Season 5, Episode 2 of Hacks streams on HBO Max tonight, bringing us one step closer to the bittersweet end of a show that has collected nine Primetime Emmy Awards since its premiere in 2021. The episode finds Deborah Vance and her team in New York City—and for today’s episode of The Run-Through, the real Deborah, Jean Smart, visited the studio to chat with Chloe about what it’s been like to play the character for five seasons…and what comes next.
“I definitely feel more like her. Or she feels more like me,” Smart said. “I mean, we look a lot alike.” She also pointed to the sarcastic sense of humor they share. As for where they differ, Smart noted that she doesn’t grapple with the same anger, bitterness, and distrust that drive much of Deborah’s decision-making. “That’s sort of been her fuel for many, many years, and I think she starts to learn to give that up this season.”
Smart will miss many aspects of Hacks, including Deborah’s vast, fabulous wardrobe and her tastefully designed home. Though she was hesitant to say whether she took any clothes from the set, she proudly admitted to lifting the drapes from Deborah’s house. “And I would do it again. There! I said it!”
Beyond the clothes, Smart will also miss working with Hannah Einbinder, whom she deeply admires. She credited her 30-year-old co-star with broadening her understanding of Gen Z: “I’m definitely more woke after meeting Ms. Einbinder.”
Also on today’s episode, British Vogue’s Radhika Seth joined Chioma to talk about the goings on across the pond. Their Charli XCX cover is out today, as is Radhika’s interview with Elle Fanning and Michelle Pfeiffer, the leads of Apple TV’s Margo’s Got Money Troubles; and they talk about the new season of Euphoria and upcoming fourth season of The White Lotus. Plus: a few Vogue and Teen Vogue staffers give us their dispatches from Coachella.