Bio

Winner of three Emmy Awards with an additional six nominations, Jean Smart most recently received rave reviews for her performance as Special Agent Laurie Blake alongside Regina King, Jeremy Irons and Louis Gossett Jr. in the HBO series, WATCHMEN, based on the original groundbreaking graphic novel of the same name. She won the 2020 Critics Choice Award and received a 2020 Emmy nomination for Supporting Actress in a Drama for this performance. Smart will next be seen in the action, comedy SUPERINTELLIGENCE, starring Melissa McCarthy, premiering on HBO MAX in 2020. Prior to the production shut down because of COVID-19, she was close to wrapping production on the HBO limited series, “Mare of Easttown,” portraying Kate Winslet’s mother. The story focuses on a small-town Pennsylvania detective (Winslet) whose life crumbles around her as she investigates a local murder.

Jean recently signed on to a new production, set to star in a 10 Episode single-camera Untitled comedy project for HBO Max, created and written by Broad City alums Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky, and executive produced by the trio alongside Michael Schur. The comedy explores a dark mentorship that forms between a Las Vegas diva (Smart) and an entitled, outcast 25 year old.

Also recently announced, Jean will star in and executive produce the feature film, “Miss Macy,” directed by and produced by Tate Taylor along with Amblin Partners. The movie is based on the true story of Trisha Mitchell Coburn, a small town girl from Alabama who attended the Miss Macy charm school before being launched as a successful model. The indie, with a screenplay by Beth Henley, will portray Smart as the titular Miss Macy, an eccentric woman who sees something in the young Trisha and sets her on a path to success.

In 2019, Smart wrapped production on the independent feature, SENIOR MOMENT. Her recent credits include Dan Fogelman’s LIFE, ITSELF with Olivia Wilde, Samuel L. Jackson, and Oscar Isaac, as well as Paul Feig’s A SIMPLE FAVOR, with Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively.  She also appeared in the Bravo series DIRTY JOHN, starring alongside Connie Britton, Jake Abel and Eric Bana.  

During her career, Jean has showcased her talents  alongside numerous top Hollywood actors including Drew Barrymore and Eric Bana in LUCKY YOU; Reese Witherspoon in SWEET HOME ALABAMA; Steve Martin in BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE; Mark Wahlberg in I HEART HUCKABEES; Zach Braff and Peter Sarsgaard in GARDEN STATE; Bruce Willis in THE KID; Robert De Niro and Martin Landau in MISTRESS; and Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau in THE ODD COUPLE II.  

Notably, she was seen starring alongside Anna Kendrick and Ben Affleck in director Gavin O’Connor’s THE ACCOUNTANT. Jean made her presence known on the big screen and garnered an Independent Spirit Award nomination for her critically acclaimed performance in the Miramax feature film GUINEVERE. On stage, she was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for LAST SUMMER at Bluefish Cove and for a Tony Award for Best Actress for her starring role on Broadway opposite Nathan Lane in THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER. In 2016, she also received a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Album for her work on PATIENCE AND SARAH.  

On TV, Jean guest starred on Noah Hawley’s FX series, LEGION. She also starred as “Floyd Gerhardt” on the second season of Hawley’s acclaimed series FARGO on FX, for which she won a Critics’ Choice Award and was nominated for an Emmy Award.   

Other recent film work includes GREAT HOPE SPRINGS with Meryl Streep, BARRY MUNDAY with Patrick Wilson and Judy Greer, YOUTH IN REVOLT with Michael Cera, and the dark comedy MISS MEADOWS opposite Katie Holmes and James Badge Dale.

During the course of her career, Smart has won three Emmy Awards and received an additional six Emmy nominations. She has also won two Critics’ Choice Television Awards, and was nominated in 1999 for an Independent Sprit Award for her role in “Guinevere,” in 1981 for a Drama Desk Award for “Last Summer at Bluefish Cove” and in 2000 for a Tony Award for her role in “The Man Who Came to Dinner.”