Jean Smart is an actress who has a body of work that is very excellent. The 13th of September 1951 found her in Seattle, and she always knew from a young age that she wanted to pursue a career in acting. During the 1970s, she participated in a variety of community theater plays as well as theatre festivals all around the nation.
In 1981, she made her first appearance on Broadway. After having one of her pieces, “Piaf,” adapted for television, she made the leap to acting on the big screen. The role of Charlene Frazier, which the actress played on the all-female comedy “Designing Women,” brought her widespread acclaim in the year 1986.
On the set of that program, Smart would eventually end up meeting the man who would become her husband. When Richard Gilliland, who portrayed one of Annie Potts’ other potential love interests, initially appeared on the stage, he immediately drew her attention. In reference to the circumstances around how they met, Smart made a joke:
“I met him while he was kissing someone else.”
Both Smart and Gilliland may thank their co-star Delta Burke for putting them in touch with one another. They started going out together, and the rest, as the proverb goes, is history. In 1987, the ceremony took place in the yard of Dixie Carter. After almost two years had passed, on October 25th, 1989, Connor Douglas Gilliland was finally brought into the world.
The pregnancy was complicated by gestational diabetes, which the actress struggled to keep under control throughout her pregnancy. For the purpose of expanding their family, Smart and her husband adopted Forrest Gilliland in 2009 when he was just 10 months old.
In spite of the lengthy adoption procedure, which took five years longer than was originally anticipated, Mom and Dad were overjoyed with the new addition to their family. Conor delighted in his role as an older brother and doted on his younger sister.
Smart acknowledged that she was fortunate to have met her spouse at the time that she did since he turned out to be a wonderful companion. When she had to work, he assumed the majority of responsibility for the care of their children. The actress, who was of the opinion that he had passed up chances to demonstrate to the public what he was capable of, stated:
“He gave up a lot in terms of his profession so that I could make the most of the possibilities that were presented to me. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have any of this. I owe it everything to him.”
Gilliland passed suddenly on March 18, 2021, due to complications related to his cardiac disease. No one anticipated the 71-year-passing old’s to occur so quickly. The shell-shocked widow persisted through the last week of filming for her HBO program “Hacks,” throwing herself wholeheartedly into her job. Her on-set family came together to support her and help her get through the difficult moment.
In spite of the fact that he was most known for his work on the stage, Gilliland was also a skilled actor who had roles in well-known television programs such as “Matlock,” “Party of Five,” “Desperate Housewives,” and “Dexter.” Following “Designing Women,” he and his wife appeared on TV together once again in season five of “24.” They were scheduled to appear in another movie together in the year 2021.
After a marriage that lasted for 34 years, Smart described how it felt to be apart from her spouse as “strange.” He was the one who shared her pleasures and ideas, and there is no doubt that he played a significant role in her life. She would miss how often he made her laugh as well as the joy he took in her job. She would also miss him.
Since her husband passed away, Smart has been forced to readjust to her life as a single mom to Conor and Forrest, which is perhaps the most challenging position she has ever taken on. When asked how she was adjusting to life without her spouse, the actress responded as follows:
“You know, we were both performers, and the job has offered me a great deal of happiness as well as a fantastic diversion from my loss,” he said. “You know what I mean?”
Conor, who is 35 years old, prefers to remain in the background and does not seem to be active on social media. On the other side, Forrest is just beginning to find his way through the adolescent years. When Smart went back to shooting her current program, the close-knit family noticed the void in their lives the most. Concerned about the well-being of her kid while she was gone, she couldn’t sleep.
Hannah Einbinder, Smart’s co-star on “Hacks,” who is familiar with that aspect of Smart, has described her as a “ferocious momma bear.” After the passing of their father, she has struggled to comfort herself while still protecting and directing her little kid through life’s challenges. After a year, the actress said the following:
“Now, slowly, the reality of my new existence is hitting in, and I find that to be very, extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely sad, and extremely lonely.”
Ironically, the actress has been honored with a number of accolades after the passing of her spouse. These honors include a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as well as a SAG Award for best performance by a female actor in a comedy series. By focusing on completing one day at a time, Smart was able to triumph over the most challenging year of her life.
At the age of 71, Jean Smart has not lost any of her beauty. However, the tall blonde beauty’s remarkable resume is the primary reason why she is so well known. Smart has shown the ability to add wit and complexity to whatever role she has played, whether it be on stage or in front of the camera. She has shown that despite having experienced adversity, one is still able to live a fulfilling life.