Editing Jean Smart (section)

=== 2020–present: ''Hacks'' and return to Broadway ===
In 2021, Smart appeared in the seven-episode [[HBO]] [[crime drama]] limited series ''[[Mare of Easttown]]'' set in a small town in [[Pennsylvania]]. The series stars [[Kate Winslet]] as a grizzled detective with a supporting cast that includes [[Guy Pearce]], [[Julianne Nicholson]], and [[Evan Peters]]. Her role as Winslet's mother has earned her critical acclaim with Jackson McHenry of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' writing, "It's one of those essential truths of TV, as ''Watchmen'' and ''Legion'' displayed recently, that if you need a tough-as-nails broad, you hire Jean Smart. Smart has the voice and the timing to play a stern matriarch, and whenever she's onscreen in ''Mare of Easttown'', she wrenches away the spotlight like she's grabbing a juice box."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/article/mare-of-easttown-jean-smart-helen-fahey-performance-sad-funny.html|title= A Celebration of Jean Smart's Sad-Funny Work on Mare of Easttown|website= Variety|date= May 11, 2021|accessdate= May 13, 2021}}</ref>

She also stars as the lead in the [[Max (streaming service)|HBO Max]] dark comedy series ''[[Hacks (TV series)|Hacks]]'' (2021), playing a legendary Las Vegas comedy diva looking to appeal to a younger audience. ''[[USA Today]]'' declared Smart, at the age of 69, "The Queen of HBO", after appearing in ''Watchmen'', ''Mare of Easttown'' and now ''Hacks''. Glen Weldon of ''[[NPR]]'' praised Smart's performance in his review, writing, "I don't know if the role of Deborah Vance was written for Smart, but she certainly makes it seem like it was...Smart's also convincing as a standup, performing Deborah's vaguely hokey routines with a naturalistic flair as if she was born to it."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2021/05/13/996117911/hacks-a-comedic-generational-divide-gets-bridged-jean-smartly|title= 'Hacks': A Comedic Generational Divide Gets Bridged, (Jean) Smartly|website= NPR|date= May 13, 2021|accessdate= May 13, 2021|last1= Weldon|first1= Glen}}</ref> She won two consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series|Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series]] (2021 and 2022).<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.emmys.com/bios/jean-smart|title= Jean Smart – Emmy Award, Nominations and Wins|website= Television Academy|accessdate= May 16, 2024}}</ref> She won the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series]] again in 2024.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAfoSikyHJk |title=Lead Actress In A Comedy Series: 76th Emmy Awards |date=2024-09-15 |last=Television Academy |access-date=2024-09-16 |via=YouTube}}</ref>

In 2021, Smart co-starred in the romantic comedy film ''[[Senior Moment]]'' with [[William Shatner]] and [[Christopher Lloyd]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/ephraim-lopez-jean-smart-william-shatner-comedy-senior-moment-1202417356/ |title=Ephraim Lopez, Jean Smart Join William Shatner Comedy 'Senior Moment' |work=Variety |date=May 8, 2017}}</ref> In 2022, she played Peg, the grandmother of [[Kiernan Shipka]]'s character Bea Johnson, in [[Wildflower (2022 film)|''Wildflower'']].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gyarkye |first=Lovia |date=2022-09-12 |title='Wildflower' Review: Kiernan Shipka Plays the Daughter of Neurodivergent Parents in an Endearing Coming-of-Age Film |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/wildflower-film-kiernan-shipka-jacki-weaver-jean-smart-1235207017/ |access-date=2022-12-21 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2022, Smart appeared in [[Damien Chazelle]]'s 1920s [[Period film|period]] [[comedy-drama]] film ''[[Babylon (2022 film)|Babylon]]'' as [[gossip columnist]] Elinor St. John.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/babylon-costume-design-jean-smart-1234808811/|title= Dressing to Be Seen: How the 'Babylon' Costumes Defined Jean Smart's Gossip Reporter|website= [[IndieWire]]|date= February 14, 2023|accessdate= May 16, 2024}}</ref> On September 28, 2024, she hosted the season 50 premiere episode of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |title='Saturday Night Live' kicks off 50th season with Jean Smart, Jelly Roll, three new cast members |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/entertainment-celebrity/saturday-night-live-kicks-off-50th-season-with-jean-smart-jelly-roll-three-new-cast-members/ar-AA1qVbJU?ocid=U147IDHP |via=MSN.com |access-date=2024-09-25 |last=Thompson |first=Stephanie |work=WBRE Wilkes-Barre |date=September 20, 2024}}</ref> Zach Vasquez of ''[[The Guardian]]'' wrote of her hosting duties, "Smart is no slouch – a great dramatic and comedic actor of stage and screen, she nails her monologue, delivering jokes like the pro comic she plays on ''Hacks'', before singing a rendition of [[Cole Porter]]’s "[[I Happen to Like New York]]."<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/sep/29/saturday-night-live-jean-smart-recap|title= Saturday Night Live: Jean Smart can't save a lazy, light-on-laughs season opening|website= [[The Guardian]]|date= September 29, 2024|accessdate= October 19, 2024|last1= Vasquez|first1= Zach}}</ref> It was announced that Smart would return to Broadway in a one-woman play ''Call Me Izzy'' written by Jamie Wax at [[Studio 54]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.theatermania.com/news/hacks-star-jean-smart-sets-broadway-return-this-summer-in-new-solo-play_1766836/|title= Hacks Star Jean Smart Sets Broadway Return This Summer in New Solo Play|website= TheaterMania|accessdate= March 10, 2025}}</ref>