HBO's Hacks has been taking home honors left and right this awards season, including the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress in A Comedy Series for Jean Smart, who plays Deborah Vance in the series. The show's first season wrapped in June of 2021 and was renewed for a second season.
Full of witty and complex characters, viewers are sure to come away struggling to choose a favorite, and so their order here takes into account likability in two ways; firstly within the show, as they are perceived by other characters, and secondly as they are generally viewed and received by the audience.
CEO of the Palmetto hotel in Vegas, Marty Ghilain (Christopher McDonald) quickly gets on both Deborah's and viewers' bad sides in Hacks' first episode, when he breaks the news that some of Deborah's shows are being cut in favor of other performers.
Throughout the season Deborah works to make Marty change his mind, but despite her many appeals, some of which include blackmail, he doesn't relent. To add insult to injury, Marty later tells Deborah that her entire act has been canceled, choosing to do so the morning after the two have sex. Marty's self-interest motivates his every decision, making him a rightfully frustrating antagonist.
Jimmy LuSaque (Paul W. Downs) is both Deborah and Ava's manager, and he took over the job of being the former's representation from his father, a role he takes very seriously.
Although Jimmy is crucial to the plot of Hacks—being the one who sent Ava to aid Deborah in the first place—his generally rational attitude means that he often gets overshadowed by more vivid and chaotic characters. Even so, this contrast is part of what makes his scenes with polar-opposite assistant Kayla so fantastic.
An unpopular opinion about Hacks is that Marcus (Carl Clemons-Hopkins) was underdeveloped in the show's first season, the full scope of his personality is yet to be seen, though he is by no means an unlikable character.
Deborah's longtime COO, Marcus is an extremely hard worker who consistently prioritizes his career over relationships, which is the source of his main conflict in season one. Though he finally lets loose in a joyful sequence while Deborah is out of town, he later accepts an offer to become her CEO, squashing his budding romance with Wilson in its tracks.
Kayla (Megan Stalter) found a sweet deal for herself in her job as Jimmy's assistant because her father's place as Jimmy's boss means that he won't fire her, no matter how many mistakes she makes.
While Kayla herself seems oblivious of this fact, it's painfully obvious to those around her. This charming ineptitude is part of what makes Kayla such a joy to watch, particularly when coupled with her lively personality and ability to throw Jimmy off balance with just a few words.
One of Hacks' protagonists, young comedy writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder) had her life turned upside down when an insensitive tweet got her fired.
Over the course of the show so far, Ava's journey with Deborah—developing material and improving her own skills—seems to be setting up the pair to have one of the best TV female friendships in recent years, though their dynamic is complicated. In trying to prove her worth as a writer and deal with problems in her personal life, Ava can be brash, but as her story progresses it's made clear why, and her innate talent shines through.
Deborah Vance's daughter DJ (Kaitlin Olson) has lived a troubled life because of her mom's fame, dealing with addiction, and being in the spotlight, but she is determined to be successful in her latest venture as a jewelry maker.
Though DJ and Deborah are not the type of people who share the kind of wholesome mother-daughter moments the Gilmore Girls do, their affection for each other remains clear despite their disagreements, as proven when Deborah reveals that she lets DJ sell photos of her to the paparazzi to feel like she's being self-sufficient. Although she can be naive, DJ's perseverance as she takes more control of her life makes her a character to root for.
Playing the part of comedy legend Deborah Vance led to one of Jean Smart's best performances of 2021, and as a character as elaborate as Deborah it's clear to see why.
Deborah Vance is hard to sum up, being many different things to many people within the world of Hacks; icon, employer, mother, and adversary to name but a few. Yet whether she's projecting a cruel facade or showing moments of gentleness, she remains compelling, both to those in the story and to audiences watching the show.
One of few trusted enough by Deborah Vance to be in her inner circle, Kiki (Poppy Liu) works as Deborah's personal blackjack dealer, and she also develops a great friendship with Ava.
Kiki is a single mother who works hard to support her daughter, but this is far from the only aspect of her character. Confident in herself, Kiki is unapologetic in the way that she moves through the world, and her pointed one-liners always cut straight to the heart of an issue. Furthermore, Kiki is unafraid to speak her mind and will be honest with Ava even when it could be easier not to.
