I’ll confess something here: I have never, at any point, behaved normally where Jean Smart is concerned. Not upon my initial introduction to her, as the voice behind Kim Possible’s mom on the Disney Channel; not when I observed her in Mare of Easttown; and certainly not when I conversed with her and her Hacks co-actor Hannah Einbinder regarding the third season of the show and was so captivated by their natural charm that I overextended myself trying to fit in, leading to a definite awkwardness (apologies, ladies). Presently, at 73, Smart is about to host Saturday Night Live for the inaugural time, and I, for one, am definitely tuning in.
Even to most individuals, Smart stands as somewhat of a thespian icon; her breakout role was as Charlene Frazier Stillfield on your aunt’s (and my) beloved program Designing Women, and she proudly holds no less than six Emmys for her roles in Frasier, Samantha Who?, and Hacks. (I additionally just discovered through Wikipedia that Smart is maternally descended from Dorcas Hoar, one of the last women charged with witchcraft in the Salem witch trials. Iconic family history alert!) As the show commemorates its half-century milestone, it’s poised to be a conversation-rich SNL season, especially with the upcoming presidential race and appearances by John Mulaney and Chappell Roan. However, for me personally, all I require in this lifetime is Smart’s initial monologue.
Catch her already-hilarious SNL promo above, and then peruse 21 classic photographs that demonstrate Jean Smart has consistently been the most incredible, stunning woman ever (despite even the widespread perm craze of the 1980s):