Jean Smart cannot be stopped. Though the iconic actress is preparing to turn the big 7-0 in September, her career is on a major hot streak—and is only getting hotter. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Smart has just signed on to join Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie in Damien Chazelle’s Babylon. Not much is known about the Oscar-winning filmmaker’s latest project, except that, like La La Land, it’s yet another ode to the Golden Age of Hollywood—though this time it’s actually set during that time.
Smart is said to be playing a powerful Hollywood journalist/film critic whose opinion can determine a filmmaker’s future. The movie, which Chazelle wrote and is directing, is set in the late 1920s, when silent films were being replaced by talkies—and not all of the silent film era’s biggest stars made it out alive. According to THR, Babylon has been described as “The Great Gatsby on steroids.”
It’s just the latest bit of great career news for Smart, who has been on a roll for several years—mostly on the small screen—after turning in masterful performances in Fargo, Legion, and Watchmen. Just this morning, the three-time Emmy winner racked up two more nominations—one for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Mare of Easttown, and another for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for HBO Max’s Hacks (which has already been renewed for a second season).
(Via The Hollywood Reporter)