What happened to Jean Smart? SAG Awards absence explained

Jean Smart recently won Best Actress in a Comedy Series at the SAG Awards for her performance in the HBO series Hacks.

However, she recently underwent a heart surgery and was unable to attend the event. The award was instead accepted by her friend and co-star Chris McDonald. McDonald also delivered a speech on Jean's behalf where she thanked everyone who was involved in the show.

Smart disclosed through social media on February 23 that her heart procedure had been successful. The Instagram post stated:

"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 am recovering from a recent successful heart procedure. I am fortunate to have excellent care and support from my family and friends while I continue to recuperate. Please listen to your body and talk to your doctor – I'm very glad I did!"

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Hacks season 3 production stopped for Jean Smart's heart procedure

Production of Hacks season 3 was halted for Jean Smart's heart procedure (Image via Monica Schipper/Getty Images)

The producers of the HBO series Hacks are planning to release their third season by the end of 2023. However, production of season 3 was paused to allow Jean to recover from her heart procedure.

Following her announcement on Instagram, HBO Max and Universal Television also expressed their happiness in an official statement where they said:

"We are so happy that our beloved Jean Smart's heart procedure was successful and she's on the mend. HBO Max and UTV send their well wishes."

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Jean's husband, Richard Gilliland, also died of a heart condition in March 2021 at the age of 71. In an interview with Rolling Stone in December last year, Smart spoke about how she has been feeling following her husband's demise. She said at the time:

"He made me laugh all the time. That's going to be hard to live without. 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."

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Who is Jean Smart?

Jean Smart started her career on stage and began to appear in films and TV shows. She portrayed the role of Charlene Frazier Stillfield on the CBS sitcom, Designing Women.

Smart gained recognition for her performances in various other shows like Frasier, Samantha Who?, 24, Kim Possible, Fargo, Legion, and more. She also appeared in various other films like Project X, The Yearling, The Odd Couple II, The Accountant, A Simple Favor, Superintelligence, and more.