Jean Smart was the epitome of elegance as she attended the Hacks fifth and final season premiere on Wednesday alongside her handsome boyfriend Joe Pacheco, who only served to complement her radiance with his own.
The two were as loved up as ever as they walked the red carpet in Los Angeles hand-in-hand, grinning like teenagers on their first date.
Smart, 74, looked agelessly divine in a shimmery silver pantsuit and white top with pointy pumps to match, while pendant earrings and a classy updo completed the picture.
Her significant other looked stylish as well in a light gray suit and blue shirt, opting for the no-tie look.
The Emmy-winning actress – whose romance with Pacheco began on a bittersweet note following the shock death of longtime husband Richard Gilliland in 2021 – was joined by fellow cast members including Hannah Einbinder, Megan Stalter, Paul W. Downs, Caitlin Reilly, Lauren Weedman and Christopher McDonald among others.
The show’s co-creators, Jen Statsky and Lucia Aniello, were also among the attendees.
Jean Smart, 74, was the epitome of elegance as she attended the Hacks fifth and final season premiere on Wednesday alongside her handsome boyfriend Joe Pacheco
The Emmy and Golden Globe winner wowed in a shimmery silver pantsuit at the event
But the one responsible for the sparkle in Smart’s eye that evening was clearly Pacheco.
Smart has kept the romance fairly private for the most part, but judging by Instagram posts of the two together they have been dating since at least late 2024.
Pacheco appeared to seal the deal by marking his Facebook status as ‘in a relationship.’
The actress, who plays stand-up comedian Deborah Vance on the HBO Max dark comedy-drama, mentioned her boyfriend by name when accepting her second Golden Globe award for Hacks.
She thanked ‘Joe’ for being part of the ‘support’ surrounding her.
‘I’m one of the luckiest people in – not this room – in this entire business, and it does not go unappreciated,’ Smart said in her acceptance speech.
‘I have the best bosses, I have the best showrunners, I have the best cast, led by the brilliant Hannah Einbinder, and I have… my kids, Joe, I mean, I am just surrounded by so much support,’ she added.
The romance began on a bittersweet note as the star had recently lost her longtime husband, actor Richard Gilliland.
Smart and her fellow Designing Women alum have been dating since at least late 2024 judging by their Instagram posts
The two were as loved up as ever as they walked the red carpet in Los Angeles hand-in-hand, grinning like teenagers on their first date
Smart was joined by her fellow Hacks colleagues including, L to R, Lucia Aniello, Jen Statsky, Hannah Einbinder, Paul W. Downs and Megan Stalter
The star gave Pacheco a huge shout-out at the Golden Globes where she won the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series
Smart had been married to actor Richard Gilliland (pictured with her in 2020) for 35 years until his sudden death from a heart condition in 2021 at age 71
She and Gilliland had been married for 35 years before his sudden death from a heart condition in 2021 at age 71. They had two sons, Connor Gilliland, 36, and Forrest Gilliland, 17.
In 2024 Smart called his death ‘such a shock’ during an appearance on Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?
‘Losing your mate of 35 years – I mean, literally half my life I lived with him is just kind of indescribable,’ she said. ‘And it just, you go through this period of thinking it’s just not real,’ she added. ‘It’s just this isn’t real. You know? This just doesn’t make any sense.’
But Smart has found happiness again with Pacheco, who has attended several awards shows with the star of late including the Emmy Awards in September 2025, the Golden Globes on January 11, the Roundabout Gala on March 9, the Elton John Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party on March 15, and now the Hacks premiere.
