TV Jean Smart proves you have to 'work really f—ing hard' to make it in first Hacks trailer The multiple-Emmy winner stars in the upcoming HBO Max comedy as a Vegas stand-up comic who's trying to maintain her popularity and status. By Gerrad Hall Gerrad Hall Gerrad Hall is an executive editor at Entertainment Weekly, overseeing TV, music, and awards coverage. He is also host of the daily What to Watch podcast and weekly video series, as well as The Awardist podcast. Gerrad also cohosts EW's live Oscars, Emmys, SAG, and Grammys red carpet shows, and he has appeared on Good Morning America, The Talk, Access Hollywood, Extra!, and other talk shows, delivering the latest news on pop culture and entertainment. EW's editorial guidelines Published on April 28, 2021 02:12PM EDT Three-time Emmy winner Jean Smart ain't no hack, and her new character Deborah Vance is trying to prove she isn't either. Smart's new HBO Max dark comedy, Hacks, which debuts May 13, crowns Vance the "Queen of Sin City," but the respected and beloved comedian's audiences are getting smaller — and her casino boss is trying to cut show dates. But she'll do whatever it takes to maintain her popularity and status, even if that means reluctantly hiring an up-and-coming comedy writer, Ava (Hannah Einbinder), to help freshen up her act. As seen in the first trailer for the series, below, they immediately butt heads — but perhaps, somewhere along the way, they'll find common ground and respect for the other. "It's fun to have that be part of the generational clash between her and Ava, along with a million other things," Smart previously told EW. "I love their relationship so much, and we have so much fun. I'm awful to her on the show, but we're laughing all the time. I can't say enough about Hannah. She's incredible." The show — from creators Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello, and Jen Statsky (all three worked on Broad City) — also stars Kaitlin Olson as Vance's daughter, DJ, as well as Christopher McDonald, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Mark Indelicato, Poppy Liu, Johnny Sibilly, Meg Stalter, and Rose Abdoo, and Downs plays Deborah and Ava's manager. Hacks debuts May 13 with two episodes, followed by two episodes each Thursday for four weeks. Check out our daily must-see picks — plus news, celeb interviews, trivia, and more — in EW's What to Watch podcast, hosted by Gerrad Hall. Related content: Jean Smart is a Sin City stand-up staple in Hacks first look Watch Designing Women stars reunite for charity table read with Jean Smart, Annie Potts, more Confirmed: Watchmen trap door scene is a nod to this 1980s SNL skit Jean Smart created her own Fargo backstory, but Noah Hawley revealed something different