Jean Smart receives the Mary Tyler Moore Visionary Award
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00:00Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Dr. Robert Levine. I was married to my sweetheart, Mary Tyler Moore, for over 33 years.
00:10When she died in 2017, I promised that I would do all I could in everything I did to honor her legacy.
00:17And I can't think of a better way to honor her than to celebrate a woman who was Mary's Hollywood icon peer, Jean Smart.
00:24Jean is this year's recipient of the Variety Mary Tyler Moore Visionary Award.
00:32Jean is a brilliant comedic actress with extraordinary dramatic range, beautiful yet accessible, brave and kind, a risk taker, a trailblazer, generous, possessing great grace.
00:43As Laura Petri in the Dick Van Dyke Show in the 1960s and Mary Richards in the Mary Tyler Moore Show in the 1970s,
00:51Mary showed the world that women could be strong and independent and even wear pants.
00:56Then in the 80s, Jean picked up that torch and broke new ground as Charlene Fraser Stillfield as a recently divorced country girl who moved to the big city to manage a woman-owned business in Linda Bloodworth Thomas' classic Designing Women.
01:15And when in 2000 and 2001, Jean won Emmys for her drop-to-your-knees funny guest appearances on Frasier playing Lana, or was it Lorna Ann Gardner?
01:28These two winged statues contributed to Frasier breaking the record for primetime Emmy Awards for a situation comedy previously held by, well, you guessed it, the Mary Tyler Moore Show.
01:41Mary considered live theater, Broadway, the pinnacle of the performing arts.
01:45And as the first woman to replace a man in a leading role, she won a special Tony Award.
01:51Jean has had similar success playing lead roles in Piaf, The Man Who Came to Dinner, to terrific acclaim,
01:56and will be returning to the Great White Way at the end of this month in a tour-de-force, one-woman show entitled Called Me Izzy.
02:05As someone who started out as a dancer in a chorus, Mary understood the importance of the ensemble,
02:11always being willing to pass on the best lines to others, to elevate those around her,
02:16because in doing so, she knew it would elevate the work, and it was always about the work.
02:22In watching Jean, this virtue shines through, and in listening to her talk about her career,
02:28it is obvious that in all that she does, she cherishes the talent around her, elevates them,
02:34and just as Mary did, holds them close like family.
02:39But there is one attribute that may connect Jean to Mary most closely,
02:44and that's the steel behind the smile, the determination,
02:49the understanding that there's no choice but to keep pushing toward your goals,
02:53no matter the challenges, that no one has it easy,
02:56and you must be resilient and refuse to back down from what you believe is right and true.
03:01So, let me tell you one brief story about the depth of Mary's commitment to integrity of character, to truth.
03:09She was very young, never having done comedy, and just starting out on the Dick Van Dyke show,
03:14working with comedy writing giant Carl Reiner.
03:17At a table read rehearsal, Mary read a line that got a huge laugh from the entire cast and crew.
03:23As the laughter died down, Mary stood up, stammered a bit in that way that she did,
03:28gathered herself and declared, Carl, I will not say that line.
03:34But it's really funny, Carl insisted.
03:37Mary shot back, yes, it's funny, but it's not true to my character.
03:41It's not me.
03:42It is not something Laura would say, so it's not something I will say.
03:47So, Mary's insistence on being true to herself, being authentic,
03:51just as in Jean's exquisite, multi-Emmy award-winning portrayal of Deborah Vance in Hacks,
03:57is a reminder.
03:59Please applaud.
04:00I mean, she's brilliant.
04:07Jean's performance in Hacks is a reminder to us all
04:11the critical role that integrity of character plays
04:15in going from just simply funny to fabulous or from dramatic to heart-wrenching.
04:22In a scene from Damien Chazelle's epic 2022 film Babylon
04:26about Hollywood's transition from silent films to talkies,
04:30Jean's character, Eleanor St. John,
04:32explains to Brad Pitt, playing Jack Conrad,
04:35the transformative nature of being a film star,
04:38saying, quote,
04:39a child born in 50 years will stumble across your image flickering on a screen
04:45and feel he knows you like a friend.
