Even though themes like mortality, aging, job loss, dysfunctional families, and generational divides may not seem like comedic fodder, the Emmy-winning series “Hacks” finds humor in life’s setbacks.
At a recent press conference, star Jean Smart, who plays the series’ fiery comedienne-turned-late-night anchor Deborah Vance, discussed how that contrast is derived from real life ahead of the Season 4 launch next week.
“Everyone has experienced that in their own lives. Comedy and tragedy, you know. She emphasized the need of being able “to do that and still have the tone of the show be essentially kind of fun and joyous,” saying, “I mean, that’s just what life is.”
“But the truth is that there’s always the other side of the coin,” she continued.
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In addition to navigating the dual strikes that crippled Hollywood in 2023 and the wildfires that devastated Los Angeles earlier this year, the cast and crew of “Hacks” were working on Season 1 throughout the Covid pandemic.
Since “Hacks” is “a show that was made pre-vaccine,” co-creator and costar Paul W. Downs remarked, “I think we have been through a lot together.”
We began by keeping six feet between one another while donning two masks and a shield. And it seems to me that we are fashioned in fire,” he added. And I believe that our shared experiences as the “Hacks” family have further strengthened our bonds. It has just improved the work.
“I believe that every movie and television program is a miracle, and it’s true,” Downs continued. It requires a sizable community. Oddly enough, though, I believe that being on a program or set where you do face all of these obstacles and can actually see them just strengthens and unites you.
In “Hacks,” Downs portrays Deborah and Ava’s overburdened agent Jimmy. He is married to Lucia Aniello, a co-creator of the series, off-screen. The third co-creator and author of the series is Jen Statsky.
“In life, comedy and tragedy can sometimes coexist,” Downs stated. “I think it has strangely reflected the tone of the show and the things we’ve experienced because we’re making a comedy, but we’ve experienced deaths, fires, pandemics, and a lot of other things.”
In Season 4, when Deborah and her group move from Las Vegas to Los Angeles so she can begin hosting her late-night program, wildfires are mentioned. A title card honoring the filming site for Deborah’s LA residence, a pink mansion constructed about 1930 that Smart claims was burned in this year’s flames, appears following an episode titled “I Love LA.”
It has been resting there for almost a century without being touched by fire. It was also ablaze. And it was very depressing,” Smart said. “I believe we had just wrapped up filming there the previous week or something. And to picture those lovely rooms, that lovely fountain, the backyard, the yard, and the couple that lived there with their dog—thank God they’re safe—well, that was startling.
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The show team, some of whom she said have known one another since high school, has become closer as a result of these experiences, Einbinder emphasized.
Our crew works as a very tight unit. She added, “And there is so much love and every department is so close.” “Beyond just us performing on stage, we have come together as a group and truly gotten close in a way that, to be honest, I’ve been told isn’t really the industry standard.”
As if we truly experience it together. She went on to say, “Being a part of it is really, really special.” “Tragedy in every moment, even the good ones. As if we truly possess something unique.
Smart said the same thing.
“Even though they don’t receive the recognition, the attention, or the accolades, I believe that the crew is just as proud of the show as we are,” she said. “It is incredibly touching and flattering that they virtually return every season because they enjoy being on our show, almost to a man.”
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