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Jean Smart has been everywhere on our screens over the last few years: from Damon Lindelof's Watchmen to Hacks, the actress has taken on several challenging, layered roles while going through a painful time in her life.

In March 2021, the Mare of Easttown star lost her husband of 34 years, actor Richard Gilliland, to a heart condition. Gilliland, whose acting credits include 24 and Desperate Housewives, passed away suddenly, survived by Smart and their two children, Connor Douglas and Forrest.

Remembering her husband after his death, Smart thanked him for having helped her establish her career, effectively contributing to her success.

Jean Smart Said Richard Gilliland Helped Her Career

In September last year, Smart paid tribute to her late husband in an interview with Variety, saying: "I just want people to know how much he's sacrificed for me to be where I am, and to get the opportunities that I've gotten and let his career kind of take a back seat to help take care of our home and our kids."

"And it kills me he didn't get the chances that I got, because he was so talented. I was very lucky when I met him," she continued.

Things got especially tough after Smart and Gilliland adopted Forrest in 2009, with the actress being away from home and on set for months on end to work on projects such as Fargo season two, filmed on location in Canada.

"My husband was home to care for the littlest one and the other one [Connor] was a teenager, but I took it very seriously and I flew home almost twice a week every week. I had to. I wouldn't have felt right about not doing that," Smart said.

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In a chat with The New Yorker, Smart reiterated her sadness at the idea that Gilliland never got widespread recognition as an actor.

"[...] he was one of those actors who never got the chance to really show what he could do. A couple of times onstage, he did. But he really sacrificed his career for me to be able to take advantage of my opportunities. I wouldn't have all this, if it wasn't for him."

Jean Smart Had To Film A Funeral Scene Shortly After Her Husband Died

2021 was a difficult year for Smart. Right as she was wrapping filming on her series Hacks, which earned her an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress, the star had to deal with the death of Gilliland.

"He was a great dad, and he made me laugh every day," Smart told Variety, adding: "Him passing away was just not ever even a thought. And it's changed every moment of my everyday life; every atom of my existence I feel like is altered."

She still had scenes to film on Hacks when Gilliland passed away "very unexpectedly," but she soldiered on, with the rest of the cast and crew rallying around her.

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" I still had a week of Hacks left to do," she said.

"That was hard. I had to do a funeral scene. I was a wreck, but it actually turned out to be very funny."

How Did Jean Smart And Richard Gilliland Meet?

Smart and Gilliland met while working together on comedy series Designing Women, aired from 1986 to 1993. The actor was cast in the role of Annie Potts' character's boyfriend, baseball talent scout J.D. Shackelford.

"I met him when he was kissing someone else," Smart joked in 2017.

As soon as she saw him on set, the actress took an interest in Gilliland, asking her co-star Delta Burke if he was married. But Burke wasn't exactly subtle while acting as Cupid at Smart's request.

"Naturally, Delta walked up to him and blurted, 'Jean wants to know if you're married,'" Smart recalled.

The actress then decided to take the matter into her own hands. She asked Gilliland to join her in her dressing room with an excuse: she told him she needed help with a crossword puzzle. Shortly afterwards, they started dating and were talking marriage, tying the knot in 1987. Their eldest son Connor was born in 1989.

Have Jean Smart And Husband Richard Gilliland Starred Together?

The couple have continued working together after sharing the screen on Designing Women, including on series 24. On the Fox series, they crossed paths as Captain Stan Cotter and First Lady Martha Logan respectively during season five.

Smart and Gilliland were slated to star together in a film directed by Tate Taylor, set to film in the summer of 2021.

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Among Gilliland's other acting credits are mystery legal drama Matlock and dramedy Party of Five. More recently, he had taken on roles on Crossing Jordan, The Unit, Dexter and Desperate Housewives, as well as Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood and Imposters. His final role is in sci-fi film Case 347.