Hacks creators Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs revealed how a single, heartfelt phone call persuaded comedy legend Carol Burnett to join the Emmy-winning series for a quietly powerful Season 4 scene opposite Jean Smart.
The iconic comedian made the appearance in the Season 4 episode titled I Love L.A. which premiered on Thursday, April 24.
Hacks co-creators shared how they landed the comedic icon on the series, "We have been trying to get her on," Aniello revealed, adding, "We've gone up to her at events and said, 'Hey, we come from the show Hacks. I dunno if you've ever seen it.' And she's like, 'I have.' And we're like, 'Great, so can you come on?' "
"We actually heard that she was a fan of the show and we were like, 'Geez, that would be so perfect to have her on, especially this season with the story that we're telling,' " Downs added.
He explained that Hacks "is about telling the stories of female comedians who didn't get their due in the same way that their male counterparts had."
Down went on to say, "And so, for someone like Carol Burnett to want to do it, I mean, she's a living legend. So it was really special and really cool 'cause we were filming it at Television City, which is where The Carol Burnett Show was filmed."
‘Hacks’
Hacks is an American comedy-drama television series created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky that premiered on May 13, 2021, on HBO Max.
New episodes of Hacks season 4 premiere on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Max.
