Jean Smart (“Legion,” “Fargo“) will recur in Bravo Media’s “Dirty John” playing Arlane Hart, Debra’s (Connie Britton) mother. Smart will join Britton and Eric Bana in the scripted anthology series based on the articles and breakout true crime podcast of the same name from Los Angeles Times reporter Christopher Goffard. The series reunites Smart with Bana, who she previously starred alongside in the film “Lucky You.”
“Dirty John” tells the true story of how Debra’s romance with the charismatic John Meehan (Eric Bana) spiraled into secrets, denial, and manipulation. The series is produced by Universal Cable Productions (UCP), in association with Los Angeles Times Studios and Atlas Entertainment, and will be executive produced and written by Alexandra Cunningham (“Chance,” “Desperate Housewives”). Richard Suckle and Charles Roven will serve as executive producers for Atlas Entertainment; Mark Herzog, Christopher G. Cowen, and Chris Argentieri will serve as executive producers for Los Angeles Times Studios; Britton and Bana will also serve as executive producers.
Winner of three Emmy Awards with an additional five nominations for her work on “Fargo,” “Harry’s Law,” “Frasier,” “The District,” “24,” and “Samantha Who,” Smart has also made her presence known on the big screen and garnered an Independent Spirit Award nomination for her critically acclaimed performance in the Miramax feature film “Guinevere.” On stage, she was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for “Last Summer at Bluefish Cove” and received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress for her starring role on Broadway opposite Nathan Lane in “The Man Who Came to Dinner.”
In 2016, Smart also received a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Album for her work on “Patience and Sarah.” In the fall, Smart will be seen in Paul Feig’s film “A Simple Favor” opposite Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively. Her other upcoming films include Dan Fogelman’s “Life Itself” with Olivia Wilde, Samuel L. Jackson, and Oscar Isaac, “Brampton’s Own” and “Senior Moment.” Notably, she was seen starring alongside Anna Kendrick and Ben Affleck in director Gavin O’Connor’s “The Accountant.” On TV, Smart stars in Noah Hawley’s new FX series, “Legion.” She also starred as Floyd Gerhardt on the second season of Hawley’s acclaimed series “Fargo” on FX, for which she won a Critics’ Choice Award and was nominated for an Emmy Award.
During her career, Smart has showcased her talents alongside numerous top Hollywood actors including Reese Witherspoon in “Sweet Home Alabama,” Steve Martin in “Bringing Down the House,” Mark Wahlberg in “I Heart Huckabees,” Zach Braff and Peter Sarsgaard in “Garden State,” Bruce Willis in “The Kid,” Robert De Niro and Martin Landau in “Mistress,” and Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau in “The Odd Couple II.” Other recent film work includes “Great Hope Springs” with Meryl Streep, “Barry Munday” with Patrick Wilson and Judy Greer, “Youth in Revolt” with Michael Cera, and the dark comedy “Miss Meadows” opposite Katie Holmes and James Badge Dale.
Smart is repped by WME and Untitled Entertainment. WME also reps Los Angeles Times Studios, Atlas Entertainment, Britton, Bana and Cunningham.
