Jean Smart bids farewell to her celebrated role as Deborah Vance in ‘Hacks,’ concluding a five-season journey that has captivated audiences. Choosing to remain in the dark about the ending, she’s delighted by how it all turns out—calling it ‘perfect.
Jean Smart opens up about saying goodbye to one of the most beloved characters. ‘Hacks’, the award-winning show that has dominated Emmy conversations since its debut in 2021, is wrapping up after five seasons.
The series has built a devoted following worldwide, thanks largely to the magnetic performance of Jean Smart as sharp-tongued stand-up comedian Deborah Vance. Now, as the curtain prepares to fall, Smart is reflecting on what it truly means to say goodbye to a role that has defined this chapter of her career.According to GoldDerby, Speaking at a recent press conference, Smart, a seven-time Emmy winner, revealed she never once asked the creators how the show would end, choosing instead to be surprised just like the audience.
With season 5 set to premiere on April 10 and conclude on May 29, the show is bowing out at the height of its powers.
Jean Smart never wanted to know how it would end
Smart revealed at the press conference that from the very first day she met creators Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky, she never asked how the series would end. When they finally told her, her reaction was mixed, but her trust in the team never wavered.She shared, “I have never asked the creators how the series was going to end from the day we met until the finale.
And I didn’t really have an idea of how it would end. I just wanted to be surprised. I’ve loved being surprised every episode for all these years. But when they first talked to me about how it was going to end, I was surprised. I was not sure I was really happy about it, but I said, ‘Hey, you know, I trust you guys. I always have, and it always turns out great, and it did.
Now I think it’s kind of perfect, and it’s really great.”
The final days on set
The cast shot the last scene of the show one week before fully wrapping, then travelled to Paris, France, to film additional scenes, essentially saying goodbye twice.
Co-star Hannah Einbinder, who plays writer Ava Daniels, reflected that there was no single climactic farewell moment for her. Instead, it was a series of smaller goodbyes throughout the season, first to the Los Angeles crew, then the Las Vegas crew, and finally in Paris, where they wrapped twice.For Smart, the reality of it all set in as the sets were gradually being closed down. She shared, “It started to become very real to me as the season went on; they started wrapping certain sets, like when we were shooting in Deborah’s house, which I love that house.
It’s like running around a big, giant dollhouse because they copied a giant mansion in Bel Air and recreated it on stage at Universal. It’s absolutely stunning.
” “The first time it happened, they said, ‘Okay, that’s a wrap, that’s a series wrap on Deborah’s bedroom.’ I was like, we’re never gonna sleep in this bedroom again? And then that’s the wrap on the kitchen. I was like ‘Oh my god.’ They let me sneak little souvenirs from each set,” she concluded.As the series drew to a close, Smart suddenly realised she would be bidding farewell not only to the cast and crew, but also to her alter ego. “I’m not ever gonna play Deborah again,” she told reporters. “I’m going to miss her. It’s weird. They feel like real people to us.” Four of her seven Emmy wins are for ‘Hacks’, a testament to just how deeply she has inhabited this role over the years.
A cast and a show going out on top
‘Hacks’ season 5 also stars Paul W. Downs, Megan Stalter, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Mark Indelicato, and Rose Abdoo. ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ star Christopher Briney joins the season in a guest role, adding fresh energy to the show’s final chapter.
