It is three o’clock in the morning at a blackjack table inside Las Vegas’s sprawling Caesar’s Palace casino. A woman in town on business has just turned a $150 bankroll into $800, and she moves to retire to the nearby bar to buy her work family, whose fortunes at the same table have varied, a drink.
“I swear I barely know how to play,” she tells them. “But I do know the most important thing is to leave the table before your luck runs out.”
Jean Smart already has five gilded Emmy awards causing her shelves to groan under pressure. She deserves another for her “barely know how to play” nonsense. She has spent the evening feeding me advice on basic blackjack strategy — it’s my first time at the tables — yet I have only two chips left, totaling all of six dollars.
I follow Smart to the bar...
“I swear I barely know how to play,” she tells them. “But I do know the most important thing is to leave the table before your luck runs out.”
Jean Smart already has five gilded Emmy awards causing her shelves to groan under pressure. She deserves another for her “barely know how to play” nonsense. She has spent the evening feeding me advice on basic blackjack strategy — it’s my first time at the tables — yet I have only two chips left, totaling all of six dollars.
I follow Smart to the bar...
- 5/29/2024
- by Joe Utichi
- Deadline Film + TV
Jean Smart is reflecting on her late husband’s death.
In a sit-down interview on Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? on Max, Smart recalled the shock of Richard Gilliland’s dying March 2021 due to a heart condition.
Smart described the ordeal as “the worst.” She continued, “Because it was such a shock. It was so unexpected. And, you know, I thought he had Covid or something. The places I took him to, to get him tested didn’t do anything except a Covid test.”
After Gilliland passed away, Smart said she “went back to one of those places” and asked to see whoever was in charge that day. “I said, ‘Let me ask you something.’ I said ‘If I brought my 71-year-old husband in here, who was complaining of pain when you take deep breaths —,’ and I said, ‘What would you do for him?’ He said, ‘Well, first thing we do is an Ekg.
In a sit-down interview on Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? on Max, Smart recalled the shock of Richard Gilliland’s dying March 2021 due to a heart condition.
Smart described the ordeal as “the worst.” She continued, “Because it was such a shock. It was so unexpected. And, you know, I thought he had Covid or something. The places I took him to, to get him tested didn’t do anything except a Covid test.”
After Gilliland passed away, Smart said she “went back to one of those places” and asked to see whoever was in charge that day. “I said, ‘Let me ask you something.’ I said ‘If I brought my 71-year-old husband in here, who was complaining of pain when you take deep breaths —,’ and I said, ‘What would you do for him?’ He said, ‘Well, first thing we do is an Ekg.
- 5/17/2024
- by Lexy Perez
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: It’s late January on the Las Vegas Strip, and a woman with a tall beehive hairdo and dressed head to toe in a sequined pink pantsuit steps in front of the fountain outside Caesars Palace clutching multiple bags of high-end designer shopping. This is Jean Smart, in the guise of her Hacks headliner Deborah Vance, preparing to shoot among the last of her scenes for the much-delayed third season of the Max and Universal Television comedy series.
It has taken a long time to get here, “and part of that was my fault,” Smart tells Deadline self-deprecatingly, referring to the season’s first significant pause in production, on February 14 2023, when Smart went in for what she later described as a successful heart procedure. She announced the news on Instagram, a little under two years after her beloved husband, actor Richard Gilliland, had passed away suddenly following heart complications.
It has taken a long time to get here, “and part of that was my fault,” Smart tells Deadline self-deprecatingly, referring to the season’s first significant pause in production, on February 14 2023, when Smart went in for what she later described as a successful heart procedure. She announced the news on Instagram, a little under two years after her beloved husband, actor Richard Gilliland, had passed away suddenly following heart complications.
- 3/26/2024
- by Joe Utichi
- Deadline Film + TV
Jean Smart is on the mend. In honor of American Heart Month, the actress revealed that she recently underwent medical treatment for her heart. While Smart did not reveal the details of her condition, she stressed the importance of listening to your body and seeking out medical advice.
“It feels important to share with all of you that I am recovering from a recent, successful heart procedure,” the actress wrote on Instagram. “I am fortunate to have excellent professional care and support from family and friends while I continue to recuperate.
“It feels important to share with all of you that I am recovering from a recent, successful heart procedure,” the actress wrote on Instagram. “I am fortunate to have excellent professional care and support from family and friends while I continue to recuperate.
- 2/23/2023
- by Larisha Paul
- Rollingstone.com
Jean Smart is encouraging people to talk to their doctors about their heart health amid recovering from a recent procedure.
The Hacks actress and Emmy winner revealed she has recently undergone a “successful heart procedure” in an Instagram post on Thursday. Smart shared that her decision to speak publicly about her private health condition was due to it being American Heart Month.
“February is American Heart Month — a time when the nation spotlights heart health, so it feels important to share with all of you that I’m recovering from a recent, successful heart procedure,” she wrote. “I am fortunate to have excellent professional care and support from family and friends while I continue to recuperate.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Jean Smart (@realjeansmart)
She concluded her message, which offered no other details, with a small plea to her fans and readers. “Please listen to your...
The Hacks actress and Emmy winner revealed she has recently undergone a “successful heart procedure” in an Instagram post on Thursday. Smart shared that her decision to speak publicly about her private health condition was due to it being American Heart Month.
