Emmy Award-winning stage and screen actress Jean Smart is a native of Seattle, Washington. She earned a B.A. degree in fine arts from the University of Washington and made her professional debut in 1975 at the prestigious Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Following several seasons in regional theater, she headed for New York, where her acclaimed Off-Broadway debut in Last Summer at Bluefish Cove garnered her a Drama Desk nomination and a role on Broadway in Piaf.

The taping of Piaf for PBS brought Jean to Hollywood where she landed a multitude of roles in television and film. She starred in the series Teachers Only, Reggie and the HBO dramatic series Maximum Security and appeared in feature films Project X, Protocol, and Mistress with Danny Aiello and Robert De Niro.

In 1986 she helped launch the hugely popular CBS sitcom Designing Women, during which she met and married co-star Richard Gilliland and gave birth to their son, Connor.

Jean took a big risk and left Designing Women at its peak, moving on to strong performances in several television movies, including a dramatic turn as America's first female serial killer in Overkill: The Aileen Wuornos Story and a mentally-challenged mother in The Yarn Princess. Major film credits include The Brady Bunch Movie, The Odd Couple II, Disney's The Kid, Snow Day, and a critically acclaimed, scene-stealing performance in Guinevere.

Jean's comedic strength and versatility earned her the lead roles in two more comedy series; In High Society, Jean played neurotic novelist Ellie Walker opposite Mary McDonnell. In 1998, she returned in Style and Substance as the 'world's foremost authority on gracious living.' Other series credits include The Oblongs and In-Laws opposite Dennis Farina.

On stage, Jean starred opposite her husband in Renee Taylor and Joseph Bologna's two-character comedy, It Had to Be You, and received acclaim for her peformances in Fit to Be Tied, Marvin's Room and End of the Day.

In 2000 and 2001, Jean received consecutive Emmy Awards for her guest role on the series Frasier, as well as a nomination for her recurring role on The District. In 2003, she re-teamed with Richard for the Hallmark Channel's presentation of Audrey's Rain, plus took on the role of FBI Agent Candice DeLong in a Lifetime Original Movie.

In addition to her acting career, Jean has dedicated herself to mentoring and fund-raising in the battle against Juvenile Diabetes, a condition with which she was diagnosed at age 13. She has also become involved with Alzheimer's research and awareness.

Jean also continues to do theater and film, recently receiving a Tony nomination for her role on Broadway in The Man Who Came to Dinner, as well as making feature film appearances in Sweet Home Alabama, Garden State and Bringing Down the House with Steve Martin.

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