Look back at our favorite moments throughout the year, from award shows to up-close shots of celebrities. See the gallery. Sign In. Jean Smart Actress Soundtrack Producer. Down this week. The second of four children born to a teacher and his wife, she developed an early interest in acting and attended the University of Washington following her graduation from Seattle's Ballard High School. She attained a BA degree in fine arts there. Filmography by Job Trailers and Videos. Our Favorite Photos From

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The second of four children born to a teacher and his wife, she developed an early interest in acting and attended the University of Washington following her graduation from Seattle's Ballard High School. She attained a BA degree in fine arts there. Her first significant break came with a starring role in the potent, critically-acclaimed lesbian drama "Last Summer at Bluefish Cove," which earned her an Off-Broadway Drama Desk nomination in Jean made a highly auspicious Broadway debut in playing Marlene Dietrich in "Piaf" starring Jane Lapotaire , and it was the subsequent TV taping of that show, Piaf , that brought about major Hollywood interest. A regular on the short-lived sitcoms Teachers Only , Reggie and Maximum Security , Jean hit pure gold in her fourth attempt as the delightfully ditzy Charlene Frazier on Designing Women
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Birthday: Sep 13, Film, television and stage actress Jean Smart first besotted viewers with her role as ditzy Southerner Charlene on the popular sitcom "Designing Women" CBS, , but her biggest critical successes came well after her departure from the show in , during which she far surpassed the successes of her slightly more flamboyant co-stars, Annie Potts, Dixie Carter and Delta Burke. Smart was a Tony Award-nominated Broadway performer, critically acclaimed for her comedy and classical dramatic performances, and earned an Independent Spirit Award for her supporting role in the art house drama "Guinevere"