Emmy-winning actress Jean Smart was born on September 13, 1951 in Seattle, Washington. Despite being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 13, she pursued her interest in drama, beginning with the drama program at the Ballard High School, where she studied. She started acting professionally in 1979, when she made her film debut through the crime drama Gangsters.
After appearing in small roles in both television and film, Smart got her first regular television role in 1986, when she appeared in the comedy Designing Women. She played one of the leads, Charlene Stillfield, the hopeless romantic among the four—sensitive, charming, and perhaps a bit na?ve. She played the role until 1991, when the program was cancelled. She also starred in her own comedy, the short-lived High Society. Airing as a last-minute replacement in 1995, she plays Ellie Walker, a successful romantic novelist acting in an outrageously decadent manner. Despite being a success among audiences, some critics were irked at its similarities with British comedy Absolutely Fabulous, and it was cancelled after 13 episodes.
Smart’s more recent roles included as Sherry Regan, the ex-wife of Jack Mannion (Craig T. Nelson), in The District; the voice of Anne Possible in the animates series Kim Possible; the short-lived sitcom Center of the Universe, where she played the wife of John Goodman’s character; and the overbearing mother of Samantha Newly (Christina Applegate) in Samantha Who? Another one of Smart’s more notable roles is in the action series 24, where she played Martha Logan, the unpredictable and unstable wife of President Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin). Her performance was applauded by critics.
Smart received six Emmy nominations throughout her career: two for her role in 24, one for The District, and most recently, one for Samantha Who? However, it was her portrayal of Frasier Crane’s (Kelsey Grammer) high school crush Lana Gardner on Frasier which earned her two Emmys, one in 2000 and another in 2001. She is also known for her many successful films, some of which include Guinevere, The Kid, Sweet Home Alabama, Garden State and Bringing Down the House.