Jean Smart is now establishing her star status after six decades in the shoe industry.
In a ceremony packed with laughter and tears, the 70-year-old actress became the latest celebrity to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The leggy blonde was dressed modestly in a black and white gingham dress with a black belt and balloon hem.
She wore black heels, simple pearl earrings and a necklace, and natural makeup with a dash of pink lipstick.
The four-time Emmy winner was recognized for her achievements on-screen, but many who spoke at the ceremony revealed stories of the lady behind the camera.
Her friends and co-stars say she is nothing like the tough-as-nails Deborah Vance character she portrays in the award-winning series Hacks.
Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, the writer and executive producer of Designing Women, was slated to speak but was unable to attend. Jean’s buddy, actor Joe Mantegna, read the note she sent.
Bloodworth-Thomason described the actress as a “tall, hot fudge sundae of a girl topped with sprinkles of Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, and Lucille Ball, or none of them at all” in her statement.
‘This shameless scene-stealer, this genius for hire and five-alarm theatrical fire, this one in a million chameleon who can make ordinary seem normal and grandeur appear little as she flies like a brilliant meteorite into the heavens of Hollywood’s most iconic stars, shine on, lovely Jean, shine on.’
In his own words, the Criminal Minds star mentioned meeting the 5’9″ beauty while dating her future husband, Richard Gilliland, whom she met on the set of Designing Women. Both became emotional when the Godfather III actor mentioned Richard’s death in March 2021 from a heart problem at the age of 71.
‘Jean has earned this star for her achievements as an actress, but the story behind the star is that she is equally to be honored for who she has been as a beloved wife to my dearest friend, a fantastic mother to two wonderful children, and a loving, generous, and compassionate friend to all of us who know and love her,’ Joe explained.
‘And I won’t be ashamed for being Italian and crying a few tears,’ the Tony winner concluded, his voice shaking.
It was up to Hack’s co-star Hannah Einbinder to make the audience laugh as she looked to be puzzled during her statement and realized she was reading from a wedding vows file rather than the Jean star file.
‘It’s a tremendous day for Jean, of course, I mean, selfishly, it’s also a huge day for me, since Jean could have asked any co-star from her storied career, and well, I won,’ she said after the mistake.’ I was victorious! I’m a co-star. If you hear Reese (Witherspoon) or Kate Winslet, suck it (William) Shatner. ‘Hello, it’s me!’
Her comedy comes from the light within her spirit, not the darkness,’ the actress said of her co-star. It is motivated not by her ego, but by her desire to make people happy. I can’t tell you how uncommon that is.
‘In between takes anytime we’re doing sequences when Deborah is doing standup, Jean is riffing, she’s performing bits, she’s chatting to the background actors sitting in the audience because she understands it’s tough to work and she wants them to have fun,’ she said of life on the Hacks set. I am astounded by the rarity of a bright individual who is also compassionate.’
The guest of honor kept her remarks brief, thanking those who had assisted her career and those who had ‘jumped through Covid hoops’ to come.
Hacks co-star Kaitlin Olson, Christopher McDonald, and Johnny Sibilly joined her for the reveal, as were her children, Connor, 32, and Forrest, 13.
The Mare of Easttown actress is one of just two performers in television history to have won Emmys in the comedy lead, supporting, and guest categories, alongside the late Betty White.
A film adaptation of Designing Women is in the works, and actress Charlene Frazier has stated that she would ‘kill to play a character like that again.’
Season two of Hacks premieres on HBO on May 12.
The next season of Hacks will air exclusively on Stan in Australia on May 13.
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