Hacks' Jean Smart, Hannah Einbinder, and Kaitlin Olson talk Vegas, comedy inspirations

For Jean Smart, stand-up comedy’s been a longtime dream-ever since she first saw Phyllis Diller cracking jokes on television-but she was always afraid to try it herself. In HBO Max’s new comedy Hacks, she gets to do the next best thing: Play one on TV-or maybe it’s the best thing, considering there’s no live audience to bomb in front of. “It was a little intimidating,” Smart admits, “[but] it’s great because the audience we’re doing it in front of... were paid to have to laugh. And that’s the audience you want!”
Paid audience or not, it’s no surprise the award-winning Smart looks like a natural as Hacks’ Deborah Vance, a legendary comic who established herself as a Las Vegas staple when other opportunities started to dry up. Vance has long settled into a life of comfort, only having to contend with her wildcard daughter DJ (Kaitlin Olson), but the series kicks into motion when she loses some of her show dates to fresh talent, and is forced to bring on an outcast writer, Ava (Hannah Einbinder), to punch up her material. In the video above, The A.V. Club speaks with Smart and her co-stars Einbinder and Olson about the funny people that inspired them to pursue careers in comedy. The trio also touches on the good-and very, very bad-side of “Sin City,” and the deep sadness at the heart of the relationships in this otherwise very funny series.
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[@sarika811]

I'm so happy Jean is getting her flowers while she's still alive!

[@lisavan504]

Hacks is such a great show! Love this cast! All these ladies are hilarious, talented and bring it!

[@evaonyoutube999]

That chaotic energy of Hannah's Vegas monologue...

[@mlchc9004]

Jean is a class act !!! Love her

[@Bailey2006a]

Jean Smart… genius.

[@bootney66]

I LOVE Hacks and I'm telling everyone about it! Yes, if you haven't, watch Hannah’s Colbert appearance ❤️

[@rpicc2628]

It’s amazing that Joan Rivers didn’t come up on anyone’s list. Especially since the Deborah Vance character seems to be directly based on her!

[@nicholasbogosian5420]

I feel like Joan is too controvercial for today's climate. She would have been cancelled into oblivion. So to name her might be politically incorrect, as she is the obvious comparison here. As obvious as The Devil Wears Prada and Primary Colors.

[@rpicc2628]

​@@nicholasbogosian5420 She definitely didn't take 'political correctness' and 'cancel culture' seriously, her humor was funny and accurate. Unfortunately there aren't enough ppl to celebrate her! And obviously no one involved with Hacks is brave enough to do so!

[@alphanerd7221]

@@nicholasbogosian5420 She was alive when that was going on and she was fine. You act like she died 20 years ago. She had a full on comedy special ten years ago.

[@nicholasbogosian5420]

@@alphanerd7221 no, she died before the cancel movement. It's a very recent thing. In my head I think of her as dying about 5 years ago.

[@alphanerd7221]

@@nicholasbogosian5420 Wrong.

[@smithjones750]

Yesss! Maria Bamford is amazing!!

[@mmyilmazyurt]

The chemistry between them tho...

[@mlchc9004]

Between Jean & Hannah, & Jean with Kaitlin. Amazing

[@damaniqphillip2756]

Awesome

[@marysalluce5475]

Bravo

[@bjs2022]

“Bad sound makes good video look bad.” Cameron had earphone microphones but he failed to use one. All the others also made zero effort to avoid the bad room acoustics.

[@xenafan234]

If Hacks Sweeps the Emmy's, Which I Think it will, Or the Globes, Then the Producers OWE, Jean, Hanna and Katlin.... An ALL Expenses Paid Girls Weekend, of Smoking, Booz and Black Jack! ♦♥♣♠ 🍹🚬 HAAZA!

[@uwcb1]

Never a fan of Always Sunny. It took me a minute to realize that’s where Olsen was from.

[@alphanerd7221]

Einbinder looks much better without all the makeup.

[@mlchc9004]

She wears more make up now

[@janetta98]

Mentions Gilda, but not Laraine Newman. Oopsie.

[@alphanerd7221]

Radner gets a bunch of credit because she died young. If she died at 70 people wouldn't know her name just like Newman. Jane Curtain on the other hand deserves recognition. She actually had talent.