Jean Smart gained recognition with her role as Charlene Frazier on the CBS sitcom Designing Women (1986–1991). She has received multiple Emmy Awards, including wins for her guest appearances on Frasier and for her role as Regina Newley in Samantha Who?. Smart earned a Tony Award nomination for her performance as Lorraine Sheldon in The Man Who Came to Dinner (2000), and her other Broadway credits include Piaf (1981), Last Summer at Bluefish Cove (1983), and Fit to Be Tied (1996).
Smart’s television credits include 24, Fargo, Watchmen, and Hacks, for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Her film appearances include Sweet Home Alabama, The Accountant, and A Simple Favor. Smart has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is recognized for her extensive work across television, theatre, and film.
She returned to the Broadway stage in 2025 in the original play Call me Izzy.