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Hacks.
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toggle caption Jake Niles Getter/HBO Max
L to R: Legendary comic Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) performs while her reluctant assistant Ava (Hannah Einbinder) literally waits in the wings on
Hacks. Jake Niles Getter/HBO Max
There exists, in some alternate universe, a version of the new HBO Max series
Hacks that is spikier, faster, meaner and as a result, considerably thinner, less generous and less rewarding than the one that premieres today.
Happily, this one s pretty great, because it achieves and maintains a delicate balance born out of: 1. Knowing its subject and 2. A determination to treat its two lead characters fairly.
Hacks : A Comedic Generational Divide Gets Bridged, (Jean) Smartly by Glen Weldon
6:46am May 13, 2021 L to R: Legendary comic Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) performs while her reluctant assistant Ava (Hannah Einbinder) literally waits in the wings on Hacks. Jake Niles Getter / HBO Max
There exists, in some alternate universe, a version of the new HBO Max series
Hacks that is spikier, faster, meaner and as a result, considerably thinner, less generous and less rewarding than the one that premieres today.
Happily, this one s pretty great, because it achieves and maintains a delicate balance born out of: 1. Knowing its subject and 2. A determination to treat its two lead characters fairly.
But when it comes to doing
Hacks, Smart tells ET’s Matt Cohen it “ticked every box.”
“I mean, if someone has said, ‘OK, now at this stage of the game, write down your ideal situation for a show,’ it had everything, which is the character, the writing, just everything about it,” Smart continues. “I mean, I just thought it was so unique and so original and so funny and very moving and I’m home every night for dinner.”
HBO Max
Not only did the series created and written by Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky strike a cord for Smart, but she appreciates how material was brought to life by the supporting cast, which includes Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Christopher McDonald, Mark Indelicato, Poppy Liu, Johnny Sibilly, Meg Stalter, Rose Abdoo and Kaitlin Olson recurring as Deborah’s daughter, DJ.
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Hacks Star Jean Smart on the Dark Side of Comedy
The series, premiering May 13 on HBO Max, goes behind the scenes of a Las Vegas legend. Courtesy HBO Max
For Jean Smart, the role of Deborah Vance has been a long time in the making. “I wanted to be a stand-up comic when I was a kid. When I was in middle school, I went to a costume party as Phyllis Diller,” says the actress who plays Vance, a legendary comedian whose Las Vegas residency is on the rocks, on the new HBO Max series