In The Envelope: An Awards Podcast

Jean Smart has the kind of craft and career advice only an actor with her breadth of experience could provide. Since her early days studying theater in her home state of Washington, there’s little the three-time Emmy Award-winning actor hasn’t taken on, avoiding pigeonholing and receiving constant critical acclaim. Case in point: her recently Emmy-nominated work as Laurie Blake on HBO’s Damon Lindelof limited series “Watchmen.” As she puts it, “Who knew at this stage of the game I was going to become an action hero?” Jean’s breakout role as the naive Charlene Frazier on “Designing Women” was followed by “Overkill: The Aileen Wuornos Story” as the titular serial killer. In addition to Emmy-winning work on “Frasier” and “Samantha Who?,” she’s stolen the show on “24,” “Fargo,” “Legion,” in “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Garden State,” and “A Simple Favor,” on Broadway, earning a Tony nomination for “The Man Who Came to Dinner,” and much more. --- Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 y