04:48You've been given a gift.
04:49Be grateful, end quote.
04:52Jean, I am so grateful that you've shared the gift of your great talent with us
04:57and that we have it all on film to treasure forever.
05:05So I'm now pleased to welcome Caitlin Olson,
05:07who has the privilege of playing Jean's daughter, DJ Vance, on Hacks.
05:11Caitlin is going to share some perspective of her TV mom
05:16and present Jean with this year's Variety Mary Tyler Moore Visionary Award.
05:24Hello, everybody.
05:26I'm Caitlin Olson.
05:28I have the delightful honor of playing DJ, Jean Smart's daughter, thank you, on Hacks.
05:35And this role has been one of the greatest joys of my career,
05:39mainly because working with Jean and making her laugh or cry or impress her in any way
05:45is truly the highest compliment.
05:49Jean sets the bar.
05:49It just doesn't go any higher.
05:51She's also the only woman I've worked with on screen who's taller than me,
05:54and she makes me feel teeny tiny, and I like that a lot, too.
05:57This is why I am honored to present Jean with the Mary Tyler Moore Visionary Award.
06:04Mary revolutionized television with her warmth, her wit, her intelligence,
06:09and her ability to blend strength and vulnerability so seamlessly
06:12that she didn't even realize you were watching history being made.
06:16Jean carries that same spirit into every single role she takes on.
06:20Jean's not just a performer.
06:21She's a force.
06:22She brings depth and humanity that is utterly electric, and it is very, very rare.
06:29She's been honored many times with many awards, but beyond the accolades,
06:33including winning three Emmys for her starring role on a tiny little cable show called Hacks,
06:39what really makes Jean so remarkable is how she leads with grace and generosity,
06:45razor-sharp timing that could cut through glass.
06:48On Hacks, I get a front-row seat to watch her magic.
06:51She's truly incredible.
06:53She's truly generous.
06:54She makes you feel like the most special person in the scene when you know that you're not.
06:58And I'm still trying to figure out how she makes all look so effortless.
07:03I am not the only very smart woman with impeccable taste who is in awe of Jean.
07:08Please take a look at this clip.
07:09I had the pleasure of filming Opposite Jean for the new season of Hacks, and we had a wonderful time.
07:20And I'm so happy that Jean's receiving Variety's Mary Tyler Moore Award today.
07:26Mary shattered the glass ceiling with her talent and changed the way women are depicted on screen.
07:32She was also known for her extraordinary compassion.
07:36And it's fitting that Jean received this award, since she, too, is famous for her kindness.
07:43And she's always honored Mary's legacy by building a body of work that celebrates women and tells nuanced stories about single women, working women, and female friendships.
07:57From designing women, to watchmen, to mayor of Easttown, to Hacks, Jean is shaping cultural views about women for a whole new generation of viewers.
08:09Congratulations, Jean.
08:11And we're all looking forward to watching you on screen for many, many more years to come.
08:18To put it simply, you're the best.
08:22Love you.
08:27Mary Tyler Moore once said, take chances, make mistakes, that's how you grow.
08:36Jean is fearless.
08:38She takes the leap every single time, and what she creates is nothing short of visionary.
08:42So, Jean, for the way that you have carved your path, elevated every single story you've touched, and made all of us who work with you better,
08:50it is my absolute honor to present you with the Mary Tyler Moore Visionary Award.
08:55Get your buns on over here.
08:57George Sandler.
08:58We are soazz들이.
09:00Okay, thank you.
09:17I guess we have to show it.
09:18You know, we've got to do a ban on white or something, you know.
09:23Okay, after those three introductions, I think I better not say anything and just go home and quit while I'm ahead.
09:34I've never been so flattered.
09:38Wait, this is going to...
09:41Is there a doctor in the house?
09:44Thank you, doctor.
09:45And, well, another thing that Mary and I had in common, as many of you, I'm sure, probably already know,
09:56is that we were both type 1 diabetics.
09:58And we, I'm not, I don't remember exactly how old Mary was when she developed hers.
10:03I think she was an adult, as I understand.
