Jean Smart | House Tour | $1.5 Million Encino Mansion & More

Actress Jean Smart has had herself one long career. After becoming best known for her portrayal of Charlene Fraser on the CBS sitcom Designing Women in the late 80s, she has since launched her career into overdrive with a critically acclaimed performance of fictional stand-up comedy legend Deborah Vance on the hit HBO series Hack. Jean has not only earned herself a Screen Actors Guild Award, one Golden Globe and two Emmys, she's also decided to change up her residential circumstances with the purchase of a brand new home. But before we get into where Jean Smart is living today, let's take a look at a few homes from her past. Since the early 90s, Jean shared her home life with her longtime husband and fellow actor Richard Gilliland. These two first met on the set of Designing Women, where Richard had a recurring role playing the boyfriend of Annie Potts' character, which meant that Jean met her future husband while he was busy kissing someone else. In these videos we don't reveal any addresses and even though I've done a house tour of my own place, please do not show up at any private residences because it's not safe for anyone. Over the next few years, Richard would go on to appear in other TV series such as Party of Five, Matlock, and 24. But for the most part, he was never able to get his own acting career off the ground because he was too busy supporting Jean with hers, as they built a family and life together. The first home they shared was a relatively small 2,800 square foot house in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Brentwood. Originally built in the 1950s, this 3 bedroom property also featured a grassy yard as well as a pool. But these two lived there so long ago, now that unfortunately, we don't have any photo evidence of it. But we do have a few more details when it comes to their second home. In 2002, the happy couple purchased a residence in Encino, California for 1.5 million dollars that was hidden down a long gated driveway on a 3 quarter acre plot of land anchored by a 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath, New England farmhouse. First constructed in the 1920s, the home had been recently restored at the time Jean and Richard moved in while boasting over 3,500 square feet of space. These two would then spend the next couple decades living in this home and taking advantage of the property's sunroom with a brick floor, as well as its basement, which is said to have featured hardwood flooring, some of which was lovingly hand stenciled. Other amenities were said to include a massive outdoor pool, a detached 3 car garage, extensive gardens, as well as a 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom guest house that was attached just off the side of the main house. It was from this happy home that Jean would undertake the latter half of her career, which would eventually lead her down the path to hacks. Before I introduce you to Jean Smart's newest home, I want to take you inside the estate that serves as her side mansion in the second season of her popular HBO series. Hacks came out of the gate swinging in its first season, racking up a slew of awards, including taking home the Golden Globe for Best TV Series in the category of Musical and Comedy. In the show's sophomore season, Jean's character of Deborah Vance travels across the United States on a comedy tour. But out of all the places she winds up visiting, one of the most memorable locations is a grand estate that Deborah sets up shop in with her entourage. While this incredible property is made to be overlooking the downtown LA skyline, in actual reality the mansion can be found in the foothills of the San Gabriel Valley. Here, it's located in a picturesque neighborhood featuring wide, tree-lined streets and one gorgeous home after the next. The once extensive grounds of this eye-catching home were originally captured in the 1921 silent film Seven Years Bad Luck, where the film's stars were featured frolicking through the property's gardens in a dream sequence. Following that, the property would go on to be utilized in a number of other productions. In fact, you could say that this location has a long and storied cinematic history. Back in 1982, it was used as the site of a haunted house in an iconic episode of the popular TV series Knott's Landing. And over the next three decades, you could catch the estate popping up as the home base of a crime lord in series like The Finder, or as a supposed Buenos Aires villa in season 9 of Bone. More recently, it's made appearances in episodes of Bad Teacher, Runaways, and the Ryan Murphy-produced Netflix series Ratched. Set behind a Spanish colonial revival facade and gorgeous terracotta details, this residence is the very definition of a trophy property. Thanks to its more than 7,000 square feet with 5 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms. Outside of the fact that this property was built in 1915, there's very little details available about the home's history online. And since it last sold in October of 2000 for $1.5 million, images of its interior are basically non-existent. But that's where the fine folks at Hacks come in, because episode 7 of that series essentially acts as a fabulous virtual tour. For instance, just beyond the front door is what many consider to be the crown jewel of the property, a two-story formal entry featuring a barrel-vaulted ceiling, arched openings, a fountain, a grand staircase, checked floors, and a second-level mezzanine. The common area includes not only a library but a formal dining room as well as a sprawling sized living room, a rich wood-paneled space with a fireplace. Then there's the chef's kitchen that comes complete with butcher block countertops, a 9-burner flat-top range, an oversized fridge, a center island, as well as both a pastry and butler's pantry. Additional luxurious extras are said to include a one-of-a-kind sunroom, as well as dual powder rooms, a wine cellar, an elevator, and a dumbwaiter. As for the outside, the home's gorgeous structure rises up over a brick patio, as well as a terrace garden and a large pool with an accompanying spa. Today, the home's surrounding grounds measure in at just over half an acre, but it used to be a whole lot larger. In the 1950s, a majority of the acreage was sold off to make way for new homes. As fantastic a boon as Hacks has been for Jean Smart's career, the first season of the series became almost bittersweet. I say that because only about a week before filming wrapped on the initial run, Jean suddenly and tragically lost her husband Richard when he succumbed to a short illness. Following his passing, Jean would look for a fresh start by moving out of the long-time home she shared with Richard, picking herself up something new. Recently discovered tax records show that Jean Smart coughed up right around 5.25 million dollars to purchase a home in Toluca Lake, California, with a whole bunch of Hollywood pedigree. Originally constructed in 1924 and once owned by veteran TV writer and producer Donald Todd of This Is Us and Ugly Betty fame, the property was then purchased in 2004 for almost 2.5 million dollars by comedian George Lopez, alongside his then-wife Anne. When George and Anne got divorced in 2011, the property was transferred to her name, and she eventually became the one who sold it to Jean in an off-market deal at the end of 2022. Since the estate wasn't listed on the open market at the time of sale, details are limited. But it has been described in former marketing materials as a magnificent Spanish estate with sprawling grounds and pool. Today, the property is secured behind locked gates and obscured from view behind a forest of trees and greenery. As for the size of its interior, online resources suggest that it spans more than 5,300 square feet, making it almost double the size of Jean's original home. Over the years of its existence, any number of restorations and alterations have no doubt been made, but marketing materials from 20 years ago state that the estate boasts a two-story foyer with a grand staircase, as well as a living room with beamed ceilings, a dining room with a fireplace, and a master suite with two walk-in closets. Other highlights are said to include a library, solarium, and gated parking. Until Jean Smart starts showing off pictures of the inside of her new digs, we'll just have to wait and see how lux it really is. But for right now, that'll bring this latest house tour to a close. Thanks for watching today's video, and before you head out, considering answering the following question for me. If you lost your partner after decades of living together, how long would you stay in the house that you shared before looking to move on? Let me know if you'd rather stay or go when it comes to getting over the loss of a loved one in the comments down below. Otherwise, like, subscribe, and turn on your notifications to never miss an episode. My name is Cara the Vampire Slayer, follow me on Instagram to chat more, and I'll see you all in another tour. Bye!