HILARIOUS, DRAMATIC, AND STEAMY
- Heart Of Hollywood Team
- 6 hours ago
- 5 min read
Award-Winning Comedy ‘Hacks’ Highlights Challenges Women Face to Achieve Their Dreams in Showbiz
By Gilda Baum-Lappe and Sandy Rodriguez
On April 10th, Max will release Season 4 of its hugely successful show Hacks, which has received awards at the Emmys, the Golden Globes, and other major events. It chronicles the adventures of a standup comic hoping to regain popularity in Las Vegas named Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and a younger writer, Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder).
Hacks, largely comedic but with some dark, dramatic scenes, accurately depicts struggles many women in show business face. However, at this point in the story, the main character is reaching the pinnacle of her career. And yet she is having panic attacks and self-doubt.
“There have been a lot of characters throughout history that you kind of love to hate. But hopefully you’ll also see the part of her that's a little bit more vulnerable,” said Jean about Deborah.
A real-life situation that was emotional for the actress was that a frequent filming location for Hacks, a mansion serving as Deborah’s Los Angeles home, was destroyed by the Eaton wildfire.
“The beautiful mansion that was built in 1930, I think. It was really sad. We had just finished shooting there, I think the week before. The couple that lived there and their dog are safe, thank God. But yeah, that was shocking,” Jean stated.
Paul W. Downs is the actor who plays Jimmy LuSaque, Deborah and Ava’s manager. Paul is also creator, showrunner, executive producer, writer, and director of Hacks, and he knew all along that Deborah would eventually reach her career apex.
“We always wanted her to get her white whale, to get a late-night show,” he explained.
Creator, showrunner, EP, writer, and director Lucia Aniello agrees.
“It was a fun, fresh challenge to be able to write about an office setting. Whether they're arguing about coffee makers, HR, or hiring, its feels fun to put them in that scenario because that's a scenario the rest of the world knows better than some comedians,” she said. “And, of course, they deal with the fallout of the blackmail. We ended up making ten episodes; we just felt there was so much to play with.”
And there truly are many new developments. Kayla, played by Megan Stalter, is now having a fantastic arc.
“I actually tear up when I think about last season. Jimmy chooses Kayla. She gets her guy. Like, she's like, finally, like, "I can't do this without you." And it's romantic. And I hope in the next season she gets pregnant. I don't want her to hook up with Jimmy. I want her to get pregnant, and then Jimmy has to take on the role of father. I want him to step up as the father. But all that to say is that I think Kayla is living her dream in this season, being able to be in power and having her guy by her side. She's on top of the world,” said Megan.
There is a lot of tension in many of the scenes. Some show characters feuding, while others are steamy.
“We have a great intimacy coordinator this year, I loved working with her. I'm in a really safe environment. Our sex scenes are always written with a comedic element to them. Nothing is purely sexual or gratuitous,” explained Hannah. “Also, I will say I have found it incredibly liberating to be nude on camera. It's like, a man takes his shirt off and that's cool. What is stopping that from applying to women? It’s like a puritanical societal code.”
A shift in TV plotlines is that several contemporary ones are now portraying seniors as vibrant, complex individuals. That is what Hacks appears to be doing. Perhaps it is unintentional, but it’s part of what makes the show so appealing.
“I get a little uncomfortable when the subject comes up, because I don't want to be the poster child for older actresses. But it's nice to be able to play a character that shows that people have the same kinds of hopes and dreams and desires they do when they're 30. It’s not something we used to see in film and television. But now people see that and get used to that. That's part of real life and it's great. And if our show has helped with that a little bit, then bravo,” said Jean.
Creator, showrunner, executive producer, and writer Jen Statsky feels that there’s no age limit for hopes and goals.
“This season in particular is about going after your dream and getting your dream. I think we do a great disservice to us all as human beings when we put media out there that says that you can only go after your dreams up to a certain age. That's so sad. We should reflect a world where you don't have to stop trying. You don't have to stop going after that until you're in the mausoleum, as Deborah Vance will be,” she stated.
“Older people are cool and funny and sexy and all these things. I do think Jean has contributed to the reframing of that narrative. Like she says, ‘hotter than I've ever been.’ That's a quote from the show and I think that's true. And there's something really cool about the fact that Deborah is continuing to grow and learn and open her heart up. People who continue to do that always find their lives to be enriched as a result,” Lucia added.
“That’s been a great thing to see on the show because Deborah just hung on to anger, bitterness, and resentment. To see her being able to let go or at least recognize that, is important. It’s shocking how long it takes you to learn stuff in life. You think, oh, God, why didn’t I figure that out, you know, 30 years ago?” Jean remarked.
Photo Credit: Courtesy Gilda Baum-Lappe at the Award-Winning Comedy ‘Hacks’ private premiere.
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