Editing Jean Smart (section)

===1975–1999: Theater roles and ''Designing Women'' ===
[[File:Jean Smart as Babs in production of Mrs. California.jpg|thumb|left|Smart in ''Mrs. California'' at [[Los Angeles]] [[Public Theatre]]]]
After graduating from college, Smart began her career appearing in regional theater throughout the [[Pacific Northwest]], including in Washington, [[Alaska]], and [[Oregon]].<ref name=tt/> She performed with the [[Seattle Repertory Theater]] as well as the [[Oregon Shakespeare Festival]] in [[Ashland, Oregon]].<ref name="yahoobio"/>  In the mid-1970s, she moved to New York City with college friend and fellow actress, Elizabeth Wingate (Lavery), and began working in [[Off-Broadway]] and professional regional productions.<ref name="tt">{{cite web|url=http://www.totaltheater.com/?q=node/504|work=Total Theater|title=Jean Smart Commutes From TV & Film To The Stage|author=Nassour, Ellis|date=July 2000|access-date=January 22, 2017}}</ref> In 1980, she appeared as [[Lady Macbeth]] at the [[Pittsburgh Public Theater]] opposite [[Tom Atkins (actor)|Tom Atkins]] as Macbeth and [[Keith Fowler]] as Macduff. In 1981, Smart was nominated for a [[Drama Desk Award]] for her performance in the [[Off-Broadway]] play ''[[Last Summer at Bluefish Cove]]''.<ref name="yahoobio"/> In February 1981, Smart appeared in the [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] production of ''[[Piaf (play)|Piaf]]'' playing [[Marlene Dietrich]],<ref name=tt/> a role which she later reprised for the 1984 television version.<ref name="yahoobio"/>

In addition to theater, Smart began working in television in several smaller to mid-size guest parts in the late 1970s and early 1980s, appearing on ''[[The Facts of Life (TV series)|The Facts of Life]]'', ''[[Alice (American TV series)|Alice]]'', and ''[[Remington Steele]]'' among several others.<ref name="yahoobio"/> According to Smart, after roles on the short-lived series ''[[Teachers Only]]'' and ''[[Reggie (TV series)|Reggie]]'' in 1983, "casting directors just decided I was funny. When that happens, you usually get pigeonholed, but I was fortunate. I got to move back and forth."<ref name=tt/> The following year, she had a supporting part in the thriller ''[[Flashpoint (1984 film)|Flashpoint]]'' (1984).{{Sfn|Pitts|2013|p=111}}

[[File:Jean Smart (255229468).jpg|thumb|right|Smart at the 1991 [[Primetime Emmy Awards]] ceremony]] 
In 1985, Smart was cast in the starring role of Charlene Frazier Stillfield on the comedy series ''[[Designing Women]]'',{{Sfn|Shapiro|Jicha|2015|p=142}} a role she played from the show's beginning in 1986 through its fifth season. After leaving ''Designing Women'', her work mainly concentrated on made-for-television films and supporting film roles. Notably, she portrayed [[serial killer]] [[Aileen Wuornos]] in the television film ''Overkill: The Aileen Wuornos Story'' (1992), followed by a supporting part in the [[black comedy]] ''[[Mistress (1992 film)|Mistress]]'' (1992), opposite [[Robert De Niro]] and [[Eli Wallach]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/83767/mistress|work= Turner Classic Movies|title=Mistress (1992) – Overview|publisher=Rovi|access-date=December 29, 2016}}</ref> Critic [[Roger Ebert]] praised the film and called Smart's character portrayal "calculating".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/mistress-1992|work= Chicago Sun-Times|title=Mistress Movie Review|author=Ebert, Roger|date=August 21, 1992|access-date=January 22, 2017}}</ref> The following year, she appeared in the family drama ''[[Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey]]'' (1993), and as Ory Baxter in a television version of ''[[The Yearling (1994 film)|The Yearling]]'' (1994). She was then cast as Sally Brewton in the television miniseries ''[[Scarlett (TV miniseries)|Scarlett]]'' (1995), and appeared in a supporting role in ''[[The Brady Bunch Movie]]'' (1995).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/the-brady-bunch-movie/cast/130540/|work=TV Guide|title=The Brady Bunch Movie Cast and Crew|access-date=January 22, 2017}}</ref> She also appeared in the television thriller film ''A Stranger In Town'' (1995) opposite [[Gregory Hines]].<ref>{{cite journal|journal= [[Jet (magazine)|Jet]]|date=July 15, 1996|title=A Stranger in Town|series=Television|page=66|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4D8DAAAAMBAJ&q=jean+smart+stranger+in+town&pg=PA66}}</ref>

In 1995, Smart was cast as the lead in the comedy series ''[[High Society (1995 TV series)|High Society]]'', which co-starred [[Mary McDonnell]] and ran for 13 episodes,<ref name="yahoobio"/> followed by a role opposite [[Nancy McKeon]] in another short-lived CBS sitcom, ''[[Style & Substance]]''. Other roles included a part in [[Neil Simon]]'s ''[[The Odd Couple II]]'' (1998) and as Deborah Sloane in the drama ''[[Guinevere (1999 film)|Guinevere]]'' (1999).<ref name="yahoobio"/> She had a lead role in the comedy ''[[Forever Fabulous]]'' (1999) as an aging beauty queen.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.moviefone.com/movie/forever-fabulous/20054046/main/|work=MovieFone.com |title= Forever Fabulous (1999) |access-date=January 21, 2017}}</ref>