“February is American Heart Month — a time when the nation spotlights heart health, so it feels important to share with all of you that I’m recovering from a recent, successful heart procedure,” she wrote. “I am fortunate to have excellent professional care and support from family and friends while I continue to recuperate.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Jean Smart (@realjeansmart)
She concluded her message, which offered no other details, with a small plea to her fans and readers. “Please listen to your...
- 2/23/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jean Smart has opened up about grief a year and a half after the death of her husband.
The Hacks star was in the middle of shooting the Emmy-nominated comedy’s debut season in March 2021 when her husband, Richard Gilliland, died unexpectedly of a heart condition, aged 71.
“He made me laugh all the time. That’s going to be hard to live without,” she said at the time, adding that she never would’ve “dreamed” it would’ve happened “so soon”.
Now, more than a year after his passing, Smart, 71, spoke with Rolling Stone about the loneliness of her “new life”.
“I find it almost harder now, a year and a half later, because you’re kind of running on adrenaline and grief for a while, making sure your kids are Ok, just getting things done,” the Mare of Easttown actor explained.
“Now, slowly, the reality of my new life is setting in,...
The Hacks star was in the middle of shooting the Emmy-nominated comedy’s debut season in March 2021 when her husband, Richard Gilliland, died unexpectedly of a heart condition, aged 71.
“He made me laugh all the time. That’s going to be hard to live without,” she said at the time, adding that she never would’ve “dreamed” it would’ve happened “so soon”.
Now, more than a year after his passing, Smart, 71, spoke with Rolling Stone about the loneliness of her “new life”.
“I find it almost harder now, a year and a half later, because you’re kind of running on adrenaline and grief for a while, making sure your kids are Ok, just getting things done,” the Mare of Easttown actor explained.
“Now, slowly, the reality of my new life is setting in,...
- 12/21/2022
- by Inga Parkel
- The Independent - TV
Click here to read the full article.
Long before she commanded the stage as Vegas stand-up diva Deborah Vance on Hacks — a role that has earned her two lead comedy actress Emmy nominations — Jean Smart got her big break as a sweet but naïve Atlanta office manager.
Designing Women, the CBS half-hour comedy created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, followed four women — played by Dixie Carter, Delta Burke, Annie Potts and Smart — and their decorating business. “The show … could do for women in their 40s and 50s what NBC’s Golden Girls hit did for older women,” THR predicted in May 1986. When the sitcom aired that December, it delivered.
A THR review of the show said “spunky cattiness has been the calling card.”
Over the course of seven seasons, Designing Women racked up 18 Emmy nominations (though it only won one, for outstanding achievement in hairstyling in 1988). Smart was never nominated for the...
Long before she commanded the stage as Vegas stand-up diva Deborah Vance on Hacks — a role that has earned her two lead comedy actress Emmy nominations — Jean Smart got her big break as a sweet but naïve Atlanta office manager.
Designing Women, the CBS half-hour comedy created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, followed four women — played by Dixie Carter, Delta Burke, Annie Potts and Smart — and their decorating business. “The show … could do for women in their 40s and 50s what NBC’s Golden Girls hit did for older women,” THR predicted in May 1986. When the sitcom aired that December, it delivered.
A THR review of the show said “spunky cattiness has been the calling card.”
Over the course of seven seasons, Designing Women racked up 18 Emmy nominations (though it only won one, for outstanding achievement in hairstyling in 1988). Smart was never nominated for the...
- 7/29/2022
- by Hilton Dresden
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“I really did not have a clue as to what they were going to do with Season 2,” shares Emmy-winning “Hacks” star Jean Smart about where the sophomore comedy series would go after its cliffhanger ending. The first season closed with Smart’s stand-up comedian Deborah Vance hitting the road with her writer Ava (Hannah Einbinder) but unbeknownst to her, Ava has sent out a revealing and harsh email about her boss. Smart says the cross-country tour arc for the new episodes was a “really, really smart idea” because “being on the road with somebody, there’s so many opportunities for funny things to happen, and dark things to happen.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.
Smart praises series co-creators Lucia Aniello, Jen Statsky and Paul W. Downs for their brilliant handling of the second season. “The second season of a show that’s been considered a hit, you feel like...
Smart praises series co-creators Lucia Aniello, Jen Statsky and Paul W. Downs for their brilliant handling of the second season. “The second season of a show that’s been considered a hit, you feel like...
- 5/18/2022
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
To say that 2021 has been a weird year is quite an understatement. Things started off really bleak then seemed to be getting better only to culminate in the uncertainty we now feel about everything. But we still got awards ceremonies and plenty of great moments from them. Due to pandemic precautions, all the ceremonies had to find ways to adapt so that they could still be events full of stars but also emphasizing the safety of those in attendance. Some of those presentations, like this year’s Grammy Awards, actually made this list which was selected by 15 of the site’s editors and contributors.
SEECelebrity Deaths 2021: In Memoriam Gallery
Several of the moments that are highlighted came from specific wins. Tony Ruiz gushed over Jean Smart claiming the Best Comedy Actress Emmy for “Hacks” (her fourth win overall). Also from this year’s Emmys, Rob Licuria went nuts for...
SEECelebrity Deaths 2021: In Memoriam Gallery
Several of the moments that are highlighted came from specific wins. Tony Ruiz gushed over Jean Smart claiming the Best Comedy Actress Emmy for “Hacks” (her fourth win overall). Also from this year’s Emmys, Rob Licuria went nuts for...
