If you haven’t watched Hacks yet, make it your next series to binge, if just to see what is sure to be an Emmy-winning performance.
The good news is that HBO Max has already renewed Hacks for a second season. I write much more about the series and the actress on-line now at Everything Zoomer. Follow this link to the feature.
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