Jean Smart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jean Smart
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Smart at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con
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Jean Elizabeth Smart
September 13, 1951 Seattle, Washington, U.S.
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| Alma mater | University of Washington (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1975–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
Richard Gilliland
(m. 1987; died 2021) |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Full list |
Jean Elizabeth Smart (born September 13, 1951) is a talented American actress. She has starred in many different types of shows and movies. Jean Smart is known for both her funny comedy roles and her serious drama performances. She has won many important awards, including six Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. She has also been nominated for a Grammy Award and a Tony Award.
Smart first became well-known for her main role as Charlene Frazier Stillfield. This was on the CBS sitcom Designing Women. She was on the show from 1986 to 1991. After that, she won more Primetime Emmy Awards. These were for her roles as Lana Gardner in the NBC series Frasier (2000–01). She also won for playing Regina Newley in the ABC sitcom Samantha Who? (2007–09). More recently, she won for her role as Deborah Vance in the HBO Max comedy series Hacks (2021–present).
Jean Smart has also been nominated for Emmys for other roles. These include her work in The District (2000–04) and 24 (2006–07). She was also recognized for Harry's Law (2011), Fargo (2015), Watchmen (2019), and Mare of Easttown (2021). She also appeared in FX's Legion (2017–2019). Many kids might know her voice as Ann Possible in the Disney Channel animated series Kim Possible (2002–2007).
Smart has also had many roles in movies. Some of her film credits include Flashpoint (1984) and The Brady Bunch Movie (1995). She was also in Sweet Home Alabama (2002) and Garden State (2004). Other movies include I Heart Huckabees (2004), Youth in Revolt (2009), and The Accountant (2016). More recently, she appeared in A Simple Favor (2018) and Babylon (2022). She was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for her role in the drama Guinevere (1999).
On stage, Jean Smart made her Broadway debut in 1981. She played Marlene Dietrich in the play Piaf. She also starred in a new version of the play The Man Who Came to Dinner in 2000. For this role, she was nominated for a Tony Award. She returned to Broadway in 2025 in a special one-woman play called Call Me Izzy.
Jean Smart's Early Life and Education
Jean Smart was born and grew up in Seattle, Washington. Her mother was Kathleen Marie "Kay" Sanders, and her father was Douglas Alexander Smart, a teacher. Jean is the second of four children in her family. When she was 13 years old, Jean was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Her father was a Scottish-American.
In a TV show called Who Do You Think You Are?, Smart learned something interesting about her family history. She found out she is related to Dorcas Hoar. Dorcas was one of the last women accused during the Salem witch trials.
Jean Smart graduated from Ballard High School in Seattle in 1969. There, she became very interested in acting through the school's drama program. She later went to the University of Washington. She graduated from their Professional Actors Training Program with a bachelor of fine arts degree.
Jean Smart's Acting Career
Starting Out: Theater and Designing Women (1975–1999)
After college, Jean Smart started her acting career in regional theaters. She performed in places like Washington, Alaska, and Oregon. She worked with the Seattle Repertory Theater and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. In the mid-1970s, she moved to New York City. There, she began acting in off-Broadway shows and other professional plays. In 1981, she was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for her role in the play Last Summer at Bluefish Cove. In February 1981, Smart made her Broadway debut. She played Marlene Dietrich in the play Piaf. She later played this role again for a TV version in 1984.
Besides theater, Smart also started getting roles on television in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She had guest appearances on shows like The Facts of Life, Alice, and Remington Steele. In 1984, she had a supporting role in the movie Flashpoint.
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In 1985, Smart got a starring role in the comedy series Designing Women. She played Charlene Frazier Stillfield from 1986 through the show's fifth season. After leaving Designing Women, she focused on TV movies and supporting roles in films. She appeared in the family drama Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993). She also played Ory Baxter in a TV version of The Yearling (1994). She was then cast in the TV miniseries Scarlett (1995). She also had a supporting role in The Brady Bunch Movie (1995).
In 1995, Smart was the lead in the comedy series High Society. This show ran for 13 episodes. Her other roles included a part in Neil Simon's The Odd Couple II (1998). She also played Deborah Sloane in the drama Guinevere (1999). She had a main role in the comedy Forever Fabulous (1999).
Television Success and Awards (2000–2019)
In 2000, Jean Smart was cast as Lana Gardner in the popular NBC comedy series Frasier. The show was set in her hometown of Seattle. She won two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for this role. Smart said she loved playing Lana Gardner, especially in the first episode. She was proud to win awards for a role she enjoyed so much.
In the same year, she was in the Broadway play The Man Who Came to Dinner. This role earned her a Tony Award nomination. Soon after, she got roles in several major films. These included Sweet Home Alabama (2002), where she played the mother-in-law of Reese Witherspoon. She was also in the comedy Bringing Down The House (2002) with Queen Latifah. She had a supporting role in the independent drama Garden State (2004).
