Jean Smart had a life-altering, scary moment on the set of Hacks when a regular, routine day at work turned into a medical emergency. The dark comedy drama series has not only returned with surprising plotlines for a third season, but also equally shocking behind-the-scenes, which by no means are equally comedic. The Emmy-winning actress has revealed that the symptoms she initially dismissed as just being a bit physically unfit led to heart surgery.

Smart has discussed at length the absolutely unexpected difficulties she faced while filming Season 3.

Speaking in an interview with Variety, Jean Smart revealed that she continued to work through her filming schedule because she did not know how serious her health problems were during the challenging physical scenes. She stayed at the filming site to complete her work and finish a keg stand scene before she went straight to the hospital. And it was not just for a minor check-up or perhaps a stent.

Smart's decision to go to the hospital proved to be crucial, as she underwent triple bypass heart surgery. Hacks co-creator and her co-star Paul W. Downs also testified to the outlet, saying that he was there at the hospital visiting his mother when Smart's cardiologist advised her to go for the emergency surgery. 

"I wasn't really scared until I woke up the next day, and I'm thinking about what they had to do. You start to feel so fragile," the veteran actress told the outlet about the distressful emotional aftermath of her surgery.

Smart said that she had previously kept dismissing her shortage of breath and fatigue as her sheer lack of exercise. However, upon having her driver take her to the hospital from the set ultimately revealed a greater medical condition at hand. But this was not the first time she went under the knife for heart-related ailments.

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The actress had always been open in addressing her heart condition on social media.

Back in 2023, Jean Smart reported her home recovery progress after successfully undergoing heart surgery through social media updates to her followers. The Golden Globe-winning star expressed her gratitude for receiving excellent medical treatment and having her family and friends support her during her time of recovery. However, she did not disclose the exact medical condition at that time.

Smart used her personal experience to advocate for health awareness in order to persuade people to listen to their bodies and schedule regular medical appointments. According to Deadline, the production of the award-winning hit show, Hacks, had to be paused during her recovery period. During season 3, when she faced yet another medical hurdle, her ability to overcome such obstacles while maintaining professional commitments revealed a resilience only a seasoned actor can possess.  

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