u/notreadytogoinyet

For all intents and purposes, I truly believe Hacks wouldn’t be nearly as successful as it is without the brilliant casting.

I was just rewatching the scene in the finale where Deborah has the idea for another joke and instinctively pulls out her little red notebook, only to have the much bigger epiphany of, “I’m not done yet.” Watching Jean Smart in that moment, I started trying to imagine another actress playing Deborah Vance — and I genuinely can’t. NO ONE I can think of even comes close to filling those shoes the way Jean does.

And honestly, the same goes for so much of the cast. Hannah Einbinder, Paul W. Downs, Megan Stalter, even Lauren Weedman as Mayor Jo. 😂 They all feel so completely right for these characters that it’s hard to separate the character from the actor at this point.

So, just for fun: Can anyone think of another actress you could actually see playing Deborah or Ava? Not necessarily someone you think would be better - just someone you think could have brought something different to the role and still made it work.
Because I’ve been trying and I’m drawing a complete blank. 😂

This may have already been discussed here, and if so, I apologize—I didn’t peruse the entire subreddit before posting.

I finally saw Michael tonight, and maybe my expectations were too high from all the hype, but I walked away feeling a little underwhelmed.

Don’t get me wrong, Jafaar Jackson was phenomenal. The attention to detail in the performances was incredible, and I don’t think anyone could have portrayed Michael better.

That said, as someone who lived through much of Michael Jackson’s career and followed his journey in real time, I couldn’t help comparing it to the miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream from 1992. For me, that felt more emotionally engaging and gave a better sense of who Michael was as a person, not just as a performer.

Maybe it’s nostalgia talking, but An American Dream made me feel something. Michael looked great and featured some incredible performances, but I never felt as connected to the story as I expected to.

Curious if anyone else who remembers Michael’s career firsthand felt the same way, or if I’m in the minority on this one.