Why Kaitlin Olson Is Perfect As Deborah Vance Jr. on ‘Hacks,’ According to Hannah Einbinder

Ahead of Hacks’ upcoming fifth season, Hannah Einbinder explained that Jean Smart and Kaitlin Olson’s TV family resemblance spans well beyond their blonde locks and comic timing. According to Einbinder, the pair are so well-suited to play Deborah and Deborah “DJ” Vance Jr. because their mother/daughter chemistry spans well beyond what fans see on-screen. 

“With that sense of humor, it makes sense that she plays Deborah’s daughter,” Einbinder said of Olson during a recent appearance on Kylie Kelce’s Not Gonna Lie podcast. 

Smart and Olson also share a unique dedication to their respective characters, and take a very serious approach to their lighthearted roles. “They’re just so alike in that heat and intensity,” Einbinder explained of the pair’s on-set energy. 

Similarly, series co-creator Paul W. Downs recently revealed that he had always envisioned Olson as a part of Hacks, and initially crafted the role of DJ with her in mind. “The only person we actually wrote for, other than me, was Kaitlin Olson as DJ,” Downs said. 

Downs was initially skeptical that Olson would agree to taking on a smaller part than she was accustomed to on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The Mick. Olson, however, agreed, a decision Downs said helped push both Smart and Einbinder to give some of their best performances. 

“When Kaitlin is on set, everybody’s a little different — Jean and Hannah in particular,” he explained. “They’re a little funnier. They really try to rise to meet her.”