- 12/30/2021
- by Charles Bright and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
After Bowen Yang announced Jean Smart’s name as the winner of lead actress in a comedy series for her turn as Deborah Vance on HBO Max’s Hacks at September’s Emmy Awards, the well-heeled crowd jumped up for a lengthy standing ovation. During an emotional speech, Smart, also nominated that night for HBO’s Mare of Easttown, dedicated the trophy to late husband, actor Richard Gilliland, who passed away in March at age 71.
Once she returned to her seat, Smart says the emotions continued to flow as she waited to see if Gilliland would be featured in the In ...
Once she returned to her seat, Smart says the emotions continued to flow as she waited to see if Gilliland would be featured in the In ...
- 10/31/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
After Bowen Yang announced Jean Smart’s name as the winner of lead actress in a comedy series for her turn as Deborah Vance on HBO Max’s Hacks at September’s Emmy Awards, the well-heeled crowd jumped up for a lengthy standing ovation. During an emotional speech, Smart, also nominated that night for HBO’s Mare of Easttown, dedicated the trophy to late husband, actor Richard Gilliland, who passed away in March at age 71.
Once she returned to her seat, Smart says the emotions continued to flow as she waited to see if Gilliland would be featured in the In ...
Once she returned to her seat, Smart says the emotions continued to flow as she waited to see if Gilliland would be featured in the In ...
- 10/31/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
An Emmys ceremony like no other — held in a tent during a pandemic — was sure to deliver surprising moments, and the 2021 edition of TV’s biggest night did not disappoint in that regard.
73rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards: Deadline’s Full Coverage
The show opened with sort of feel-good In Memoriam singalong, with host Cedric the Entertainer launching into a revamped version of the recently-passed Biz Markie‘s “Just a Friend.” LL Cool J picked up the tune before handing it off to Rita Wilson, Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross and many others.
Hannah Waddingham kept the energy level high when she won for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Ted Lasso. Despite the fact that presenter Seth Rogen got her name wrong, the actress screamed with joy as she took the stage, thanking co-stars Jason Sudeikis and Juno Temple. “I’m so proud to even be in your gaggle,...
73rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards: Deadline’s Full Coverage
The show opened with sort of feel-good In Memoriam singalong, with host Cedric the Entertainer launching into a revamped version of the recently-passed Biz Markie‘s “Just a Friend.” LL Cool J picked up the tune before handing it off to Rita Wilson, Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross and many others.
Hannah Waddingham kept the energy level high when she won for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Ted Lasso. Despite the fact that presenter Seth Rogen got her name wrong, the actress screamed with joy as she took the stage, thanking co-stars Jason Sudeikis and Juno Temple. “I’m so proud to even be in your gaggle,...
- 9/20/2021
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
The first in-person Emmys Awards show since the dawn of the pandemic was almost certainly going to be a celebration no matter the quality of the show. Thankfully, CBS and the show’s producers put together an event that brought a truly welcome sense of awards ceremony normalcy — warts and all — that has been conspicuously missing in recent years.
See 2021 Primetime Emmy winners list in all 27 categories
There were laughs. There were moments of genuine emotion. And there were those bits that left you wondering what audience the writers were targeting. There were also missteps and moments that just plain didn’t work. In other words, it was just like almost every other Emmys ceremony … complete with Conan O’Brien.
The show opened with host Cedric the Entertainer performing a rousing and lyrically altered version of the late Biz Markie’s classic “Just a Friend,” with assistance from a plethora of...
See 2021 Primetime Emmy winners list in all 27 categories
There were laughs. There were moments of genuine emotion. And there were those bits that left you wondering what audience the writers were targeting. There were also missteps and moments that just plain didn’t work. In other words, it was just like almost every other Emmys ceremony … complete with Conan O’Brien.
The show opened with host Cedric the Entertainer performing a rousing and lyrically altered version of the late Biz Markie’s classic “Just a Friend,” with assistance from a plethora of...
- 9/20/2021
- by Tony Ruiz
- Gold Derby
Larry King, Norm Macdonald, Michael K. Williams and no fewer than three cast members of The Mary Tyler Moore Show were among the stars remembered during this year’s Emmy In Memoriam segment, as the photos of those we lost scrolled by to the tune of Leon Bridges’ lovely “River.”
73rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards: Deadline’s Full Coverage
A few names were left out — most notably Michael Constantine, who won an Emmy in 1970 for his performance as Principal Seymour Kaufman in Room 222 — but the list nonetheless was a somber reminder of the toll taken by 2021. As Bridges and Jon Batiste performed live, the images of such greats as Charles Grodin and Christopher Plummer unspooled, along with beloved icons like Jeopardy!’s Alex Trebek and Cicely Tyson (The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman) and such generational touchstones as Dawn Wells (Gilligan’s Island) and Billie Hayes (H.R. Pufnstuf).
Also among...
73rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards: Deadline’s Full Coverage
A few names were left out — most notably Michael Constantine, who won an Emmy in 1970 for his performance as Principal Seymour Kaufman in Room 222 — but the list nonetheless was a somber reminder of the toll taken by 2021. As Bridges and Jon Batiste performed live, the images of such greats as Charles Grodin and Christopher Plummer unspooled, along with beloved icons like Jeopardy!’s Alex Trebek and Cicely Tyson (The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman) and such generational touchstones as Dawn Wells (Gilligan’s Island) and Billie Hayes (H.R. Pufnstuf).
Also among...