From 2000 to 2004, Smart played a detective supervisor and ex-wife in The District. From 2002 to 2007, she voiced Dr. Ann Possible in Kim Possible. She also voiced Pickles Oblong on The Oblongs. In 2004, she voiced Reba Heyerdahl in an episode of Hey Arnold!. The same year, she had a main role in the short-lived show Center of the Universe. She also had a supporting role in I Heart Huckabees (2004).
In January 2006, Smart joined the cast of the Fox series 24. She played Martha Logan, the First Lady of the United States, who faced many challenges. She received two Emmy nominations for this role in 2006 and 2007. She also appeared in several films between 2006 and 2010. These included Lucky You (2007) with Drew Barrymore, Youth in Revolt (2009), and Barry Munday (2010).
Smart won her third Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. This was for playing Samantha's mother in the sitcom Samantha Who? (2007 to 2009). She later played Hawaii Governor Pat Jameson in the first season of Hawaii Five-0. In 2012, Smart was nominated for another Emmy for her role in Harry's Law. She then had a supporting role in the Lifetime film Call Me Crazy: A Five Film (2013).
In 2015, Smart starred in the second season of the FX series Fargo. She played Floyd Gerhardt. Floyd had to take over her family's crime group after her husband became ill. She also had to deal with her sons who wanted to lead the family. For this performance, Smart won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries. She was also nominated for an Emmy. She worked again with the show's creator on Legion. In this show, she played Melanie Bird, a therapist. In 2016, Smart had a role in the thriller The Accountant. In 2018, Smart played a guardian angel in the Hallmark Channel TV film A Shoe Addict's Christmas.
In 2019, Smart played Laurie Juspeczyk in the HBO superhero limited series Watchmen. This show was based on a graphic novel. Critics praised Smart's performance, calling it "compelling." The series won 11 Primetime Emmy Awards. Smart was nominated for an Emmy and won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role.
Recent Work: Hacks and Broadway Return (2020–Present)
In 2021, Smart appeared in the HBO crime drama limited series Mare of Easttown. This show was set in a small town in Pennsylvania. She played the mother of the main character, played by Kate Winslet. Critics highly praised her performance. Many said she was excellent at playing a strong, tough mother.
She also stars as the main character in the HBO Max comedy series Hacks (2021). She plays Deborah Vance, a famous Las Vegas comedian who wants to connect with younger audiences. USA Today called Smart "The Queen of HBO" because of her roles in Watchmen, Mare of Easttown, and Hacks. Critics praised her performance in Hacks, saying she was very convincing as a stand-up comedian. She won two Primetime Emmy Awards in a row for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (2021 and 2022). She won this Emmy again in 2024.
In 2021, Smart also co-starred in the romantic comedy film Senior Moment. In 2022, she played Peg, a grandmother, in Wildflower. Also in 2022, Smart appeared in the 1920s period comedy-drama film Babylon. She played Elinor St. John, a gossip columnist. On September 28, 2024, she hosted the 50th season premiere of Saturday Night Live. Critics said she was excellent, delivering jokes like a professional comedian.
Smart had a small appearance in the eighth episode of The Studio, which premiered on May 6, 2025.
Jean Smart returned to Broadway in June 2025. She starred in the one-woman play Call Me Izzy at Studio 54.
Jean Smart's Personal Life
Jean Smart was married to actor Richard Gilliland for 33 years. He passed away in March 2021 after a short illness. They met while working on the show Designing Women (1986–93). Richard played J.D. Shackelford, the boyfriend of Annie Potts's character. Smart also worked with her husband in season five of 24. He played Captain Stan Cotter in one episode, while she was a main cast member as First Lady Martha Logan.
Jean and Richard have two sons. Their first child was born in 1989, and they adopted their second son in 2009.
Awards and Recognitions
Jean Smart has received many awards for her acting. These include six Primetime Emmy Awards. She has also been nominated for a Tony Award and a Grammy Award. Smart has been nominated for twelve Primetime Emmy Awards for her TV work. She won twice for her guest role in Frasier (2000, 2001). She won once for her role in Samantha Who? (2008). She has won three times for her performance in Hacks (2021, 2022, 2024).
She was also nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her role in the Broadway play The Man Who Came to Dinner (2001). In 2016, Smart was nominated for a Grammy Award for her audiobook Patience and Sarah.
In 2000, she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Guinevere. In 2007, she was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award with the other actors from the show 24. Smart has won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for Hacks in 2022, 2023, and 2025. She is the most awarded performer at the Critics' Choice Television Awards, with five wins. Jean Smart is only the second actress, after Betty White, to win all three comedy Emmy categories: lead, supporting, and guest roles.
See also
In Spanish: Jean Smart para niños
