Jean Smart, star of 'Hacks,' reflects on Hollywood's past mentality

For Jean Smart, starring in Hacks has been about more than just bagging awards — she has won four Emmys for her role as Deborah Vance — but about redefining her position in Hollywood.

“I can’t really explain it, but I’m eternally grateful for the roles I’ve had in the last decade, really," she explains in the interview with the Boston Herald.

The actress continues, "Things started to change for me when I did ‘24’ and played the First Lady. But I was never an ingenue, thank God. Because I’d be pretty miserable right now."

Smart recalls back in Hollywood: stories were mostly centered on men, often leaving side characters for women.

“Even in the high school play, I always played mom. I don’t know if it was my height or my deep voice," she shares.

"Now, I do think there are more interesting roles for women who aren’t 25 years old. It used to be that if men were dominant in every movie you saw, it was because they only wrote stories about men."

With time, the 74-year-old adds that the reality began to set in the industry that women do have a voice and a story to tell.

“Because men were the ones that were out in the world doing things. Women were not out in the world doing things, which is why everything was written about men."

"Pretty soon people realized that some women had actually always been out there doing things. And they started writing about women."

Smart shares now that the women have been cast in bold, complex roles with depth and drama.

“Now they’re realizing that women can be just as three-dimensional and older women can have the same kind of lives and desires and things that women who are 30 do.”

Hacks final season is set to drop on HBO Max on April 9.