- 9/20/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Producers of the 73rd annual Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony honored almost all of the expected people who died this past year. Who was not featured during the emotional In Memoriam segment Sunday night on CBS? Prominent performers and character actors such as Frank Bonner, Sean Connery, Michael Constantine, Abby Dalton, James Hampton, Bruce Kirby, Norman Lloyd, Helen Reddy and Jane Withers were not part of the 49 people included.
While over 100 celebrated television people died since last year’s event in mid-September of 2020, the segment generally only makes room for less than 50. Among those featured Sunday night: TV Academy Hall of Fame members actor Ed Asner, production designer Roy Christopher, actress Cloris Leachman, writer/producer William Link and actress Cicely Tyson. Current nominee Michael K. Williams (“Lovecraft Country”) and “Saturday Night Live” veteran Norm Macdonald sadly passed away this month as well.
SEECelebrity Deaths 2021: In Memoriam Gallery
The 49 people featured...
While over 100 celebrated television people died since last year’s event in mid-September of 2020, the segment generally only makes room for less than 50. Among those featured Sunday night: TV Academy Hall of Fame members actor Ed Asner, production designer Roy Christopher, actress Cloris Leachman, writer/producer William Link and actress Cicely Tyson. Current nominee Michael K. Williams (“Lovecraft Country”) and “Saturday Night Live” veteran Norm Macdonald sadly passed away this month as well.
SEECelebrity Deaths 2021: In Memoriam Gallery
The 49 people featured...
- 9/20/2021
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
An emotional Jean Smart paid a moving tribute to her late husband, “friend and soulmate” Richard Gilliland, who passed away in March, as she accepted the Emmy for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy on Sunday.
“I wouldn’t be here without him, without him putting his career on the back burner so I could take advantage of all the opportunities I have found,” she said.
Smart took home her fourth Emmy for a bravura performance as Deborah Vance, an aging caustic and spoiled female comedian in Las Vegas (a la Joan Rivers meets Debbie Reynolds) in the biting, much-nominated freshman HBO Max series. She thanked HBO Max and her team “for working through a pandemic. You’re all so creative and brave.”
The actress, 69, was also in the running tonight for a best supporting Emmy on HBO’s limited series Mare of Easttown in the midst of a fast-moving career...
“I wouldn’t be here without him, without him putting his career on the back burner so I could take advantage of all the opportunities I have found,” she said.
Smart took home her fourth Emmy for a bravura performance as Deborah Vance, an aging caustic and spoiled female comedian in Las Vegas (a la Joan Rivers meets Debbie Reynolds) in the biting, much-nominated freshman HBO Max series. She thanked HBO Max and her team “for working through a pandemic. You’re all so creative and brave.”
The actress, 69, was also in the running tonight for a best supporting Emmy on HBO’s limited series Mare of Easttown in the midst of a fast-moving career...
- 9/20/2021
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Selina Meyer. Midge Maisel. Fleabag. Moira Rose. Now, Deborah Vance can join the ranks of the most recent characters to deserve an Emmy Award for their leading lady. Jean Smart won the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on Hacks at the 2021 Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 19. While accepting her fourth-ever Emmy Award, Jean paid tribute to her late husband, actor Richard Gilliland, who died in March following a brief illness. "Before I say anything else, I have to acknowledge my late husband Richard Gilliland, who passed away six months yesterday," she told the crowd, following an emotional standing ovation. "I would...
- 9/20/2021
- E! Online
The Jeanaissance is alive and well. She may not like the term to describe her latest career peak, but there’s no denying that legendary actress Jean Smart is on a roll, having won her fourth Emmy Award on Sunday night.
Smart was named outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for her critically acclaimed role as stand-up Deborah Vance in HBO Max’s “Hacks.” This is her first lead acting win following victories in the supporting comedy actress (for “Samantha Who?”) and guest comedy actress (for “Frasier”) categories. She was also nominated last year for supporting actress in a limited series or movie for another HBO show, “Watchmen.”
Smart received a standing ovation as she accepted the award, dedicating it to her late husband, Richard Gilliland.
“Before I say anything else, I have to acknowledge my late husband who passed away six months yesterday,” Smart said. “I would not be here without him,...
Smart was named outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for her critically acclaimed role as stand-up Deborah Vance in HBO Max’s “Hacks.” This is her first lead acting win following victories in the supporting comedy actress (for “Samantha Who?”) and guest comedy actress (for “Frasier”) categories. She was also nominated last year for supporting actress in a limited series or movie for another HBO show, “Watchmen.”
Smart received a standing ovation as she accepted the award, dedicating it to her late husband, Richard Gilliland.
“Before I say anything else, I have to acknowledge my late husband who passed away six months yesterday,” Smart said. “I would not be here without him,...
- 9/20/2021
- by Maane Khatchatourian
- Variety Film + TV
Jean Smart took home the Emmy Award for lead actress in a comedy series during the 2021 Primetime Emmy Awards for her role on Hacks.
Smart beat out other nominees Tracee Ellis Ross (Black-ish), Allison Janney (Mom), Aidy Bryant (Shrill) and Kaley Cuoco (The Flight Attendant). At 70, Smart is one of the oldest winners in the category in Emmys history, just a year after the then-66-year-old Catherine O’Hara won for her role on Schitt’s Creek.
Accepting the award after a standing ovation from the audience, Smart first congratulated her Mare of Easttown cast and crew before paying tribute to her late husband, Richard ...
