Jean Smart and her boyfriend, Joe Pacheco, are the sweetest couple on the red carpet.
The Hacks star, 74, first rose to fame on the popular series Designing Women, and continued her reign as a comedy queen on Frasier. She nailed more dramatic roles on 24 and Fargo, and became a romcom favorite thanks to Sweet Home Alabama. But it’s her turn as stand-up comedian Deborah Vance on Hacks that solidified her as Hollywood gold, and with season five right around the bend, it’s great to see her thriving on the red carpet.
Smart, who lost her husband in 2021, looked so happy while holding hands with Pacheco at Hacks season 5 premiere in Los Angeles, California. With their arms interwoven, the duo is certainly lucky in love.
Photo by Amy Sussman on Getty Images
When Did Jean Smart’s Husband Die?
As Smart approached the end of filming season 1 in March 2021, her husband, Richard Gilliland, died at the age of 71. He had a heart condition and suffered a “brief illness” before his death, PEOPLE reported.
Smart was “still kind of in shock” but decided to continue filming the season. However, there was one scene she couldn’t bring herself to do.
“I said, ‘Let’s just do it.’ The only day that got me was when we shot Ava’s father’s funeral,” she recalled. “I suddenly thought, ‘I can’t do a funeral scene — I can’t.’ I’m not prone to anxiety at all, but that was not a pleasant day.”
Smart Leaned on Hannah Einbinder To Get Through
To navigate her grief, Smart leaned on her co-star, Hannah Einbinder.
“I really turned to [Einbinder] for comfort and support, and she was amazing,” Smart said. “I mean, she’s very wise.”
“God, I remember everything,” Einbinder told PEOPLE. “Every moment of it. I remember getting calls from the hospital on set, and it just was so painful. And I remember the way that everybody around sprang into action to care for her.”
After going through so much together, it’s great to see Smart and Einbinder back together. Check out the trailer for season 5!
This story was originally published by Parade on Apr 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.