As the 2026 Golden Globes announced the winner of the best performance by a female actor in a television series – musical or comedy, the crowd went wild to hear Jean Smart’s name called. The 74-year-old comedy legend has been playing Deborah Vance in cult sitcom Hacks since 2021 and has been nominated for her portrayal every year since, winning three out of the four times.
The series also stars Hannah Einbinder, 30, as Deborah’s young writing partner, who pushes her to try new material and forms an unlikely bond with the aging star, despite their frequent clashes.
What is Hacks about?
Deborah Vance is a legendary Las Vegas stand-up whose long-running residency is suddenly on the line, forcing her to shake up an act that’s starting to feel a little too comfortable.
Enter Ava Daniels, a sharp but disgraced young comedy writer who’s been iced out of the industry after a bad tweet and an even worse reputation.
When Ava is sent to Vegas to become Deborah’s new head writer, the pairing is awkward, tense and occasionally brutal, but also unexpectedly transformative. As Ava pushes Deborah to take creative risks, Deborah pushes back, ultimately helping Ava confront her own mess along the way.
Who is in the cast of Hacks?
Hacks stars:
Jean Smart as Deborah Vance
Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels
Carl Clemons-Hopkins as Marcus Vaughan, the CEO of Deborah’s company
Paul W. Downs as Jimmy LuSaque Jr., Deborah and Ava’s manager
Megan Stalter as Jimmy’s assistant turned co-manager
When is Hacks Season 5 coming out?
We don’t have an exact date yet, but the fifth (and reportedly final) season should come out later in 2026.
“It will feel different,” Einbinder previously told E!. “We’re going to start [filming] next week, and knowing it’s the last season is really bittersweet. But I think it’s right, you know? It’s nice to do something as many times as it should be done. Not overstay your welcome. Rip it and do it and laugh and cry.”
Meanwhile, the show’s creators, Jen Statsky, Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs have often said they saw the dark comedy as a five-season show.
“We are now breaking up Season 5, and we have to see how many episodes it will take us to get to where we know we’re going to go,” Downs told Variety last yearof the plan to make the fifth season the last.
“The final scene of the final episode has been in our minds since 2015, and we’re excited to get there. But that may take more episodes than we can fit in the season. So the truth is that we don’t know.”
Where can I watch Hacks in Australia?
All four seasons of Hacks are currently streaming on Stan Australia.
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