Smart beat out other nominees Tracee Ellis Ross (Black-ish), Allison Janney (Mom), Aidy Bryant (Shrill) and Kaley Cuoco (The Flight Attendant). At 70, Smart is one of the oldest winners in the category in Emmys history, just a year after the then-66-year-old Catherine O’Hara won for her role on Schitt’s Creek.
Accepting the award after a standing ovation from the audience, Smart first congratulated her Mare of Easttown cast and crew before paying tribute to her late husband, Richard ...
- 9/19/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Jean Smart knows what people have been saying about her career lately. She just wishes they wouldn’t use the term “Jeanaissance” when doing so.
Type that into any search engine, and numerous posts pop up with the phrase, invoked as a shorthand to describe the actor’s recent string of standout performances.
The actual Jean Smart is both flattered and slightly embarrassed by this attention — to the point that perhaps we should tone down the use of that particular term (and resist using it as a hashtag). “I told somebody they’re not allowed to say it if they can’t spell it,” she jokes.
But the truth is, Smart is indeed having a peak career moment, however you want to call it. As Helen, the eccentric and stubborn live-in mother of troubled police detective Mare Sheehan (Kate Winslet) in HBO’s “Mare of Easttown,” she stole every scene...
Type that into any search engine, and numerous posts pop up with the phrase, invoked as a shorthand to describe the actor’s recent string of standout performances.
The actual Jean Smart is both flattered and slightly embarrassed by this attention — to the point that perhaps we should tone down the use of that particular term (and resist using it as a hashtag). “I told somebody they’re not allowed to say it if they can’t spell it,” she jokes.
But the truth is, Smart is indeed having a peak career moment, however you want to call it. As Helen, the eccentric and stubborn live-in mother of troubled police detective Mare Sheehan (Kate Winslet) in HBO’s “Mare of Easttown,” she stole every scene...
- 9/16/2021
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Emmys 2021: In Memoriam segment will honor Michael K. Williams, Cicely Tyson, Ed Asner and who else?
Producers of this Sunday’s Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony have some difficult decisions to make about who to honor during the emotional In Memoriam segment. Cedric the Entertainer will host the 2021 Emmys for CBS at 8:00 p.m. Et; 5:00 p.m. Pt. A total of 34 presenters have been announced so far.
Our list below includes almost 100 people who made a strong contribution to television and have died since mid-September of 2020. Only about 40-45 of these people will probably be in the video segment. Certain to be featured will be TV Academy Hall of Fame members actor Ed Asner, production designer Roy Christopher, actress Cloris Leachman, writer/producer William Link and actress Cicely Tyson. Current nominee Michael K. Williams (“Lovecraft Country”) sadly passed away this month as well.
SEECelebrity Deaths 2021: In Memoriam Gallery
Ed Asner (actor)
Dana Baratta (writer/producer)
Anne Beatts (writer)
Ned Beatty (actor)
William Blinn (writer)
Frank Bonner (actor)
Perry Botkin,...
Our list below includes almost 100 people who made a strong contribution to television and have died since mid-September of 2020. Only about 40-45 of these people will probably be in the video segment. Certain to be featured will be TV Academy Hall of Fame members actor Ed Asner, production designer Roy Christopher, actress Cloris Leachman, writer/producer William Link and actress Cicely Tyson. Current nominee Michael K. Williams (“Lovecraft Country”) sadly passed away this month as well.
SEECelebrity Deaths 2021: In Memoriam Gallery
Ed Asner (actor)
Dana Baratta (writer/producer)
Anne Beatts (writer)
Ned Beatty (actor)
William Blinn (writer)
Frank Bonner (actor)
Perry Botkin,...
- 9/15/2021
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Even though Sunday’s SAG Awards ceremony will be shortened to just one pre-taped hour on TNT and TBS, the special In Memoriam segment will still be a highlight. Since the 2020 event aired on January 19, it will be over 14 months until the one on April 4. That means even more actors, actresses and members of SAG/AFTRA will hopefully be honored than the 40 people in the tribute last year.
Chadwick Boseman died last August and is a four-time nominee for the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday. The two individual nominations are for his leading role in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and his supporting performance in “Da 5 Bloods.” Those two films also are nominated for the top ensemble category.
Oscar winners who have died in the past 14 months include Sean Connery, Olivia de Havilland, Cloris Leachman and Christopher Plummer. Academy Award nominees include Boseman, Kirk Douglas, Hal Holbrook, Ian Holm,...
Chadwick Boseman died last August and is a four-time nominee for the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday. The two individual nominations are for his leading role in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and his supporting performance in “Da 5 Bloods.” Those two films also are nominated for the top ensemble category.
Oscar winners who have died in the past 14 months include Sean Connery, Olivia de Havilland, Cloris Leachman and Christopher Plummer. Academy Award nominees include Boseman, Kirk Douglas, Hal Holbrook, Ian Holm,...
- 4/2/2021
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Richard Gilliland, an actor known for his role on “Designing Women,” has died. He was 71.
The actor died on March 18 in Los Angeles following a brief illness. He was slated to work alongside his wife, Jean Smart, this summer in a movie directed by Tate Taylor.
The couple first met while on the set of CBS sitcom “Designing Women,” in which Smart played Charlene Frazier, the office manager of Atlanta interior design firm Sugarbaker & Associates, and Gilliland portrayed J.D. Shackelford, boyfriend of the firm’s head designer, Mary Jo Shively. Married for nearly 34 years, they acted together in a number of productions, including “It Had to Be You,” “Love Letters,” “24,” “Just My Imagination” and “Audrey’s Rain.”
