Jean Smart

Equally convincing as a lovable ditz or a lesbian murderer, a domineering bitch or a love-starved wife, this versatile character actress has found the bulk of her success on television. After working on stage, Smart landed small roles on both the big and small screens. Her life completely changed when she signed on to Designing Women in 1986 as a befuddled blonde. The hit sitcom jumpstarted her career and introduced her to costar and future husband Richard Gilliland. Smart was 40 when she left the series to try her luck in movies. Despite her undeniable talent, her mature age limited her opportunities, and she spent the '90s turning in admirable performances in failed sitcoms (High Society, Style & Substance), a handful of films and some TV-movies (she was scarily convincing as serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Overkill, years before Charlize Theron snagged an Oscar for playing the same part). In 2001 she was nominated for two Emmys, for a dramatic role on The District and a hilariously harsh turn on Frasier, which won her a statuette. And while the '00s brought more failed sitcoms (In-Laws, Center of the Universe), her movie career heated up with high-profile supporting parts in Bringing Down the House and Garden State. In 2006 she delivered a harrowing turn as the president's emotionally unstable wife on 24.