The 'Hacks' actress pays tribute to late husband Richard Gilliland as she talks about the 'sacrifices' he had made for their family after they got married.
- September 19, 2021
AceShowbiz - Jean Smart's husband's death has changed "every atom of (her) existence."
The "Hacks" star was married to Richard Gilliland for 34 years before he passed away in March (21), and has been struggling to come to terms with the death of her beloved spouse.
Jean, who shares son Connor and adopted daughter Bonnie with Richard, told Variety, "He was a great dad, and he made me laugh every day. 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."
Gilliland died just as Smart finished shooting the first season of "Hacks", for which she has since received a Emmy award nomination. While they met as young actors on the set of "Designing Women" in the 1980s, Gilliland stepped away from the limelight in recent years to focus on raising 12-year-old daughter Bonnie, and for that Jean will forever be grateful.
"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," she said. "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."
Richard Gilliland died at the age of 71 after suffering a "brief illness."
