As the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning series Hacks wraps up its fourth season, co-creator and star Paul W. Downs reflects on his comedy roots, the evolution of the show’s characters, and the deeper meaning behind a piece of art gifted by Jean Smart. For Downs, laughter isn’t just entertainment—it’s a calling.
The path to punchlines
“I always wanted to be the one making people laugh,” says Paul W. Downs, the 42-year-old creative force behind Hacks. From childhood dinners in New Jersey to the writers’ room of one of television’s most critically acclaimed comedies, Downs’ career has been defined by that drive. “As a kid, I’d beg to sit at the adults’ table just so I could make them laugh,” he recalls.
That early hunger turned into something more formal in college, where Downs joined the improv team at Duke University. After graduation, he moved to New York City and immersed himself in the city’s alt-comedy scene, performing at the Upright Citizens Brigade. There, he met his creative partner—and eventual wife—Lucia Aniello. Together, they began producing sketch videos and digital shorts, a partnership that would lead to their first major break as executive producers of Broad City. “That show breaking through the way it did—it felt like we were chasing a dream and somehow caught it,” says Downs.
That dream would continue with Hacks, a Max Original comedy that blends generations and sensibilities. Co-created by Downs, Aniello, and Jen Statsky, the show brings together two very different women: Deborah Vance (Jean Smart), a seasoned Vegas comedian with a biting wit, and Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), a young, sharp comedy writer recovering from cancel culture. The pairing is unlikely—but undeniably electric. “We wanted to explore how people from vastly different backgrounds and ideologies can still find common ground,” Downs explains. “Neither Deborah nor Ava is ever completely right—or wrong.”
Inside season 4: careers, chaos, and comedy
Season 4 of Hacks, which concluded in May, sees Downs’ character Jimmy LuSaque Jr.—Deborah’s long-suffering talent manager—step deeper into the spotlight. Now producing Deborah’s late-night talk show and launching a management firm with his delightfully unfiltered former assistant Kayla (played by Megan Stalter), Jimmy finds himself stretched thin. “He’s juggling more than ever,” Downs says. “There are definitely ways we’re similar. We both love our work, but I’d like to think I’m not quite as tightly wound.”
Though Jimmy started out as more of a supporting player, the fourth season leans into his evolution—both professionally and personally. “He’s always been driven, but this season he’s forced to confront what happens when ambition outpaces emotional awareness,” Downs adds. “We wanted to give him more texture.”
The show’s ongoing success, including taking home Best Comedy Series at both the Emmys and the Golden Globes for season 3, has only intensified the pressure behind the scenes. “We love making the show, but we also love watching the show,” Downs says. “So the bar is high. We feel that responsibility with each new season.” That sense of responsibility comes with deep collaboration. The Hacks team is more than just a creative unit—they’re a tight-knit group off-screen as well. When Aniello was pregnant in 2022, her baby shower was cohosted by Smart, Einbinder, and Statsky. That kind of closeness, Downs notes, makes the long hours and creative intensity feel less like work and more like family.
A gift from Jean Smart, and a lesson in generosity
That sense of familial affection came full circle in one especially memorable moment—when Jean Smart surprised Downs and Aniello with a deeply personal gift. “Jean’s love language is gift-giving,” Downs says with a smile. “She asked Jen [Statsky] if there was anything Lucia and I had been eyeing.”
It turned out there was. The couple had been admiring a rare pietra dura box on 1stdibs—a decorative art form involving intricate inlaid mosaics using polished stones. “We’d told Jen about it, just offhandedly,” Downs explains. “And Jean actually went and found it.” The box, though unsigned, is attributed to mid-20th-century artist Richard Blow, and features a capriccio—an imagined architectural ruin—rather than the more common floral or snake motifs. “I’m drawn to ruins,” Downs says. “They’re beautiful and melancholic at the same time. That piece feels like it has a story.”
The box now sits in their dining room, a symbol of Smart’s thoughtfulness and intuition. “She didn’t just pick something pretty—she found something we genuinely wanted. That speaks volumes about who she is,” says Downs. “And that wasn’t the only time. One Christmas, she gave us an antique Italian kaleidoscope and told us, ‘I’m giving you this because I think you both have such vision.’ I mean—how do you top that?” For Downs, the gift was more than just a beautiful object—it was a reminder of the generosity and grace that comedy, at its best, can carry. “We write and perform jokes for a living, but it’s the emotion beneath the humor that sticks with people,” he says.
The heart of Hacks
As Hacks heads into an already anticipated fifth season, Downs remains committed to the show’s original mission: telling stories about complicated women, messy relationships, and the resilience that comedy demands. “What’s been most surprising is how people from all walks of life connect with these characters,” he says. “That’s the beauty of it. Humor is universal—but it’s also incredibly personal.”
The question now is how long the series will continue. While HBO Max has yet to officially announce a final season, the creative team has hinted that they have a clear arc in mind. “We know where we want to end up,” Downs teases. “We’ve always known the emotional beats—what we want Deborah and Ava to face, and what they need to learn. The joy is in getting them there.”
If the past four seasons are any indication, Hacks will get there with honesty, intelligence, and of course, a lot of laughs. And if Jean Smart has anything to say about it, maybe even a few unforgettable gifts along the way.