Gilliland was born Jan. 23, 1950 in Fort Worth, Texas. Before moving to Los Angeles, he attended the Goodman School of Drama at DePaul University and played Jesus in a year-long run of...
The actor died on March 18 in Los Angeles following a brief illness. He was slated to work alongside his wife, Jean Smart, this summer in a movie directed by Tate Taylor.
The couple first met while on the set of CBS sitcom “Designing Women,” in which Smart played Charlene Frazier, the office manager of Atlanta interior design firm Sugarbaker & Associates, and Gilliland portrayed J.D. Shackelford, boyfriend of the firm’s head designer, Mary Jo Shively. Married for nearly 34 years, they acted together in a number of productions, including “It Had to Be You,” “Love Letters,” “24,” “Just My Imagination” and “Audrey’s Rain.”
Gilliland was born Jan. 23, 1950 in Fort Worth, Texas. Before moving to Los Angeles, he attended the Goodman School of Drama at DePaul University and played Jesus in a year-long run of...
- 3/27/2021
- by Haley Bosselman
- Variety Film + TV
Richard Gilliland, a prolific actor who nearly 50-year career included Designing Women, Thirtysomething and series-regular roles on Just Our Luck, Operation Petticoat and Heartland, has died. He was 71. His family said he died March 18 in Los Angeles after an unspecified brief illness.
Born on January 23, 1950, in Fort Worth, Texas, Gilliland appeared in dozens of TV shows, ranging from The Streets of San Francisco, Medical Center, a recurring role on McMillan & Wife and Marcus Welby, M.D. in the 1970s through The Waltons, Fantasy Island and The Love Boat to St. Elsewhere, Night Court, Matlock, Judging Amy, Becker, Crossing Jordan, 24, CSI, Criminal Minds and Murder, She Wrote. He also co-starred in the 1978 NBC miniseries Little Women.
He also was a series regular on three ABC comedies during the 1970s and ’80: playing a World War II Navy officer opposite John Astin in Operation Petticoat (1977-79), a TV reporter who finds...
Born on January 23, 1950, in Fort Worth, Texas, Gilliland appeared in dozens of TV shows, ranging from The Streets of San Francisco, Medical Center, a recurring role on McMillan & Wife and Marcus Welby, M.D. in the 1970s through The Waltons, Fantasy Island and The Love Boat to St. Elsewhere, Night Court, Matlock, Judging Amy, Becker, Crossing Jordan, 24, CSI, Criminal Minds and Murder, She Wrote. He also co-starred in the 1978 NBC miniseries Little Women.
He also was a series regular on three ABC comedies during the 1970s and ’80: playing a World War II Navy officer opposite John Astin in Operation Petticoat (1977-79), a TV reporter who finds...
- 3/25/2021
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Richard Gilliland, a veteran character actor known for his work in “Designing Women” and “Airplane II: The Sequel,” and the husband to actress Jean Smart, has died. He was 71.
Gilliland died on March 18 in Los Angeles following a brief illness, his publicist told TheWrap.
The actor spent five years on the ’80s sitcom “Designing Women,” playing J.D. Shackelford, the boyfriend of Annie Potts’ character, Mary Jo Shively. Gilliland and Smart met on the show and got married in 1987. The two also shared the screen in a season of “24” in 2006.
Jean Smart and Richard Gilliland in 2020/Getty Images
He and Smart also worked together in stage productions of “It Had to Be You” and “Love Letters,” as well as the telefilms “Just My Imagination” and “Audrey’s Rain.”
Gilliland has over 90 acting credits in film and TV dating back to the 1970s, including dozens of guest appearances on shows such as “Criminal Minds,...
Gilliland died on March 18 in Los Angeles following a brief illness, his publicist told TheWrap.
The actor spent five years on the ’80s sitcom “Designing Women,” playing J.D. Shackelford, the boyfriend of Annie Potts’ character, Mary Jo Shively. Gilliland and Smart met on the show and got married in 1987. The two also shared the screen in a season of “24” in 2006.
Jean Smart and Richard Gilliland in 2020/Getty Images
He and Smart also worked together in stage productions of “It Had to Be You” and “Love Letters,” as well as the telefilms “Just My Imagination” and “Audrey’s Rain.”
Gilliland has over 90 acting credits in film and TV dating back to the 1970s, including dozens of guest appearances on shows such as “Criminal Minds,...
- 3/25/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Richard Gilliland, a busy character actor whose credits included a recurring role on the CBS sitcom Designing Women, where he met his future wife, Emmy winner Jean Smart, died March 18 in Los Angeles after a brief illness, a publicist announced. He was 71.
The Texas native starred as Sgt. Steve Dimaggio on NBC’s McMillan & Wife in 1976-77 and as Lt. Nick Holden on ABC’s adaptation of Operation Petticoat in 1977-78, and he was a series regular on ABC’s Just Our Luck in 1983 and the CBC’s Heartland in 1989.
Gilliland also had recurring roles on other shows including Party ...
The Texas native starred as Sgt. Steve Dimaggio on NBC’s McMillan & Wife in 1976-77 and as Lt. Nick Holden on ABC’s adaptation of Operation Petticoat in 1977-78, and he was a series regular on ABC’s Just Our Luck in 1983 and the CBC’s Heartland in 1989.
Gilliland also had recurring roles on other shows including Party ...