10:05I was 13, and, of course, I thought that was the worst thing that could ever happen to you as a kid, you know.
10:10They tell you, well, not only can you not eat sugar, you have to take shots.
10:13I mean, what's the worst two things you could say to a child, you know.
10:17But you just do, you just do it.
10:20Kids are adaptable, and you do it, and you...
10:22But Mary was very brave one time.
10:24In a later interview, she said, she was being interviewed on television,
10:30and someone remarked how fabulous she looked, because she did.
10:33And this was towards the end of her life.
10:35And she said, well, thank you.
10:38She said, but, you know, people need to understand that people with diabetes can,
10:43everything can look perfectly great and normal on the outside,
10:46and you've got the hair pieces and the eyelashes and the professional makeup and the clothes and everything.
10:50But, you know, there's a lot of stuff going inside that can be very, very, very destructive.
10:54And, unfortunately, one of those things is it can't affect...
10:57Well, it affects every small blood vessel in your body,
10:59so, of course, it affects every organ in your body.
11:02But one of the most devastating things can be your vision.
11:05Luckily, my vision is still pretty good.
11:09But...
11:10So I thank the Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative for doing what they do,
11:16because it is really, really important, very important.
11:20And I know how much it was important to Mary.
11:22I only got to meet Mary a few times.
11:24I met her at diabetes fundraising events,
11:26and I always wished I could have gotten to know her better.
11:31I recently read something that reminded me of when I was a kid,
11:34because I was the family ham.
11:36In every family picture, I'm the one going,
11:38you know, whatever, you know, anything for a laugh.
11:43And Mary said that her grandfather remarked when she was,
11:49I don't know how old, maybe eight or ten or something,
11:52and she was, you know, cavorting and jumping and flipping and going,
11:55whatever she was doing.
11:56And he said,
11:57that child is either going to go on the stage or go to jail.
12:04Well, thank God she went on the stage.
12:07We're all very lucky for that, and thank God I did too.
12:11But also, and I, oh, I so wish that Mary could have seen Hacks.
12:15I like to think that she would have enjoyed it.
12:18I flatter myself to think she really would have enjoyed the show.
12:21She also had, I mean, she was, as Cloris Leachman,
12:28and everybody said she was America's sweetheart.
12:30She did, she could be vulnerable, she could be, you know, cheeky,
12:34but she also had, I think there was a part of her humor that we didn't always see that often
12:40that was a little more with a wink.
12:44She said that there were three things in her life that had helped her through life's ordeals.
12:51The first was an understanding husband.
12:56The second was a good analyst.
12:59And the third was millions of dollars.
13:01That sounds to me like something Deborah Vance would have said.
13:09I would hope that Ed Asner would say, Deborah, I like you.
13:12You got spunk.
13:14Hate spunk.
13:17Anyway, I cannot tell you what a compliment this is in so, so many ways.
13:22I also wish my mom and dad were here.
13:26They would really love this and appreciate this.
13:29And Mary had one more thing that she said that I liked that would be good advice to all actors.
13:34And she said, it's not my business to care about what other people think of me.
13:41And I had to look at that a few times because it sounded first kind of humorous,
13:45but it's actually very, very true.
13:48As an actor, you can't preoccupy yourself with wondering how well people think of you
13:54or how poorly people might think of you and what you do.
13:56So try to please yourself and the people around you.
14:01And with Mary, it was obvious that her friends and family loved her
14:05and her coworkers loved her just as much.
14:08I will end with this.
14:10I believe it was Cloris Leachman who said that the last time she saw Mary
14:14was when she, I believe, did a guest spot on Hot in Cleveland.
14:19Is that right?
14:21With Betty White, which I also got to do.
14:24I got to do work with Carol and with Betty White.
14:27I've been very privileged.
14:29And Phyllis said she just had a feeling that it was the last time she was going to see Mary.
14:34And she said, I wish I could have seen her one more time.
14:37She said, I would have just held her and hugged her and said, we love you.
14:41And that's how people felt about Mary.
14:46Anyway, so I am so, so, so humbled and honored.
14:50Thank you so much.