
Biography
Jean Elizabeth Smart (born September 13, 1951) is an American actress. She has received numerous accolades including five Primetime Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, four Critics' Choice Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards as well as nominations for a Tony Award and a Grammy Award. Smart first gained prominence for her leading role as Charlene Frazier Stillfield on the CBS sitcom Designing Women, in which she starred from 1986 to 1991. She went on to win five Primetime Emmy Awards for her roles as Lana Gardner in the NBC series Frasier (2000–01), Regina Newley in the ABC sitcom Samantha Who? (2007–09), and Deborah Vance in the HBO Max comedy series Hacks (2021–present). She was Emmy-nominated for her roles in The District (2000–04), 24 (2006–07), Harry's Law (2011), Fargo (2015), Watchmen (2019) and Mare of Easttown (2021). She also acted in FX's Legion (2017–2019) and voiced Ann Possible in the Disney Channel animated series Kim Possible (2002–2007). On stage, she made her Broadway debut portraying Marlene Dietrich in the biographical play Piaf (1981). She returned to Broadway in the revival of The Man Who Came to Dinner (2000) for which she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. Smart's film credits include The Brady Bunch Movie (1995), Sweet Home Alabama (2002), Garden State (2004), I Heart Huckabees (2004), Youth in Revolt (2009), The Accountant (2016), A Simple Favor (2018), and Babylon (2022). She received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Guinevere (1999). Description above from the Wikipedia article Jean Smart, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Awards & recognition
- Golden Globe Award — Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy · 2026
- Golden Globe Award — Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy · 2025
- Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series · 2025
- Screen Actors Guild Award — Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series · 2025
- Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series · 2024
Show all 17 awards →
- Screen Actors Guild Award — Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series · 2023
- Golden Globe Award — Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy · 2022
- Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series · 2022
- Screen Actors Guild Award — Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series · 2022
- Crystal Award · 2021
- Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series · 2021
- Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series · 2008
- Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series · 2001
- Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series · 2000
- Golden Globe Award — Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy · 2023 · nominated
- Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie · 2008 · nominated
- Tony Award — Best Actress in a Play · 2001 · nominated
Filmography50+ titles

Batman: The Animated Series

Fargo

Mare of Easttown

Mad About You

Static Shock

Hey Arnold!

Halt and Catch Fire

Psych

Arrested Development

Locked Up: A Mother’s Rage

24

The Studio

Hawaii Five-0

Frasier

A Fight for Jenny

Watchmen

Big Mouth

Legion

Veep

Kim Possible

Wildflower

Babylon

Hacks

The Oblongs

Life Itself

Hot in Cleveland

The Accountant

Garden State

Remington Steele

The Facts of Life

Alice

Call Me Crazy: A Five Film

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey

Life as We Know It

Kim Possible Movie: So the Drama

Designing Women

Saturday Night Live

Dirty John

Who Do You Think You Are?

The Kid

The District

Sirens

Balto III: Wings of Change

Charlotte's Web

A Simple Favor

When Calls the Heart

Scarlett

Samantha Who?

The Kelly Clarkson Show

Angie Tribeca