- 3/25/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Richard Gilliland, a busy character actor whose credits included a recurring role on the CBS sitcom Designing Women, where he met his future wife, Emmy winner Jean Smart, died March 18 in Los Angeles after a brief illness, a publicist announced. He was 71.
The Texas native starred as Sgt. Steve Dimaggio on NBC’s McMillan & Wife in 1976-77 and as Lt. Nick Holden on ABC’s adaptation of Operation Petticoat in 1977-78, and he was a series regular on ABC’s Just Our Luck in 1983 and the CBC’s Heartland in 1989.
Gilliland also had recurring roles on other shows including Party ...
The Texas native starred as Sgt. Steve Dimaggio on NBC’s McMillan & Wife in 1976-77 and as Lt. Nick Holden on ABC’s adaptation of Operation Petticoat in 1977-78, and he was a series regular on ABC’s Just Our Luck in 1983 and the CBC’s Heartland in 1989.
Gilliland also had recurring roles on other shows including Party ...
- 3/25/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jean Smart is Emmy-nominated for HBO’s “Watchmen,” playing an anti-vigilante FBI agent. It’s yet another of Smart’s surprising performances, tackling offbeat roles and making them distinct and memorable.
Smart became a household name with her five-year run as Charlene on CBS’ “Designing Women,” starting in 1986. But when the sitcom debuted, she had already racked up multiple credits, including guest parts in various series and many theater roles, earning a Tony nomination for playing Marlene Dietrich in Broadway’s “Piaf.”
Since then, she’s played the smart but mentally unstable first lady in “24,” a woman forced into organized crime in FX’s “Fargo,” and films including “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Garden State,” “I Heart Huckabees” and “A Simple Favor.” She has also played onstage in Kaufman & Hart’s “The Man Who Came to Dinner” and Christopher Durang’s “Laughing Wild,” among many others.
She and her husband, actor Richard Gilliland,...
Smart became a household name with her five-year run as Charlene on CBS’ “Designing Women,” starting in 1986. But when the sitcom debuted, she had already racked up multiple credits, including guest parts in various series and many theater roles, earning a Tony nomination for playing Marlene Dietrich in Broadway’s “Piaf.”
Since then, she’s played the smart but mentally unstable first lady in “24,” a woman forced into organized crime in FX’s “Fargo,” and films including “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Garden State,” “I Heart Huckabees” and “A Simple Favor.” She has also played onstage in Kaufman & Hart’s “The Man Who Came to Dinner” and Christopher Durang’s “Laughing Wild,” among many others.
She and her husband, actor Richard Gilliland,...
- 8/28/2020
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
1970: The Doctors' Julie stirred up trouble at Hope Memorial.
1976: Ryan's Hope's Faith realized what Kenneth was up to.
1981: Another World's Mac pleaded with Mitch for help.
2006: General Hospital's Bobbie threatened Tracy."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."
― Anselm Kiefer
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1939: Time magazine published a story about radio soap creators, Frank and Anne Hummert, explaining their prolific serial production operation (Blackett-Sample-Hummert Inc.). "By hiring dialogue writers, and not creators, the Hummerts save lots of money. Most serial writers in radio command $200 to $400 a week. For The Goldbergs, Gertrude Berg...
1976: Ryan's Hope's Faith realized what Kenneth was up to.
1981: Another World's Mac pleaded with Mitch for help.
2006: General Hospital's Bobbie threatened Tracy."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."
― Anselm Kiefer
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1939: Time magazine published a story about radio soap creators, Frank and Anne Hummert, explaining their prolific serial production operation (Blackett-Sample-Hummert Inc.). "By hiring dialogue writers, and not creators, the Hummerts save lots of money. Most serial writers in radio command $200 to $400 a week. For The Goldbergs, Gertrude Berg...
- 1/23/2019
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
1970: The Doctors' Julie stirred up trouble at Hope Memorial.
1976: Ryan's Hope's Faith realized what Kenneth was up to.
1981: Another World's Mac pleaded with Mitch for help.
2006: General Hospital's Bobbie threatened Tracy."Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus they necessarily have the same results."
― Machiavelli
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1939: Time magazine published a story about radio soap creators, Frank and Anne Hummert, explaining their...
1976: Ryan's Hope's Faith realized what Kenneth was up to.
1981: Another World's Mac pleaded with Mitch for help.
2006: General Hospital's Bobbie threatened Tracy."Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus they necessarily have the same results."
― Machiavelli
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1939: Time magazine published a story about radio soap creators, Frank and Anne Hummert, explaining their...
- 1/23/2018
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
Known as the King of the Gimmicks, producer/director William Castle will surely be remembered for such B staples as House on Haunted Hill (1959), The Tingler (also ’59) and 13 Ghosts (1960), cheap but fun pictures with added pleasure for the moviegoer by the use of ingenious devices such as Emergo, Percepto, and Illusion-o. It’s only fitting that he ended his career as co-writer/producer of Jeannot Szwarc’s Bug (1975), a nature gone amok flick that becomes a Weird-o halfway through to detail a descent into madness.
Distributed by Paramount Pictures in June, Bug didn’t make much of a dent in the summer box office, bringing in a little over $3.6 million and infuriating critics. Richard Eder of The New York Times called it “sick, and literally sickening.” Some people just can’t handle arson prone killer cockroaches, I guess. Never mind them, because the rest of us get to revel in...
