Jean Smart sits down in front of her computer for this Zoom in full glamand a bathrobe.
Of course my luggage got lost.
Which do you think I chose?
Getty Images; Everett Collection; Max
So I wore the hotel bathrobe on stage and figured Id make a little bit out of it.
Actually, maybe it was Hannah who said that, Wear the bathrobe.'
And I didnt have to hold my stomach in.
Jean Smart, in said bathrobe, at theVarietyPower of Comedy event in Austin, Texas
It was a nice bathrobe, too.
Talk about a wake-up call, she says.
You realize how short life really is.
NBC/Getty Images
From people-pleasing (Everybody wants to be liked, especially actors.
Glamour:How do you feel about being called an icon?
I noticed you winced when I first mentioned it.
Angus Sampson and Jean Smart in season two ofFargo
I feel like Im a thousand years old.
But no, I know its a compliment, so I will take it as a compliment.
Yes, yo do!
Delta Burke, Dixie Carter, Jean Smart, and Annie Potts in a promo shot for the CBS sitcomDesigning Women
Is there a career achievement thats a little bit higher on that mountain for you than others?
What are you most proud of?
And also when I was nominated for a Tony on Broadway.
Jean Smart and husband Robert Gilliland in Los Angeles in 1993
I didThe Man Who Came to Dinnerwith Nathan Lane.
That was a huge thrill.
I think all actors fantasize about winning a Tony.
Jean Smart and Linda Bloodworth-Thomason at the 50th-episode party ofDesigning Women
And there are other shows that are just huge standouts for me, likeFargoandWatchmen.
Fargowas one of my all-time favorite jobs.
Id take a crack again at playing Floyd.
Forrest Gilliland, Jean Smart, and Conner Gilliland attend Smart’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony on April 25, 2022.
And I was concerned at first because the opening scene of our season was so violent.
I loved playing those characters.
They were so different and fun.
Honestly, I didnt.
You won your first Emmy for your guest appearance onFrasier.
What did that do for your confidence?
I wish they could have seenHacks.
That makes me sad.
They didnt get to, and I think my mother in particular wouldve really, really enjoyed it.
But yeah, it was just exciting and flattering and to get acknowledged by your profession.
Its a wonderful thing.
What did that experience teach you?
He recently got a haircut.
And now he kind of likes it.
A couple of days after that I said, You know what?
And sometimes theres other reasons why other things happen.
It was out of stock.
It wouldve taken months to get it ordered.
I finally settled for something that was similar, but it wasnt the vision Id had in my head.
And now I just love it.
Its the little things…obviously much more important things than haircuts and shower tile.
You get a picture in your head.
As the story goes, you asked him into your dressing room for help with a crossword puzzle.
Did you complete the crossword puzzle?
I told him later, I was so forward with you.
That is not me at all.
Oh God, I would just laugh.
You have to be together and you get to know each other a little bit.
So we talked a lot that week, and he invited me to see a play he was in.
We lived about 15 minutes apart.
It was just one of those instant kind of bonds.
It was kind of amazing.
Oh my gosh, yes.
Her beautiful rose garden.
Do you ever rewatch the episodes when Richard first guest-starred on the show?
I have run across some episodes online, and its really fun to watch.
And I have to be really, really honest.
I dont think I appreciated the show completely when I was doing it.
And how amazing [creator] Linda Bloodworth-Thomason is and was.
You leftDesigning Womenafter five seasons.
Is there a part of you that wishes you wouldve stayed until the end?
It was good that I left at the end of my contract.
I see her answering the phones.
I mean, my God.
I also got married during the show.
I had my first child during the show.
My life was changing dramatically.
And number two, no more cigarettes.
Richard was worried partly because of my diabetes and everything, and it hadnt been planned.
We were both a little freaked out.
Tell us about that.
Plus, Richard kept saying, Oh, I think were too old.
And I said, Well, yeah, maybe when we first started talking about it, we werent.
But then I just cried one day and he finally went, Okay, okay.
So I was totally ready.
But I do think there are serious considerations to make.
I mean, Im thrilled that we did.
It was just the best.
And my youngest is just an amazing person, but certainly there are considerations.
I mean, he lost his dad when he was 12.
How do you take away that pain?
Thats a trauma that people need to think of and be mindful of.
Certainly we had no idea Richard had any kind of health issues.
But the second this baby was handed to us, we were just so besotted.
It was the best.
But it took years for the process and mountains of paperwork.
Forrest is 15 now.
Has he made you feel younger at heart?
Oh, I think so.
Kids keep you young, absolutely.
What are the lessons that youre unlearning at this point in life?
The first thing is about people-pleasing.
That can be a very nice quality.
And Im not really good at that.
Im learning that because my kids always say, Why did you say yes to that?
You said you were stressed or you said you were tired.
Everybody wants to be liked, especially actors.
Thats why we became actors.
I didnt get enough attention as a child.
But yeah, learning to say no, but nicely.
you could always say no nicely.
Was there ever a role that you turned down that took a long time to get over?
The director talked to me about taking over the role.
This was like a childhood fantasy.
My father played that album ad nauseam.
I used to dance around the living room to that music.
And yet I said no.
But I think it was also fear, and that makes me feel sad.
The other role I turned down…I auditioned for Stephen Sondheim forFolliesin New York.
And he offered it to me and I said no.
I wish Id known.
I think, again, it was fear.
Its not fear of being on Broadway.
I used to be a good singer, but yeah, I dont know.
I was really proud of my audition.
If Id really wanted to play the part, I wouldve done it.
I wouldve been terrified, but I wouldve done it.
Have you forgiven yourself?
Thats another big life lesson you got to learn.
Even if its not true, you have to just tell yourself, You know what?
I made those decisions at that time for reasons and you let it go.
Because to me, regret is the most damaging emotion of all.
Guilts right after that.
But regret, to me, is the worst.
How have you changed, and has that influenced the kind of stories you want to tell going forward?
I feel like Im more fearful in some ways, which is not a good way to live.
And I know some of that will go away.
I know some of that is part of the healing process in both of those situations.
So Im trying to not worry about that too much.
As we saw in the first episode ofHacksthis season, eat the coconut cake.
Or at least take a bite.
Just eat the cake.
And wear a robe.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
