Jean Smart Daughter Bonnie: Prior to saying anything further, I would want to offer my deepest sympathies to the Gilliland family on the loss of their life partner Richard Gilliland, who passed away six months ago yesterday, she says at the outset of her news conference, before she begins. “I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for his willingness to put his career on wait to enable me to take advantage of all the wonderful opportunities that have offered themselves to me. My two beautiful, unselfish children, Connor and Forrest, who are an inspiration to me,” says the mother.
“Designing Women” was Smart’s first television job, and she is probably most known to viewers for her portrayal as Charlene, an innocent and sweet-hearted lady whose ditziness was often the punchline of many jokes. Watching old favorites like “The Golden Girls” and “Designing Women” (which ran on CBS from 1986 to 1993) became popular in reaction to the pandemic, something Smart did as well, and for a very good reason.
When she and actress Annie Potts gave a reading of the pilot script for Sony for a fundraiser, she described the experience as “a little weird.” “We both remarked that it seemed as if we had just finished it the week before. It was just insane.”
Right now, she’s starring in everything, from superhero dramas to suspenseful murder mysteries to politically incorrect comedy, so it’s no wonder that her name has been trending on social media lately. Pop culture junkies can’t get enough of her work, or even simply her presence on the scene, as she continues to create new works. As of right now, this trio of programs is running on HBO and its streaming platform, HBO Max, which is an excellent position to be at this point in the season.
During a recent interview with E!, Smart and her co-stars discussed their Emmy nominations, which included acting nods for their performances in Hacks and Mare of Easttown.
Recognition and nomination for awards is a fulfilling experience that never gets old. To be honest with you, it’s all a part of the fun, and getting recognized by your peers is the best feeling in the world.
As a reaction to the nominations made by his mother, Forrest expresses his “great pride in her” and feels she “deserves” the awards because she “worked extremely hard for what she accomplished.”
In an interview with TODAY, Smart spoke about the various parts she has performed throughout her life, including how her most recent job has been the busiest and, quite possibly, the best. Smart has been in the business for almost five decades and has been in over 100 films.
At the ceremony in which she received the prize for best actress in a comedy series for her role on Hacks on Sunday night, Smart expressed thanks to her late husband as well as gratitude to her two children.
The expert said, “You have to make the most of the chances that come your way, especially if the positions are very, extremely excellent.” To be quite honest, none of those responsibilities was a no-brainer for me to accept.
It’s just that I don’t want to be a bother, since that would be awful.
This year’s Emmy Awards were held on Sunday in Los Angeles, and the Hacks actress, 70, was there with her son Forrest, 13, whom she shares with her late husband Richard Gilliland, who was also in the audience. Smart is also the mother of Connor, who is 31 years old and lives in the United Kingdom.
Smart and her son were both dressed in elegant black outfits for the event, with the actress wearing an asymmetrical long black dress with a sheer turtleneck and her son donning a black suit with a blue undershirt for the occasion.