Distributed by Paramount Pictures in June, Bug didn’t make much of a dent in the summer box office, bringing in a little over $3.6 million and infuriating critics. Richard Eder of The New York Times called it “sick, and literally sickening.” Some people just can’t handle arson prone killer cockroaches, I guess. Never mind them, because the rest of us get to revel in...
- 7/8/2017
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
Recently, CBS released the new,official synopsis/spoilers for their upcoming "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation." The episode is entitled, "Rubbery Homicide," and it turns out that we'll see the CSI crew hit up the world of kinky rubber dolls in an attempt to crack their newest case, and more! In the new, 8th episode press release: The CSI team is going to delve into the kinky world of "rubber dolls" when they investigate the murder of a man stabbed in an alley. Press release number 2: The CSI team will delve into the kinky world of “rubber dolls” when they investigate the murder of a man stabbed in an alley. Guest stars feature: Larry Mitchell (Officer Mitchell), Richard Gilliland (Stan Brock / Charlene Living Doll), Jane Adams (Belinda Goff), Danielle Donn (Charlene Brock), Kyle S. More (Violet “Living Doll”), Michael Blackman Beck (Red “Living Doll”), Josh Wingate (Clay Miller (Shadow Figure...
- 11/23/2014
- by Andre
- OnTheFlix
"Dixie was such an amazing person. She was gorgeous, hilarious, incredibly talented and so devoted to her family. There was no one else like her and I was completely crazy about her. She exuded joy. Richard and I will really miss her and our hearts go out to her beautiful family." • Jean Smart on how she and husband Richard Gilliland, who she married after meeting on the set of Designing Women, will miss their dear friend and costar. - Lisa Ingrassia...
- 4/13/2010
- PEOPLE.com
"Designing Women" star Jean Smart remembers her good friend and former co-star Dixie Carter, who passed away Saturday from complications arising from endometrial cancer.
Remembering Dixie Carter through the years.
"Dixie was such an amazing person," Smart said in a statement. "She was gorgeous, hilarious, incredibly talented and so devoted to her family. There was no one else like her and I was completely crazy about her. She exuded joy. Richard and I will really...
Remembering Dixie Carter through the years.
"Dixie was such an amazing person," Smart said in a statement. "She was gorgeous, hilarious, incredibly talented and so devoted to her family. There was no one else like her and I was completely crazy about her. She exuded joy. Richard and I will really...
- 4/12/2010
- Extra
Actress Jean Smart and her actor husband Richard Gilliland are reacting to the death of their "Designing Women" co-star Dixie Carter over the weekend, telling "The Insider," "Dixie was such an amazing person." "She was gorgeous, hilarious, incredibly talented and so devoted to her family," continues Jean. "There was no one else like her and I was completely crazy about her. She exuded joy. Richard and I will really miss her and our hearts go out to her beautiful family." Dixie died on Saturday of complications arising from endometrial cancer. She was 70 years old. Jean and Richard have been married since meeting on the set of "Designing Women," where Richard had a recurring role.
[Read full story on The Insider]...
[Read full story on The Insider]...
- 4/12/2010
- by TheInsider
- TheInsider.com
Jean Smart welcomed a new addition to her family in 2009 - she and her husband adopted an orphan from China. The "Samantha Who?" star, her husband Richard Gilliland and their teenage son Connor traveled to East Asia in May 2009 to bring home a 10-month-old baby girl.
And according to the proud mum, the toddler, who is now 18 months old, is already "smitten" with her 19-year-old brother. Revealing her news on "The Bonnie Hunt Show", Smart discussed the lengthy adoption process, joking, "We thought they (the siblings) were going to be closer in age when we first started this!"
Her personal life aside, Jean Smart began her acting career at Regional theater and off-Broadway in mid 1970. She made her Broadway debut in 1981, portraying Marlene Dietrich in a play called "Piaf". Some movies she has played including "A Very Married Christmas", "Lucky You" and "Hero Wanted".
And according to the proud mum, the toddler, who is now 18 months old, is already "smitten" with her 19-year-old brother. Revealing her news on "The Bonnie Hunt Show", Smart discussed the lengthy adoption process, joking, "We thought they (the siblings) were going to be closer in age when we first started this!"
Her personal life aside, Jean Smart began her acting career at Regional theater and off-Broadway in mid 1970. She made her Broadway debut in 1981, portraying Marlene Dietrich in a play called "Piaf". Some movies she has played including "A Very Married Christmas", "Lucky You" and "Hero Wanted".
- 1/9/2010
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
Jean Smart welcomed a new addition to her family in 2009 - she and her husband adopted an orphan from China.
The Samantha Who? star, her husband Richard Gilliland and their teenage son Connor travelled to East Asia in May to bring home a 10-month-old baby girl.
And according to the proud mum, the toddler, who is now 18 months old, is already "smitten" with her 19-year-old brother.
Revealing her news on the Bonnie Hunt Show, Smart discussed the lengthy adoption process, joking, "We thought they (the siblings) were going to be closer in age when we first started this!"...
The Samantha Who? star, her husband Richard Gilliland and their teenage son Connor travelled to East Asia in May to bring home a 10-month-old baby girl.
And according to the proud mum, the toddler, who is now 18 months old, is already "smitten" with her 19-year-old brother.
Revealing her news on the Bonnie Hunt Show, Smart discussed the lengthy adoption process, joking, "We thought they (the siblings) were going to be closer in age when we first started this!"...
- 1/8/2010
- WENN
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