Jean Smart Didn’t Expect to Lose Husband of 34 Years Who Sacrificed Career for Her ‘So Soon’
|Hollywood actress Jean Smart credited her success in the movie industry to her husband Richard Gilliland, who she felt gave up his career to help nurture hers.
Jean Smart was born and raised in Seattle to a public school teacher, father, and stay-at-home mother. She was one of four children.
Even though her parents couldn’t afford to go on vacations or get all her Christmas wish list, she had a very happy childhood and was not deprived of anything.
Her father took her to a school play production by a teacher named Earl Kelly, which impressed her. She and her sister would then act in little plays in their neighbors’ garage, charging admission fees and selling popcorn.
Smart was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was 13 years old and, at 15, got her first job serving meals to patients in a hospital. At the time, she looked much older than her age, and people often confused her for a nurse.
She wanted to follow in her sister’s footsteps and attend Washington State for college, but her mother discouraged her. Smart ended up at the University of Washington, which was a decision that helped her acting career.
Smart moved to New York City in her late twenties and started auditioning for roles in small plays at nearby theatres. She was cast in a play titled “A late Snow” by playwright Jane Chambers, but it was called off a week later.
The young actress was then recast in another play titled “Last Summer at Bluefish Cove.” She appeared in four different TV series that did not air long before bagging a role in “Designing Women.”
She played a very gullible Baptist girl named Charlene. The CBS TV series, which aired from 1986 to 1993, also starred Annie Potts, Delta Burke, and Richard Gilliland.
Jean Smart attends the FYC red carpet of Bravo’s “Dirty John” at Saban Media Center | Photo: Getty Images
Smart left the series after five years; she didn’t want to be stereotyped and thought playing the same character for that period was good enough. She also wanted to try something else, which led to her next series, “High Society,” alongside actress Mary McDonell.
“High Society” lasted for one season. After the show, Smart starred in “Style and Substance” by Peter Tolan. She moved to Los Angeles, and her next appearance was the hit series “Frasier” alongside Kesley Grammar and David Hyde Pierce.
She subsequently appeared in the series “Fargo,” for which she won a critics’ choice award. It soon...