1975–1999: Theater roles and Designing Women Public Theatre After graduating from college, Smart began her career appearing in regional theater throughout the
Pacific Northwest, including in Washington,
Alaska, and
Oregon. In 1980, she appeared as
Lady Macbeth at the
Pittsburgh Public Theater opposite
Tom Atkins as Macbeth and
Keith Fowler as Macduff. In 1981, Smart was nominated for a
Drama Desk Award for her performance in the off-Broadway play
Last Summer at Bluefish Cove. Critic
Roger Ebert praised the film and called Smart's character portrayal "calculating". The following year, she appeared in the family drama
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993), and as Ory Baxter in a television version of
The Yearling (1994). She was then cast as Sally Brewton in the television miniseries
Scarlett (1995), and appeared in a supporting role in
The Brady Bunch Movie (1995). She also appeared in the television thriller film
A Stranger In Town (1995) opposite
Gregory Hines. In 1995, Smart was cast as the lead in the comedy series
High Society, which co-starred
Mary McDonnell and ran for 13 episodes,
2000–2019: Television roles and acclaim In 2000, Smart was cast as
Lana Gardner in the critically acclaimed
NBC comedy series
Frasier, acting opposite
Kelsey Grammer, set in her hometown of Seattle. She went on to win two
Primetime Emmy Awards for
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. Reflecting on the role, Smart said: "I had loved that role on
Frasier so much, particularly that first episode. It's nice to get nominated and win for something you were particularly proud of. At the time, I was a little bit snobby about doing guest parts. Based on what, I don't know. It wasn't something I was seeking. But my agent said, 'You have to read this.' I thought it was hilarious, and the show was brilliant, so I didn't even hesitate. I remember when we did the table read with the rest of the cast, we could hardly get through it we were laughing so hard." Soon after, she landed roles in several high-profile films including
Sweet Home Alabama (2002), playing the mother-in-law of
Reese Witherspoon, and in the comedy
Bringing Down The House (2002), opposite
Queen Latifah. She also had a supporting role in the independent drama
Garden State (2004). Between 2000 and 2004, Smart played the role of Supervisor of Detectives and ex-wife to
Chief Jack Mannion of the Metropolitan Police Department on
The District. From 2002 to 2007, she voiced Dr. Ann Possible in
Kim Possible, and also provided the voice of the alcoholic chain-smoking, Pickles Oblong, on
The Oblongs. In 2004, she reprised her voice role as Reba Heyerdahl in an episode of the
Nickelodeon series
Hey Arnold!. The same year, she was cast in a lead role in the short-lived
Center of the Universe. She also had a supporting role in
David O. Russell's
I Heart Huckabees (2004). In January 2006, Smart joined the cast of the
Fox series
24, playing the mentally unstable
First Lady of the United States,
Martha Logan, to actor
Gregory Itzin's President
Charles Logan. She received back-to-back
Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama for the role in 2006 and 2007. Smart won her third Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for portraying Samantha's overbearing mother in the sitcom
Samantha Who?, opposite
Christina Applegate, which she played from 2007 to 2009. She later was cast as Hawaii Governor Pat Jameson during the first season of the CBS-TV remake of
Hawaii Five-0. In 2012, Smart was nominated for a
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series 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 television series
Fargo as
Floyd Gerhardt. Floyd's husband heads Fargo's most prominent organized crime syndicate, and she is forced to take over after her husband suffers a debilitating stroke. She later finds herself having to lead the Gerhardt dynasty and deal with her sons, who are vying to replace their father. For her performance, Smart won the
Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries and was nominated for the
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie. She worked with Hawley again on
Legion, in which she played Melanie Bird, a therapist who works with the
eponymous character. In 2016, Smart had a role in the thriller
The Accountant, opposite
Ben Affleck,
Anna Kendrick, and
John Lithgow. In 2018, Smart played a guardian angel, to co-star
Candace Cameron, in the
Hallmark Channel television film ''A Shoe Addict's Christmas'', which aired Sunday November 25, 2018. In 2019, Smart portrayed Laurie Juspeczyk, the former
Silk Spectre, in the
HBO superhero drama
limited series Watchmen based on characters from the
graphic novel of the same name. Smart's performance was singled out by critics including Eric Deggans of
NPR who described her performance as "compelling" and "the always-excellent Jean Smart [playing] a cynical, heroically-damaged middle-aged version of Laurie Juspecyk." The series received critical acclaim, winning 11
Primetime Emmy Awards, including
Outstanding Limited Series. Smart was nominated for
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie and received the
Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her performance.
2020–present: Hacks and return to Broadway In 2021, Smart appeared in the seven-episode
HBO crime drama limited series
Mare of Easttown set in a small town in
Pennsylvania. The series stars
Kate Winslet as a grizzled detective with a supporting cast that includes
Guy Pearce,
Julianne Nicholson, and
Evan Peters. Her role as Winslet's mother has earned her critical acclaim, with Jackson McHenry of
Variety writing, "It's one of those essential truths of TV, as
Watchmen and
Legion displayed recently, that if you need a tough-as-nails broad, you hire Jean Smart. Smart has the voice and the timing to play a stern matriarch, and whenever she's onscreen in
Mare of Easttown, she wrenches away the spotlight like she's grabbing a juice box." She also stars as the lead in the
HBO Max dark comedy series
Hacks (2021–present), playing a legendary Las Vegas comedy diva looking to appeal to a younger audience.
USA Today declared Smart, at the age of 69, "The Queen of HBO", after appearing in
Watchmen,
Mare of Easttown, and now
Hacks. Glen Weldon of
NPR praised Smart's performance in his review, writing, "I don't know if the role of Deborah Vance was written for Smart, but she certainly makes it seem like it was...Smart's also convincing as a standup, performing Deborah's vaguely hokey routines with a naturalistic flair as if she was born to it." She won two consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards for
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (2021 and 2022), followed by additional victories in 2024 and 2025. In 2021, Smart co-starred in the romantic comedy film
Senior Moment with
William Shatner and
Christopher Lloyd. In 2022, she played Peg, the grandmother of
Kiernan Shipka's character Bea Johnson, in
Wildflower. In 2022, Smart appeared in
Damien Chazelle's 1920s
period comedy-drama film
Babylon as
gossip columnist Elinor St. John. On September 28, 2024, she hosted the season 50 premiere episode of
Saturday Night Live. Zach Vasquez of
The Guardian wrote of her hosting duties, "Smart is no slouch – a great dramatic and comedic actor of stage and screen, she nails her monologue, delivering jokes like the pro comic she plays on
Hacks, before singing a rendition of
Cole Porter’s "
I Happen to Like New York." Smart had a
cameo role in the
eighth episode of
The Studio, which premiered on May 6, 2025. Smart returned to Broadway in June 2025 in the one-woman play
Call Me Izzy written by Jamie Wax at
Studio 54. ==Personal life==