The success of the HBO Max comedy Hacks can be attributed to one word: chemistry. Yes, that word is often overused. But the connection between iconic actress Jean Smart (Mare of Easttown, Watchmen) and fearless newcomer Hannah Einbinder more than earns it, with Einbinder proving that she can truly carry a show, leaving us wondering, “Why haven’t we seen this comedic powerhouse before?”
Smart plays fictional stand-up comedian Deborah Vance, whose Las Vegas residency is in desperate need of some freshening up, while Einbinder plays Ava Daniels, a bold, young, comedy writer who’s in desperate need of a job. The two reluctantly team up in what they both believe (and hope) will be a short-lived collaboration, as both leading characters have alpha personalities: Ava and Deborah’s first meeting goes from an interview-style introduction to a no-holds-barred roast battle. One quick-witted exchange comes when Ava heads for the door to hightail it out of Deborah’s estate. “By the way, so cool they let you move into a Cheesecake Factory,” Ava sneers, to which Deborah quickly replies, “Oh, is that where you wait tables? That seems like a better fit.”
Minutes into the dark comedy’s premiere episode, Einbinder’s seamless ability to combine dry humor and heart all while holding her own alongside a television legend is an immediate delight. Learning that this series was only her fourth acting credit makes her performance even more impressive — though while she may be new to acting, she is no stranger to comedy.
Both of Einbinder’s parents have a comedy background, as her father Chad Einbinder is a comedy writer, while her mother is comedian and original Saturday Night Live cast member Laraine Newman. From a young age, Einbinder had a fascination with the artform, routinely watching stand-up sets from The Tonight Show and later discovering her alternative comedy inspirations in Maria Bamford, Dana Gould, and Janeane Garofalo. She followed her passion and began doing stand-up of her own, making her mark at the highly competitive LA comedy scene. She could be found at local hot spots such as The Laugh Factory, where she would work out new material and do crowd work. She was then noticed by comedian and host Chelsea Handler, later accompanying her on tour as her opener. Topping her list of achievements is the fact that she became the youngest comedian to perform on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. At age 23, Hannah had crafted a tight set of jokes that she cleverly delivered in a noir-style performance. She strutted across the stage, oozing confidence and charm as she explained why her mother took so long to have kids (she was “busy”).
Hannah clearly has the same passion for entertaining as her on-screen character, Ava. But what’s refreshing about Ava is that, despite everyone telling her that she should veer from her authentic comedic voice in order to salvage her career, she doesn’t budge. Einbinder embodies Ava’s “deal with it” attitude like a champ. In fact, it’s Ava's unapologetic and bold personality that wins over Deborah. Though she won’t admit it, Ava is the type of person Deborah wishes she was brave enough to be. She’s not afraid to bump up against gender expectations and doesn’t hesitate to call out inequality when she sees it (this wasn’t even an option for Smart’s character when she was starting out in comedy, decades prior).
Though Ava is strong-willed, with her feet firmly planted in what she believes in, she is by no means invulnerable. In addition to being out of a job in the pilot, she’s fresh off a breakup with her girlfriend Ruby (Lorenza Izzo), whom she clearly still has feelings for. Her father’s health is rapidly deteriorating, and she also definitely overpaid for her LA townhouse. Not only is Einbinder able to bring levity to these less-than-ideal situations (one of course being when Deborah catches her taking a topless photo of herself, leading her to shriek and topple onto the floor), but she proves her range of acting abilities when her character is at her breaking point, whether it’s her disgust at the Vegas buffet selection, threatening to smash an antique vase in order to secure a rare pepper shaker, or storming off during an interview for a potential new gig when it’s clear those looking to hire her do not respect Deborah.
Ava knows she isn’t perfect, and Einbinder doesn’t shy away from that. In fact, she embraces it. In one of the first true bonding moments between the two lead characters, Deborah calls up Ava, who’s also alone in her hotel room, to question her room service order. “They have you ordering three chicken parms in one night,” says Deborah, to an amused Ava, to which she sarcastically replies, “Wow, three chicken parms. In one night? That’s crazy. But I did order them.” (In her defense, they were medium-sized, and she had the leftovers for breakfast.) This candid response leads to a lovely phone conversation that seems more like it’s between two friends than a boss and her employee. Ava’s charming sincerity disarms the more uptight Deborah, eventually leading to some major breakthroughs in the show’s characters.
The series debuted its 10-episode season in May of this year, and has already been renewed for a second season. (Yay!) Additionally, the show racked up 15 Emmy nominations for its achievements in front of and behind the camera — including one for Einbinder in the Outstanding Supporting Actress category. The tagline for Hacks, “She’s just getting warmed up,” refers to Smart’s character, Deborah. But this line can easily be in reference to Einbinder, whose dynamite work on the series is just the beginning.
As we wait for Hannah Einbinder to take home the gold, you can watch all 10 episodes of Hacks on HBO Max. Season 2 can’t get here soon enough.